The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1883-12-20
SAN ANTONIO.
HER EARLY HISTORY AND THRILLING
LOCAL EVENTS.
Boom Created by the New Era Of the Iron
Age.---The Growth of the Past Year,
and Business Advancement.

WIN INC past history OF the city IN
which he lives; with the date of its set
Element and all memorable events in
its life. San Antonio, from the most
authentic accounts, was settled in
I7I3-just one hundred and seventy
years ago, although tradition fixes its
settlement at a much earlier date.
The mission did probably ante-date
1913, as its object and purpose was to
Christianize the Indians. The Catholic
priests of that by-gone age we're adj
venturous and courageous; trimming
over with missionary zeal, undaunted
by dangers and difficulties and full of
kindly feeling towards the Indians.
They lived among the savages. The
French and Spanish, in consequence
of the exertions of the Catholic priests
to win the Indians overto Christianity,
generally lived upon friendly terms
with the Indians around them.
The heroic struggle of Crockett,
Bowie, Travis and the one hundred
and seventy-ive men under their COM
mand, for six days, against Santa Anna
and 5000 Mexicans, in March 1896,
covered San Antonio with a glory which
can never fade, while time lasts. That
heroic struggle took place in the Ala
mo plaza, at that time surrounded by
rude wall as a protection against the
Indians, and closed in the Alamo
church. The heroic band acted out
the boast of Napoleon's old guard
the guard never urrenders"-they
fought, hand to hand, after their anu
milton was exhausted, and all were Kill
led or too badly wounded to maintain
the struggle longer. The wounded
heroes were butchered by the Mexican
invaders, their bodies piled in heaps
on the plaza and burned, and their
bones deposited in the earth, in some
spot about the city, which none have
since been able to identify, and respect
ing which fractions differ. The Alamo
plaza was hallowed by the blood of one
hundred and eighty heroes, who fell
fighting for Texan liberty and inde-
pendence, and may well be termed
holy ground. 1t is mortifying-nay,
1t is humiliating, that after the lapse
OF forty-seven years of unexampled |
prosperity, no monument rises from
the plaza to commemorate the heroism
which hallowed every inch of its soil
and gave it place in history with Their
mopalae. The people of Texas should
have initiated the ancient Jews, who
when Moses commanded them to bring
their gold and silver ornaments for the
purposes of being used in the vessels
and ornaments for the service of God,
brought more than could be used, and
should have long ago honored them.
selves by erecting monument on the
field of their glory, to the memory of
Crockett, Bowie and their brethren in
arms and heroism. tits probable that
their heroic resistance was the germ
and cause of the subsequent victory at
San Jacinto, since but for it, Santa
Anna might have reached the Colorado
and the Brazos in advance of General
Sam Houston, who was at Gonzales
when the Alamo fell, and have cut off
his retreat.
Ben Milan poured out his blood on
the soil of San Antonio, as a libation
to liberty, and in consequence of it his
name shines in the gallery formed of
the heroes whose blood enriched the
Alamo. No monument we could erect
could add sprig to the garland which
encircles their names, nor can our
omission to raise such a monument
abate their fame by one jot or title,
for they are safe upon "fame's eternal
camping ground" but, such memo
rial would show that we, ourselves,
we're not degenerate sons of noble
sircs."
The real growth of San Antonio
commenced simultaneously with the
completion of the railroads, which
gave her access to the great trade
centres of the Union, and the impetus
then imported to her progress, has
known no abatement. Her progress
has been onward and rapid bona fde,
not imaginary and Fictitious. Popula.