The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-08-21
THE ALAMO.



the Texnn Fort.
The famous struggle for the Alamo
(cottonwood) of San Antonio is not for
gotten by the American. especially the
Texan-American, and its heroes are
remembered also.
Colonel Bowie's death was as heroic
as his life had been lawless and daring.
When the war of Texan independence
broke out he ioised the patriots and
became one of their ablest leaders. Re-
treating with $50 men before an over
whelning force ef Mexicans, command
ed by General Santa Anna he made his
war to San Antonio de Bexar and took
| UP a position behind the walls of the
Alamo, fort of considerable strength,
and which commanded the city, The
Mexicans, 1900 strong. laid seige 10 the
place. constructed batteries and began
to play away against the fort. while
masses of infantry rushed forward to
scale the walls. Many a daring feat
was pertormed by Bowie and his men.
who. surrounded on all sides, neither
thought of captivating nor asking for
| quarter in any extremity.
Such was the extent of the fort that
it required the incessant vigilance of all
the hesieged at the different points OF
attack. There was no time for sleeping.
The night was dark and the exhausted
/ patriots sought to obtain few hours
! sleep. 1.-The MeXicans are upon the
wa,lr' were the startling words which
caused every Texan to spring to his feet
and grasp his rifle. The enemy. taking
advantage of the darkness, had crept
up to the fort unperceived by the drowsy
| sentinel. and were in possession of the
! wall. The struggle was desperate. The
! patriots had no choice between death
and victory. Hundreds of the enemy
were either pitched from the wall or
put to death by the bowie knife or bay
onet. At last the Mexicans rushed for
ward and surrounded the patriots on all
sides and cat them to pieces. Not a
man escaped.
On the night Of the attack Colonel
Bowie was confined to his room bv sicl9
ness When the Mexicans broke ovd
the wall some of them rushed to his
apartment. He was up in time to take
his stand at the door, and with his ter
rible knife ne for some time kept the
enemy at bay. When his mighty arm
| grew tired with the work of death he
fell upon the heaps of the slain which
he had piled up around him and was
instantly hacked ard stabbed to death.
Colonel Bowels second in command
e al
Colonel Davy Crockett, many of whose
quaint savings are household words in
this country. As hunter and back
woodsman he had no equal. He served
| Que term in Congress and was a candi-
date for reelection. but was defeated.
He then emigrated to Texas and joined
the patriot army. He escaped from the
massacre of Colonel Fannins command
and reported to Colonel Bowie for
orders. He was with the little army
during the retreat to San Antonio. and
with it entered the Alamo. which be-
came the grave of the entire command.
The only persons in the fort who es-
capped We're q servant woman and her
child. which was afterward adopted By
the Republic of Texas and educated at
the public cost. That Crockett fell
when the Mexcans rushed over the
wall is all that is known: BY whom or
how no one was left to tell. But the
imaginat on can well picture him hurl-
ing whole squadrons from the wall. or
heaping up pyramids of the slain where
the struggle was most desperate.
Another noted duellst. Colonel Travis.
who was admitted to be the best pistol
shot in the United States. also fell at
the massacre of the Alamo. but how he
met his fate is unknown. His body was
found under heap of Mexican dead.
showing that he had fought with des-
perate courage unit. overpowered by
numbers. Next day the bodies of the
fallen patriots were collected and re-
duced to ashes.-Ddcid Graham 1Adee,
IN the Republic.