The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-05-12
OLD SAN ANTONIO.
The Alamo, aud the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
IN History, and Grand IN
their Decay.


The ruin of the Alamo, grim ana oid, II
before me MS | write. And were g,i'cd |
might conjure ~ the ghost OF her'c "'o
Davy Crockett, the gentlcr shade oi heroic
Travis, or the spirit If the slaughtered
Bowie,-namts that shall ever he hou. @
hold word on Texan lips, The Alamo was
"the bull pen OF Texas patriotism during
the famed revolution. Here the parrots
planted their flag and stood hy il al death 4;
here the "lonc star OF Texas" rose, red from
the blood stained walls Of the Alamo. ard
to-day ITS RUNS stand rs tie monument ct!
a battle greater than Thcrmopylac, Tor
while one Greek lived 10 tell the story 81
herolc defense not one Texan ever opened
hi lips To tell how his fellows died. what
glorious day In the future Of Texas when
the centennial Of the Alamo cones free
men from all parts Of the habilab!c globe
will assemble round lis venerable walls 10
celebrate IN memory Of lts one hundred
ana eighty.three martyrs, Lovers 81 no
crty IN centuries yet unborn Will come
from aiar 70 kneci on the spot where fa-
Wis fell, to gather stone IN mcmoryo' inc
chamber where Bowie was. slaughtered IN
his bed, and to see the place where ola
Davy Crockett, the heroic bear fighter OF
Tennessee, shed his blood for the freedom
of Texas. The story of the fall OF the
Alamo IS the saddest page OF Texan histo'
nv. 1t was the last of the Missions, though
never completed. Butyet the Texan visits
II as a shrine, and thrills with pride in
history that is more to HIM than ali the
Bunker Hills, Trentons, Monmouths and
Lcxingtons of the Revolution. The fight
that immortalized the Alamo took place
when Santa Anna advanced upon it with
all the machinery of war at Mexlco's com
maad. From the outset there was no hope
within the walls, and the little garrison
there made up their minds to their fate.
Santa Annals troops numbered 1000, the
flower of the Mexican soldlery, command
ed by officers whose policy, like Santa An
nas--butchers at heart twas ex'ermlna
ton. The town was already theirs; the
blood red flag floated from the cathedral,
and the fortress was summoned 10 surren
der and throw itself upon Mexican mercy
What that mercy was they very well knew
from the previous fate Of those who ca
ptulated with the brave Fannin at Go
lad, under all forms of war and with
promise of speedy release, only to receive
orders, one Sunday morning when they
were singing "Iiome, sweet home" to
march out in double file, under guard,
suddenly halted when half II mile from
the tort, the guard wheeling and firing up
on them till they tell-betrayed and butch.
cred IN cold blood. This day, Palm Sun.
day." writes Mexican officer of the mas.
sacre, "has been to me q day of heartfelt
sorrow. At six in the morning the execu-
tion of 4l2 American prisoners vas com,
menced, and continued till eight when the
last OF the number was shot At eleven
commenced the operation of the burning
of the bodies. What a scene! and what
spectator could view it without horror
When the unfortunate men we're brought
to the place of death their lamentations
and appeals in their own language, with
extended arms, kneeling or PROSTATE on
the earth, were such as might haye caused
the very stones to cry OF, in compassion"
Travis and his men had no mind for such
mercy. Shut up in the Alamo, their only
cry was "Vlctory or death"
On March 4h, 1886, Mexican council
was held, and 1t was determined to. carry
the place byassault on the 9th, at daylight,
The sound Of the bugle, which was Santa
Annals signal for advance, called the Tex
ans to their posts, and their leader to pro-
claim
Arise man the wsll-.our clarion blast
Now sounds It's final reveillc;
This dawnlng morn must be the last
our hted band shall see.
To life, but not 10 hope, farewell
Yon trumpetB clang and lannon's peal,
Aud stormlng shout and and clash OF steel,
Is ours, but not our country'a kntll.
Welcome. the spartan's death
Ills no desparing strife
We iali-we debut our expiring breath
IL freedoms breath Of life"
In the gray light OF that early Sabbath
dawn the MeXicans came with tumutuous
shouts-the Texans cool and silent Santa
Anna, the bloody butcher that he was, in
tent only on the slaughter Of the heroic
band within the Alamo, cared nothing for
the lives Of his own men. Dividing his
infantry into columns, he surrounded them
with his cavalry, who with their sabrcs
drove the soldier slaves back to the work
of carnage hat the chief butcher had as
signed them. The bugle sounded and
they rushed to the assault amid deadly
vollcy Of cannon shot and musket balls.
The columns attacking the west, north and
east sides were hurled back by the first fire
of the defenders, and oil three of them
concentrated on the north front, because
the houses on the west and east gave the
Texans great advantage The bugle again