The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1877-05-26
rns aa.-as,e OF sa.a.u ana .... ae.
by W. n. BRYANT.

by W. \. BRYANT.
"Bs they enrolled with Leonida. in the
AOot OF the mighty dead, thas thelr imfnola-
ion be not forgotten
Probably nowhere in the annals of
history can be found an incident of
refined savagery and dlabolic hate. 10
eclipse the awful tragedy the following
lines design TO recount. The scene OF
this foul butehery wAs the little Mex
can town OF La Bahia (angliciLed Il
LaOadeel near where the city of Go
Had now stands, on the san Antonio
river. in Golisd county, Texas; the
time, March ~. 1896, less than One
month subsequent to the storming aud
capture of the Alamo by the Mexicans
at San Antonio.
After a desperate struggle at Goiisd,
and only when ammunition and food
had exhausted, and hope for succOr
bad died out in their hearts, Colonel
Fannin, with four hundred and fifty
men, surrendered to the overpOwering
numbers of the invading Mexican
army.
The surrender was conducted under
flag of truce and the general rules OF
war, and only yielded-ss otherwise IL
while an arm remained To WELD IA
blade or club a gHn-upon the sacred
pledge of the Mexican general that
they SHOULD be treated as honorable
prisoners of war;
But this faith was violated, aud on
the 18th day of March, 1856, the sun
went down upon one OF those scenes,
at the contemplation of which the
heart sickens and the very blood con-
geais in virtuous veins.
These brave men-incited by no
fierce gloating for blood, or wild
schemes of conquest; Infatuated by no
diverse and unstable revolutionary
currents, but rather and only enthused
by those lofty principles of patriotism
that proclaim the iuviolability OF the
freedom of conscience and the pursuit
Of human happjness-these brave
| men, for this, ''the head and front of
their offending" were led out as ''sheep
to the shambles," mercilessly shot
down, aud the turf OF old Labadee be-
came sanctified with the blood OF pat.
| riots. Their martyred blood "cried
unto heaveD,n and IL was answered
with retributive vengeance at the
hands of the Texans.
Without the Alamo and Goliad, Tex
as would probably never have achieved
her independence, for these harrow
ing memories nerved the hearts of the
patriots and gave them al after easy
victory over foe fighting in all igno-
bic cause, the ensiavement OF free
men. Truly "God moves in q mystic
| rious way his wanders to perform"
Until these horrid scenes had sent
! the Saxon blood leaping through the
veins, and quickened every energy OF
| q race that could
| Brook not the cup of eommun on,
PILED with bl cd from the side OF II eedom;
The bride, neNermore, or paras te union
Until these sickening scenes had sent
their daggers to the brain, and awoke
them to an appreciation OF their prob
able fate, without a stroke for "God
and liberty" there was an apparent
apathy with many of the Texans, and a
disposition to listen to the "siren song
| of hope" but when the Alamo and Co.
lad mingled their wild cries of despair
| the soft cadenees of the SIRENS fatal
wooing died away amid the wild in.
vacations of n noble race, to the '.God
] of the fearless and free.n
| Twas once upon the dying OF a Southern
The gorgeous shades OF blue and gold, wer,
/ lDIO gray
TIL earth seemed there 10 blend with air
! in dual force upfuricd,
A panoramic reflex grand. OF Gods eterns
world
The time. the scene, the landscape fair tn,
peaceful browse OF herds.
The ineilowed sheen Of gold and green, In,
| gleeful chant Of birds.
fui paths OF life,
Not mete for war. and Gre, and blood, anS
heilish human strife
But God. in his omnicient power, aud hi
unfathomed canSr,
Permits TO flourish and defy cen His eter
Vain. weak, important, puny man -inrnlti.
Who biindiy, madly rushes on TO fate, Plu
tonian dark
Bat to the theme, the bloody theme, nov
| laid aside too long,
The sickening, hesrtiess, baIeruI reminIs
cence OF song;
Down where the "star of En- pire wends il
onward western way"
On Texas hallowed sofia band OF chose
| patiiots lay
No marble monumental spire, no statu
grand proclaims,
No tomb, no willow, cypress grove. wher
rest their last remains,
But craven on each patriot heart, whei
A consecrated love proelalms their br ii
enduring fame.
Down where the san Antonio blue, swesI
| onward TO the sea,
| There freedoms sacrifcal altar burned O
| Labadee;
Brave Fannin and hts Spartan band VI
daunted met their death;
, Their martyred blood erie out to heaven D
freedoms every breath!
And retributive justice stalks through MOI
tezumas halls,
Internal fra;ricidai strife which inevitable
falls
On Natures violated laws, where brother,
blood is slain,
Gods inexorabie decree is infamy an
| shamel
And thus the naughty boastful power wit
shibboie tn of hate,
. Who scourged US then, Is now pursued b
unrrlenting Fate;
And white winged peace no more spread
forth her pinions Ger that land,
SiHcs martyred patriots blood first staine
her foul polluted hand
AUSTIN, TEXAS, August 1876.