The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1877-12-11

the Blood Stained Fortress for
Commercial Uses.
4 ie~ days ago Bishop PeIlicer. Of the
Catholic Diocese Of San Antonio anil West
Texas so'd to y Mr.;rennet BY far the mo-i
' luable portion OF the Alamo property in
the immediate vicinity Of the now -four
ishinX city OF San Antonio. The remainder
he has reserved in "r'ier tn give the State
ii Texas an opportunity OF r-deeming
spos made sacred by the death and blood
oi her defenders while struggling with the
Mexican tyrani and ruthless buchcrer men,
Santa Anna. Mr.. Grenes, i, is learned will
apply hrs new purchase 10 purposes Of
trade and traffic. A movement will be
nsde in the next Legislature Of Texas to
buy up the whole ii il can be had, snd
there upon erect . magnificent monument
to the memory Of the heroes who fell there
over forty years ~g".
ITS ORIGIN.
In the year 1908 some pious franciscan
monks oi the Apostolic College OF Qnere-
taro. smitten with the desire to convert the
Indians, founded mission in the valley
II the Rio Grande. under the invocation Of
San Francisco Salano. In 1913 the frisrs
moved their mission, on sccount OF the
scarcity 81 wate-, to this day prevalent in
Western Texas, To the west bank Of San
Pedro Creek, aboat three qusr,ers of .
mile FROM the site IT the present city Of
San Antonio. Here, a. the sA-ages and e.
pecially the Comanches. had become troub-
lesome, il Vas put under the prots elton OF
Spanish military Ps,-t Of San Antonio lie
vslero. In l743 the foundations ii the
Church Of the Alamo were laid, and from
the time oi its building to l.73 il was
known and conducted ~ the mission OF San
Antonio de- Valera. Oh the third day OF
January, 1898, the Bishop Monterey di-
recied the good franciscan Father LOp~z
then in charge Of the mission, and who had
labsre,l in the Alamo,tO turn over it, records
aud PAPERS to the CITRATE ii san Antonio
de Bexar. The following year, Texss be-
! ing then a part Of the Mexican Territory,
bon Pedro Nava Governor Of Chihuahun,
ordered the secularixation Of all the mis
sions under his Jurisdiction, which extended
likewise over the province Of Texas. In
ISIS the Alamo ceased to be a place Of
worsLip altogether.
CONSTRUCTION AND DIMENSIONS.
! Built Tor defense a. we'll ~ church pur-
poses, tie Alamo IN IL stone. The walls
are three feet thick and the principal build.
ing, inc:os'ng court or square, is 90 yaris
/ long and ~ vide. On the Southeast corner
ii this fort IL the church Of the Mission
proper. build likewise Of stone, the whole
reminding the spectator Of the baronial
castles Of European T. udsl ages. On the
vest and east Of the structure were two
oesqnisa, or bitches, smptving into the San
Pedro.
SANTA ANNA's SUMMONS To SURRENDER.
The Texan revolt against her Mexican
masters was no, vet -uccersfu', and Gen
Santa Anna, then considered the Napoleon
of the West," crossed the Ri" Grande with
an army. to reduce the rebellious subject Of
| Texas. He had :osmsd at Matamoras q
junction with Gen. Crres. whom he dir
patched With . portion of his iorcrs to Oc
eupy San Patrico, on the Lower Texa,
coast. With ,he remainder he ssa out foI
San Antooio. then held BY Lieut.. Col. W
Barrel Travis, in command VI . handful
Of Texans. 1t Was on the I'd Of February
1888, year most memorable in Texan an
nals. that Gen. Santa Anna. With about
1000 men, approached the town from ths
south ward. With him were Gems. Ramires
Sesma and Almonte. The Texans rstires
in gOod order To the Alamo, leaving thu
town in The hands Of the Mexicans, wht
Immediately hoisted on church tower the
blood red Gag. Behind the stone walls Of
tLis place of retreat Travis found bu'
three bushels Of corn. but before he va
totally surrounded captured eighty Of
ninety bushels and some beeves from ths
vicinity. The place Vas supplied With
water from the aesqsias mentioned. Tn
Texan commander was thus shut up with
fosce Of las men only, and the fortrea'
being defended by bat fourteen pieces Of
artillery. Four Of these were mounted on
the wallis facing the town, four command
ed the bridge over the San Antonio
river, leading to the Alamo. tvo on the
aide next the church ON the eastward, four
we're mounted on the northern side.
Such vas the state Of aff.in WHEN the
Mexicsn General demanded the unconditi.
coal surrender Of the fort, but the sum-
mons Va replied to BY. shot from the
TEXANS. Col. Travis declaring his purpose
neither to retreat nor surrender. On the
Gath Of February, Travis sent IN express to
Col. Fan,n. at G.'l"id, for aid,
which he never received. and on the
18th, Santa Anna in person crossed
The San Antonio With the battalion de
Cssadores. being shortly after joined By
the battalion de Ximines, for the purpose
of erecting battery in front OF the main
gate Of the Alamo. But the Texans made
ssro~g resiasance, the Eight lasting till the
afternoon and resulting in the killing Of
eight Mexicans. The battery, however,
wAs erected the following night.
THE xExICAxs REINFORCED.
On the 18th the beseigers we're re enforced,
Santa Annals force finally amounting to
1000 men. On the night Of the 18th there
vas skirmish with his cavalry east 81 the
fort, and On the 2Ssh the enemy erected
another battery Ut an old mill 800 yards
dissant Other batteries we're subsequently