Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-02-15
HEROINE OF THE ALAMO.
She is n Tennesseean and halls from
Bolivar.
Correspondence San Antonio Express,

Texans confess keen interestin facts
affecting the history and fortunes OF
David Crockett. San Antonio is in
debted to much of its fame to that of
the heroic martyr to liberty, who fell
in the thickest of the fight within the
Alamo. Have you listened to the sim
pliest recital of the facts given by.Mrs.
Hannig, formerly Mrs. Dickinson, nee
Wilkerson. in Green county, Georgia!
She went, when very young. to Boil
var, Hardeman county, Tenn. When
hardly sixteen she married Dickinson,
New England tradesman, and, in
1885, went to Texas. When the re-
volt occurred and Mexican invasion
was threatened, Dickinson removed
his youthful wife to San Antonio.
When Santa Anna appeared before
the little city one bright spring morn
ing in 1890, Dickinson, who was lieu
tenant or captain in local company,
was mounted on mustang, and his
wife was seated behind with child OF
six months in herlap. He entered the
Alamo. He and his wife had an apart
ment given them in the basement OF
the stone church. Crockett occupied
an adjoining room. Here, when not
engaged in loading and firing sort
of "iong Tom" a primitive eighteen
FOUNDER, he was accustomed to saw
his fiddle and abhor confinement with
in stone walls. He was impatient of
imprisonment and especially anxious
to have fight with the Mexicans in
IN open field, where he might use his
native weapon, Betsy his old-fash-
Toned soap stick rifle.
Through ten days Mrs. Hannig
was within the Alamo, encountering
Crockett almost hourly till the last
day of the siege when the massacre
occurred. That fatal morning Dick
enson, long before the sun rose, came
to his wife and bid her adieu. have
heard her tell the story with fearful
eyes 43 years after the sun went
down Oh the terrible day. She saw
Dickinson but once afterward. He
was then fighting, sword in hand, at
the doorway of her apartment. Men
rushed into her room. There was a
volley of musketry. When conscious
ness was restored her room was full
of gunpowder smoke. A bullet had
pierced her leg just below the knee.
She was lying on the bed, her infant,
six months old. beside her, and a
richly dressed Mexican officer stand
ing near.
She remembers, as | forgot to state
that simultaneously with the hand te
hand fight between her husband and
the Mexicans at the doorway, two
little boys, sons of German gunner
ran into her room. They were pur.
sued by Mexicans, shot down anf
bayoneted in her presence, the smoke
from the guns filing her room anC
enabling her to escape observation
Alnonte was educated in New Or
leans. He interposed when the Mexi
cans sought to take her life, ant
caused her to be taken to Santa Anita
This man sought to- induce her to &C
company him to Mexico. When sh'
refused, he concluded TO send her t.
Sam Houston, that the terrible stor,
she would tell might intimidate tn
little band Of Texas patriots.
Wounded as she was she set on
on mustang, with her child in he
lap, across the open prairies, for Con
zales. She, her infant, and the ne
gro Ben, the servant of Travis, VIII
was in command, were the sole sur
yiyors. But San Antonio should hea
Mrs. Hannig, now growing old, te
the story as have heard it. Sh
would tell, too, of her flight, accom-
panied by the negro of the interver
ton Of Deaf Smith, who saved hel
when almost dying of thirst, fatigu
and of the pain caused by her woun(
Hear her tell of her interview wit
Houston, and how the hero Of Texa
independence used the hideous stor
to exasperate his followers.
She told him that when she wa
A. @o,,,, ~,