The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1879-07-24
Jons pevats oscars.
Az naprsr o. m nIAs nr'oluuOS.

Nosrcnt 10 the history oi oat eonnlry
vas attended With more thrillipg ipci-
denss, Or more slritiug Instances Of per-
sonsl beroism, han tbe Texas revelation
Of 1856 Yet few of lbsse havs been re-
corded, ~ Il least recorded 10 such a
masnef a. 10 be much read.
Texas, while province ot Mexico, bad
been mAinly settled BY emieranis irom
the UAited States. Outraged ny bad
government, the people rose aud pro.
claimed Texas free repabie, Between
Eve aud .iI hundred volunteers, uRder
Col. Fsunin. rallied in defence Of this
proclamation.
AgSiDs. this little band came The entire
tlrength oi the Mexican army, in those
palmy days OF Mexican glory when Santa
Anna was at The height Of bis power.
After a number Of hard fought sclions,
the handful OF volunteers were bemmed
10 al Victoria. Their stock Of powder aud
lead was exhausted, and they were forced
to surrender As prisoners OF war.
This occurred 10 March, 1886. The
volunteers were taken 10 Mission Goliad,
Oh the San AutoniA river, aud on the
9Th Of the month expecting to be re-
leased on parole, they were marched out
OF the mission, and without moments
warning shot 10 cold blood, by Santa
Annals own order, IL is said.
or the four hundred aud eighty or
ninety young men who flied out OF the
mission gates ou that fatal morning,
John Dnysl, then but youth In years,
was one OF the few who, almost by
miracle, escaped.
EAtb Sunday morning, says Duyal,
four OF five Mexican officers came down
into tue mission yard where VIC we're
confned, aud bsde us to gd really TO
march To Cspano, saying We were 10 be
liberated on parole aud sent home.
We were formed in three divisions and
marched out separately The division
into which was drafted comprised about
Que bnudred aud fifty men. We believe
what bad been told us, Snd bad not The
slig ghtest idea Of danger.
As we filed out of the gates and past
the houses, | noticed = number OF Mexi.
eau girls standing in groups Of tour or
five, aud looking al us In plying way.
We bad often danced with them at the
fandangos, aud rs we marched past, we
nodded o them and called them by name.
thought ii curious that they should
turn away their faces as they did. Some
OF them seemed to be crying. From two
or taree heard the low words, in Mexi-
can, Poor fellows, aud Goodbye, poor
| fellow.
But we were all in pretty good spirits,
and had not a thought Of the doom await
ing as. When we had marched about
half mile bait WAS ordered, aud the
column Of Mexican Infantry that was
guarding US on our right, ,couuIermarched
aud formed in line behind The column on
our left.
Even then thought this movement
was merely for some change in the order
of march; but moment after some one
standing near me cried out:
Boys, they are going to shoot usl
At the same moment heard the click
Ing Of their musket locks, and before we
had time to stir we were fired upon.
Most of them fell dead on the spot. The
man standing 10 front of me was killed.
Whea the ball struck him, he leaped
convulsiveIy backward with great force,
knocking me to the ground.
lay for q moment stunned. The
smoke OF the deadly voley drfted IN our
faces, and partly hid us from those who
had fired.
Before had time to scramble up, the
two lines OF Mexican soldiers bad rushed
over us in pursuit OF those OF our men
who were unhurt and who had fed
We we're near the upper ford Of the
San AntoniA river. The stream was on
oar right, knew that my only safety
lay in getting across it, but the Mexicans
were between me aud the river.
ran after them, however, unobserved
10 the smoke aud confusion, aud had got
within fifty or sixty yards OF the bank
when Que OF them turned aud saw me.
HE musket was empty, but he drew back
for thrust with his bayouet, when an
other man ran blindly between Us aud
received the stab.
While the Mexican wss Withdrawing
bis bsyonet, ran on aud went headIong
through their now scattered line. Several
OF the soldiers shouted aud fired at me.
heard the balls wbIzz by, but none OF
them touched me. Reaching the bank /
leaped into the river, which ri that point
ran deeply and very swiftly, though not
more than sixty yards wide, the current
Sc, towards the opposite bank, aud beisg
: good swimmer soon reached It.
As | swan, could hear the Mexicans
loading their muskets on The bank be-
hind me, shouting and ramming down
their bullets. The bank Tor which was
swimming found was eight or ten feet
high and nearly perpendicular, aud when
| reached it | conld not touch bottom
With my feet
The carrent swept me along down the
bank, exposing me 10 the aim Of the
soldiers VITO were on the opposite shore
TIE murderons wreiches began TO fire 81
me, ard no doobt enjoyed the sport. The
balls struck ali about me, pit, pat, 10 the
water. a. hoaied and swan along the
high bank iot a hundred yards or more
aud Il Is wonder that I was not Killed