The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1877-08-04
The Early Days of Texas.
TIE FALL Or TIE ALAMO~-THE EUT-
CURRY A. EOIIAD CLOSING SCENE
or TIE REVOLUTlUS.
phiii,lclDli;l Times.

W
for the Alamo, then the last insert
ton Oh the monument, for clo4ucnc
earnestncss, and meaning has ncv
been c1ua|cd but there is tolcr
bly well authenticated publisht
statement of enc man escaping II
slaughter of the Alamo. Moses Kos
a native Of France, an calIy cmigra'
to Texas, had accompanied Col. Bow
all through Texas was his war;
particular friend, and was with Bow
in the Alamo until the evening bctol
its fall. The following is the sui
stance of Roses published statement
"During the last five days an
nights of his stay in tho Alamo, til
enemy bombardcl the fort inc":unt
! ly and several times advanced to tn
wall, and the men within were s
constantly engaged that they ate an
slept only at short intervals, Will
one body Of the enemy was rctilin
to be relieved by another"
A few hours before sunset on th
evening before the: capture of til
font, tho bombardulent, which l,a'
been kept up for weeks, su'ldcnl,
ceased, and the enemy Withdrew al
unusual distance, when Col. Travis
taking advantage of the luIl, parade,
his men, and addressed them for til
last time in thrilling speech, sucl
a speech as could only cmsnatc from
noble and brave man. The follow
ing is the speech as reported by Mr.
Rose
My Brave Companions Our fate
is scaled. Within very few days
perhaps II very few hours, We mus
all be in eternity. This is our des.
tiny, and we can not avoid it. This
is our certain doom. Wo must diu
our speedy dissolution is a fixed aud
inevitable fact. Oar business is not
to make fruitless effort to save on,
lives, but to choose tho manner OF
our deaths. But three modes art
presented to It's. Let us choose that
which will best serve our country.
Shall we surrender and be dclibera-
teIy Shot without taking the life of a
slEglc enemy Shall we try to cut
our way through the Mexican ranks
and be killed before wc can kill twen-
ty Of our alversaries | am opposed
to either method, for in either case
We could but lose our lives witl,ou t
bcnctiting our friends at home, our
fatcrS and mothers, onr brothers and
sisters, and onr wives and little ones.
My choice, then, IS to remain in this
fort to resist every assault and sell
our lives as dearly as possible. Let
us bah,l together as brothers and vow
to die together. Let us resolve to re-
sist on, advcrsarics to the last mo.
ment, and at each advance to kill as
many of them as possible. And when
at last they shall storm our fortress,
let us kill them as they come; xiii
them as they scale our wall; Kill!
them as they leap within kill them
as they raise their weapons kill
them as they kill our companions,
and continue to kill them as long as
one of us shall remain alive. But |
leave every man to his own choice.
Should any man prefer to surrender,
and be tried and shot, or to attempt
to escape through Mexican ranks and
be killed before he can run a hundred
yards, he is at liberty to do SO. NV
own choice is to stay in this fo,t and
die fighting for my country, fighting
IS long as breath shall remain in my
BODY. This l will Ito even if you
eavo me alone. DO as you think
best, bat no man can die with me
without affording me comfort III
The moment of death.
Upon finishing his speech Travis
;ook his sword, and with its point
lrew line extending from the left
% tho ring of the fllc, and said, now
want every man that IS willing to
'tay hero and die with me to cross
his line. Who will be first i? Rose
says every man who was able instant
y crossed the line bnt himself. Col.
Bowie, who was sick and cou)d not
cave his bed, said: "Doys, | am
lot able to come to yon, but l wish
'omo of you would be 50 kind as to
move my cot over there" At bis re-
quest four men instantly ran to the
'ot, and each lifting corner, carried
t across tho line, aud every sick man
made the same request, and their
,unks were removed across the line
II the same manner. Rose was the
'nly man who did not cross the line,
md as he stood there alone, Col. |
Bowie, directing at him a glance from
lis cot, said: Rose, you do not
eem willing to die with u.s." TO
which Rose replied: 81 am not pre-
jared to die. aud will not if / can
void it, Hcsitating no longer, Rose
prang upon tho wall, and, dropping
rom it, fell into pool of blood,
where, he lay stunned for several
econds. Upon rising to bis feet he
vas amazed at the scene of death
which met his gaze. From the wall
q a considerable distance around,
he ground WAS literally covered
With slaughtered Mexicans in pools of
Hood. Recovering sufficiently to
'alk, he passed through the town IN
,olested every door being closed,
nd San Antonio appeared as a de.
erted city. At the time a stiffness
s of death prevailed. When he had
roccedcd about a mile from the city
is ears were saluted by the thunder
f the bombardment, which had been
rnewed. Tho thunder of the cannon
eminaed him that his companions
'ere true to the cause and fighting
heir last FIGHT. The thunder Of can
on vas kept up until little before
1nrisc on tic morning Of the sixth,
hen it ceased. Such is the report
t tho only survivor Of the late scene