The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-03-29
THE MASSACRE OF THE ALAMO.
Vne of SANTA Annals soIdiers Tells tho story
of that bloody Day.

1ork World tells the following, / went
WIN great throng to San Antonio and
gathered the facts here detailed which
give the Mexican aspect of the old fa-
IN, mlllar story of the battle of the Alamo.
nhe recital as given is careful transla-
tlon by Colonel Ford, commonly known
us Old Rip" a frontier member of the
dexas Senate. The old Mexican soldier,
the rdconteur, is named Francisco Bit
ezra, born in Guanaiuato in 1910. He
became soldier in 1898, was of
the army that stormed the Ala
mo in 1886, and was cap
tured by the Texans at San Jacinto.
he became a citizen of Twas, served in
the war of 1867 against his native
country, and in the Confederate army in
the war between the States. He is now
an honored and aged citizen of Browns
vile, and his recital of facts as seen by n
Mexican at the storming Of the Alamo
has peculiar value in the eyes of your
Southwestern readers.
Santa Anna was Joined at laredo
whore he crossed the Rio Grande, by
General Cos, who in violation of the
terms of his recent surrender at San An
tonic, was forced to join Santa Anna and
return into Texas. The movements of
the Mexican army were greatly retarded
by fires on theprairies, which rendered the
horses of the whole force almost useless.
Deaf Smith, n famous Texan scout, was
She author of this mischief. Santa Anna
matted day at Medina when he was
met by Senor Novarro and priest, who
gave the general accurate information
as to the strength-26S men in the
Alemo-of the Americans in San An
tonic. A sudden rain storm and
=" Sbrther made the river impossible,
and a forced march and immediate as
sault impossible. Next day he resumed
the march, General Mora i'll advance
with orders to seize the mission of the
Conception. massive stone structure
deemed by Santa Anna more defensi-
BILE stronghold than the Alamo. A cam
non shot was firel when the head of the
advancing column reached the cemetery.
The town was not defended, and Colonel
Mora was ordered to take n position
north and cast of the Alamo to prevent
the escape of the garrison. This was
late in February, 1886. Santa Anna led
1000 men and awaited the coming of
General Taxa with 1000 more. A bat
talon crossed the San Antonio rive. and
took possession Of houses below the
Alamo to build bridge across the river
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 constructed at night On
the third day of March General Talza
arrived, and the plan of assault was de-
fined and made known to the division
commanders. On the fifth of March
scaling ladders were distributed. At
three o'clock onthe morning of the sixth,
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 General Cos, this wing of the
army being commanded by General Cas-
trillon, General Talza leading 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 four o'clock.
General Castrillon's division after half
an hours desperate fighting, and after
repeated repulses and unheard of losses,
succeeded in effecting an entrance in the
upper part of the Alamo in sort of out
work, now a courtyard. The fighting
had only begun. The doors and windows
of the Alamo building were barricaded
and guarded by bags of sand heaped up
as high as mans shoulders and on the
roof were rows of sand bags, behind
which the Texans fought as men never
fought before-muzzle to muzzle, hand
to hand. Each Texan rife shot exhaust
ed its force and spent itself in successive
bodies of Mexicans packed together like
n wall of flesh. Muskets and rifles were
dubbed, and bayonets and bowie knives
never wrought such fearful carnage.
The ceaseless crash of firearms the
shouts of the defiant, desperate, be.
leaguercd Texans, the shrieks of the
dying, made the din internal and the
scene indescribab' e in its sublime teIrors
Each room in the building was the scene
ola desperate struggle with fearless mer
driven to desperation and conscious that
escape was impossible. They fought
even when stricken down, and when
dying still struggled, not with death, but
to slay MeXcans. In the long room
used as hospital the sick and wounded
fired pistols and rifles from their pallets
A piece of artillery supposed to he tha
which Crockett had used during til,
siege, was shotted with grape and caniste
AMI turned upon the desperate occupants
OF this apartment.
After the explosion the Mexicans en-
tered and found the emaciated bodies o
fourteen men torn and rent and black
ened and bloody. Forty-two dead Mexi
cans lay at the doorway of this room
Bowie, whose name tells of his fearful
knife and deeds, lay stark and stiff on
cot in this room. He was helpless anC
in bed when the place was invested, tel
days before.
Eleven Texans fired with terribl,
effect from the roof of the building
where they used three or four felt
pieces, which they charged with nails anC
pieces of iron. Buerra, like all others
gives his peculiar version of the stor,
that recounts the facts affecting tn
death of Travis and of Crockett. Thes
two were found living, yet exhausted b,
death-dealing, and lying among tn
dead.
When Travis was discovered he CAV
q Mexican gold, and while conversin,
with him General Cos, with whom
Travis had dealt most generously whel
San Antonio was captured by the Ameri
cans, appeared. Cos embraced Travi
and induced other officers to Join him il
asking Santa Anna to spare Travis life
The president-general sternly refused