Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-04-20
The hassacre of theAlamo.

ian from Houston, 200 miles to San Antonio,
IN south western Texas, has invested with
fresh interests the memories of this ancient
capital coeval with Philadelphia. Every
where, in every city and hamlet of the
United States. the play entitled "The Alamo :;
or, Death OF David Crockett" has appealed
to the passions of the multitude. When
this railway was finished last week went
with great throng to San Antonio and
gathered the facts here detailed which give
the Mexican aspect of the old familiar story
The recital as given is careful transla-
ton by Colonel Ford, commonly known as
"Old Rip" frontier member Of the Texas
senate. The old Mexican soldier the racon-
telr, is named Francisco Buerra, born in
Guanajuato in 1910. lie became a soldier
IN 1873, was OF the army that stormed the
Alamo in 1896, and was captured by the
Texans at San Jacinto. lie became citi-
zen OF Texas, served in the war of lS4G-7I
against his native country, and in the con-
tederate army in the war between the states
lie is an honored and aged citizen of Browns
vile, and his recital of facts as seen by
Mexican at the storming of the Alamo has
peculiar value in the eyes Of your south
| western readers.
Santa Anna was joined at Laredo, where
he crossed the Rio Grande, by Gen. Cos,
who, in violation of the terms of his recent
surrender at San Antonio, was forced to ioiu
Santa Anna and return into Texas. The
movements of the Mexican army were great
| ly retarded by fires on the praries, which
rendered the horses of the whole force al
most useless. Deaf Smith, famous Texan
scout. was the author of this mischief. Santa
Anna halted day at Medina, when he was
met by Senior Noyarro and priest, who
| gave the general accurate information as to
the strength-26S men in the Alamo-of the
| Americans in San Antonio and "norther''
made the river impossible, and forced
march and immediate assault impossible
| Next day he resumed the march, Gen.
Mora in advance with orders to seize the
mission OF the Conception, massive stone
structure deemed by Santa Anna a moro de-
fensible stronghold than the Alamo. A can
on-shot was fired when the head Of the ad-
vancing column reached the cemetery. The
town was not defended, and COL Mora was
ordered to take position north and east of
the Alamo to prevent the escape of the gar
rison. This was late in February, 1886.
Santa Anna led 900 men and awaited the
"A
battalion crossed the San Antonio river and
took possession of houses below the Aaro
to build bridge across the riyer.-Thirty
men OF two companies sent the next day to
make reconnaissance were killed A light
earthwork was thrown up above the Alamo.
The firing from the fort, now invested on
every side, was ceaseless. An earthwork
near the fort was constructed at night. On
the Sd day Of March. Gen. Talza arrived,
and the plan of assault was defined and made
known to the division commanders. On the
9Th of March scaling ladder were distributed.
At 3 O'Clock on the morning of the 9th,
ever memorable in Texan song and story,
the battalion Matamoros was moved to
point near the river and above the Alamo.
They were supported by 1000 men under
Gen. Cos, this wing Of the army being COM
manded by General Castrillon, General Talza
commanding that below the Alamo. Santa
Anna spent the night in the earthworks
near the Alamo. The whole force was to
move silently upon the fortress at the bugle-
sound and not to fire till in the trenches of
the Texans. The bugle Was heard at
o'clock. General Castrillon's division after
an hours desperate fighting, and after re-
peated repulses and unheard of losses, sue
ceeded in effecting an entrance in the upper
part OF the Alan.o in IL soit Of outwork, now
court yard. The fighting bad only begun.
The doors and windows of the Alamo build
ing were banleIdcd and guarded by bags
of sand heaped up as high as mans should
ers, and on the roof were rows OF sand-bags,
behind which the Texans fought as Texans
never fought before-muzzle to muzzle,
/ L
hausted its force and spent itself in successive
bodies or Mexicans packed together like
wall of flesh. Muskets and rifles were club
ed, and bayonets and bowie-knives never
wrought such fearful carnage.
The ceaseless flash of firearms, tie shouts
of the defiant, desperate. beleaguered Texans,
the shrieks of the dying, made the din in
| .,rnal and the scene indiscribable its sub
lime terrors. Each room in the building
was the scene Of a desperate struggle with
fearless men driven to desperation and con-
seious that escape was impossible. They
! fought even when stricken down, and when
dying still struggles, not with death. but to
say Mexicans. In the long room used as a
hospital the sick and wounded fired pistols
and rifles from their pallets. A piece of
artillery, supposed to be that which Crock
EFT had used during the siege, was shotted
with grape and canister and turned upon
the desperate occupants Of this apartment.
Alter the explosion the MeIicans entered
and found the emaciated bodies of fourteen
men torn and blackened and bloody.
Forty-two dead Mexicans lay at the door Of
this room. Bowie, whose name tell of his
fearful knife and deed, lay stark and stiff on
a cot in this room. lie was helpless and in
bed when the place was invested ten days
| before.
Eleven Texans fired with terrible effect
from the roof of the building, where they
use three or four field pieces, which they
charged with nails and pieces of iron.
| Buerra, like all others, gives this peculiar
version OF the story that recounta the facts
affecting the death of Travis and Of Crockett.
These two were found living, yet exhausted
by death dealing, and lying among the dead.
When Travis was discovered he gave
mexican gold, and while conversing with
him General Cos, with whom Travis had
dealt most gcnerouly when San Antonio was
captured by the Americans, appeared. Cos
embraced Travis and induced other officers
to join in asking Santa Anna to spare Ira
vis's life. The president-general sternly
refused. Then Crockett, from among the
corpses, stood up, utterly exhausted, by
weary. sleepless days and night and by five
hours constant fighting.
Santa Anna was enraged beyond measure
that his orders were not executed. lie di-
rected the soldiers near him to fire ON the two
Texans. Travis was first shot in the back.
lie folded his arms across his breast and
stood stifiy erect till bullet pierced his
neck he fell upon his face, while Crockett's
body was riddled with bullets. The eorpses
of 1000 Mexicans were burned, holocaust
whose fires light the way to Texan freedom