The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-04-28
NO3

Soon after the Texans united n
larger force, elected Stephen II. Aus
TIN their general, and moved on the
Mexican force under the command
OF Gen Cos, at San Antonio. On
their march and around San Anto-
Mo they had frequent skirmishes
with the MeXicans, in all of which
they were successful. The battle OF
| Conception was fought on the 2Sth
OF October, 1885, little below San
Antonio. lA this engagement, un-
der the immediate direction of Coils.
Fannin and Bowie, the Texans were
again successful, the Mexicans los
ing about sixty killed and as
many wounded the Texan loss
being but one killed.
The 'grass fight" on the old Pre-
sldio road, near San Antonio, occur
ed on 10Th OF November, 1885. The
Texans were again victorious, hav-
ing two men wounded aud one miss
ing. About fifty Mexicans were
killed and number wounded.
The siege of San Antonio contin-
ued until the 9TH of December
when the Texans under the immc-
diate command of Coils. BENJAMIN
X. Milan and Frank w. johnson.
stormed the enemy's works, fighting
from street TO street and from house
to house rs they advanced. On the
9TH Col. \,ilam fell, while urging his
men on TO victory, and Col. johnson
succeeded 10 the command. lie has
been spared by kind Providence,
and honors us to-day by his pres
ence as president of this Veteran
Association. Continuous fighting
lasted until the night OF the 9th, and
on the morning of the 10th Gen. Cos
surrendered his army and fortiiica-
tions. including the Alamo, fourteen
hundred men, twenty-one pieces of
cannon, five hundred muskets, am
munition, clothing, etc. About one
hundred and fifty Mexicans were
supposed to be killed. The Texan
loss was but few in killed and Woun-
| ded.
Thus far the arms OF Texas were
successful, with losses so small. in
comparison with those of the enemy,
as to excite our wonder. But we
must now look on scenes Of Mexi-
can success, attended by barbarisn,
butchery aud cruelty. such US has not
elsewhere been seen in modern
times, or in conflicts between Chris
| tian nations.
Santa Anna was marshaling his
hosts of about seven thousand five
hundred men and leading them in
person for the invasion of Texas, for
the massacre of her people, and for
the desOlation of their country. He
reached San Antonio on the Esd of
| February. 1886. Col. Travis with
| drew his guard from the town into
the Alamo. The siege commenced;
one of the most memorable in his
tory. One hundred and fifty-six
| Texans at first, reinforced by thirty
two afterwards, making one hun
| dred and eighty-eight in all, defend
ed fort poorly constructed for
either strength or defense, with but
few guns and q limited supply of
ammunition, against an investing
Mexican force of more than four
thousand men, from that time to the
9th of March-twelve anxious and
! dreadful days.
l
to surrender, on the 23d, was an
swered by cannon shot of defiance,
and from that hour the blood-red
flag fioated over the Mexican lines.
answered by the resolve of the Tex
ans never to retreat and never to
surrender. Only the wife of Lieu
tenant Dickinson, (who fell with his
comrades) her child and servant,
and two Mexican women, escaped
alive. ..... ,.........
GTecian and Spartan courage and
devotion to their country were not
more grandly and heroically dis
played under Miltiades at Mara,
thon, under Themistocles at Salamis,
or under Leonidas at Thermopola.
Texas has now a million and a
half of people, in the enjoyment Of
peace, free self-government, and
free tolerance of religion, and yet
no fitting monument has been
erected to perpetuate the memory
| of their unequaled valor and devo-
tion, of their splendid sacrifice to
liberty and their country, and to
symbolic the glories which they
ing and God fearing race. To them
The mure ed drum's sad roll has beat
The soldiers last tattoo
No more in life's parade shnll meet
That brave and fallen few.
On fame's eternal camping gronnd
The silent tents are spread
And glory guards with solemn sound
The bIyonac of the dead" -. .....#
On the 14th of March, 1886, the
Texans, under the command of Col.
Ward, repelled the Mexicans under
Gen. Urea, at Goliad. In this affair,
which lasted nearly all day. three
Texans were severely wounded, and
they were afterwards, while prison
ers, murdered.
On the sixteenth, Captain King
and scouting party of thirteen
men were surrounded bv the Mexi-
cans-one Of Kings men mortally
wounded, the balance surrendered,
and were shot by the Mexicans on
the road to GolIad. 4-..t..L 81
The battle of Coletto, Col. Fannin
commanding the Texans, and Gen.
Urea the Mexicans, occurred on the
10Th of March. In this engagement
there were about two hundred and
seventy-five Texans, and about eigh-
teen hundred Mexicans. Seven
Texans were killed, several MORALLY,
and sixty badly wounded. The
Mexican loss was supposed to be five
times as great. Urea having re-
ceived five hundred of q reinforce
ment from San Antonio on the night
of the nineteenth, and the most of
the animals used by Fannin for
transportation having been killed or
strayed off during the battle of the
nineteenth, he surrendered to UREA
on the twentieth, with express stipu-
lations that the prisoners were to be
treated as prisoners OF war accord
ing to the usages of the most civil
lied nations, and were Immediately
marched off to Goliad. On the
twenty-third Major Miller with |
eighty Texans were captured and |
taken to Goliad. On the twenty |
fifth, Wards men were also taken |
there, making four hundred and
forty-five Texan prisoners at that |
place. On the twenty-seventh, three
hundred aud thirty of these, includ-
ing Col. Fannin, were, by order of |
Gen. Santa Anna, in violation of the
express terms of their surrender, in
violation of the usages of civilized
war, in cold blood, marched out in
files, and cruelty shot to death, or
hacked to pieces in their attempt to
escape from this brutal and remorse
less butchery.
A knowledge of these dreadful
scenes was heralded all throu0h |