The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-04-26
The Massacre OF the Alamo.

has invested with fresh interest the
memories of this ancient capital,
coveal with Philadelphia. Every
where. in every city and hamlet Of
the United States. the play entitled
ssThe Alamo: or, Death of David
Crockett. has appealed to the pas
sions of the multitude. When this
railway was finished, last week, | went
with a 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 translation by Col. Ford,
commonly known as "Old Rip, q |
frontier member of the Texas Senate.
The old Mexican soldier, the Racon-
teur. is named Francisco Buerra, born
in Guanaiuato in 1910. He became q
soldier in 1928, was one Of the army |
that stormed the Alamo. in 1875, and
was captured at San JacintO. He be-
came a citizen of Texas, served in the
war of 1857 against his native coun-
try. and in the Confederate army in
the war between the States. lie is
now an honored and aged citizen OF
Brownsville. and his recital OF facts as
seen by Mexican at the storming OF
the Alamo has peculiar value.
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 Anton
10, was forced to join Santa Anna and
return to Texas. The movements Ut
the Mexican army were greatly re-
tarded by fires on the prairies. which
rendered the horses of the whole force
almost useless. Deaf Smith, a famous
Texan scout, was the author of this
mischief. Santa Anna halted day at
Medina, when he was met by Senior
Novarro and priest, who gave the
General accurate information as to
the strength-268 men in the Alamo
of the Americans in San Antonio. A
sudden rain-stOrm and ssnOrther made
the river impossible, and a forced
march and immediate assault lmpos-
sible. Next day he resumed the march.
Gen. Mora in advance with orders to
seize the Mission Of the Conception, a
massive stone structure, deemed by
Santa Anna a more defensible strong
hold than the Alamo. A cannOn.ShOt
was fred when the head Of the advan
cling column reached the cemetery.
The town was not defended, and Col.
Mora was ordered to take a position
north and east Of the Alamo to pre-
vent the escape Of the garrison. This
was late in February, 1896. Santa An.
ma led 1000 men and awaited the
coming of Gen. Talza with 1000 more.
A battalion crossed the San Antonio
River and took possession of houses
below the Alamo to build bridge
across the riv r. Thirty men Of two
companies sent the next day to make
a 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 nearer the fort was con-
structed at night. On the Sd day OF
March Gen. Talza arrived, and thu
plan of assault was defined and made
known to the division commanders.
On the 5th Of March scaling ladders
were distributed. At three o'clock on
the morning of the 9th, ever memoir
able in Texan song and story, the bat
talon Matamoras 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 commanded by Gen. Castrillon
Gen. Talza leading that below the AL
ano. Santa Anna spent the night in
the earthwOrks near the Alamo. The
whole force was to move silently upOr
the fortress at bugle-sound, and not tx
fire until in the trenches Of the Tex
ans. The bugle was heard al foul
clock. Gen. CastrillOns division
after an hours desperate fighting, ant
after repeated repulses and unheard-o1
losses, succeeded in effecting an en-
trance in the upper part Of the Alamo
in a sort Of OutWork. now courtyard
The fighting had only begun. The
doors and windows of the Alamo build
ing were barricaded and guarded by
bags of sand heaped up rs high as .
mans shoulders, and on the roof were
rows of sand bags, behind which the
Texans fought as men never fought be
fore-muzzle to muZzle, hand to hand
Each Texas rifie-ShOt exhausted it,
force and spent itself in successive
bodies of M4xicans packed together
like wall Of flesh. MuSketS and rifle!
| were CluUUtu, 61Hu UdyOnCto nAu WV 10
knives never wrought such fearful car
mage.
The ceaseless crash of firearms, thu
shouts Of the def ant, desperate, he
leagured Texans, the shrieks OF TIT
dying, made the din internal, and thu
scene indiscribable in Its sublime ter
ror5. Each room in the building wa
the scene Of desperate struggle will
fearless men driven to desperation ait
conscious that escape was impossible
/. They fought even when stricken down
and when dying still struggled, not witt
: death. but to STAY Mexicans. In tn
room used as hospital the sick an
! wounded fired pistols md lifts from
! their pallets. A piece Of artillery, sup
: posed to be that which Crockett ha
: used during the siege, was shotted wit
: yrare and canister and TUNED upon tn
: desperate occupants of this apartment
after the explosion the Nexicans 81
tered and found the emaciated bodI
If fourteen men, torn, and rent, an
+ blackened and bloody. Forty-t~
d dead Mexicans lay at the dOorwa
I of this room. R,yWie. whose nam