The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-09-05
THE ALAMO.
An fnterss ng Account Of the Battle 81
the Texan Fort.

inc Iexan FOTts
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 joined the patriots and
became one Of their ablest leaders. Re-
treating with $50 men before an over
whelming force Of Mexicans, command
ed by General Santa Anna. he made his
way 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, 5000 strong. laid seige to tho
place, constructed batteries and began
to play away against the fort. while
masses OF infantry rushed forward to
scale the walls. Many daring feat
was performed by Bowie and his men,
who, surrounded on all sides, neither
thought of capitulating nor asking for
quarter in any extremity.
Such was the extent Of the fort that
it required the incessant vigilance of all
the besieged 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. "The Mexicans are upon the
WALL" 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 cut them to pieces. Not a
man escaped.
On the night of the attack Colonel
Bowie was confined to his room by sick
ness. When the Mexicans broke over
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 he 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 and stabbed to death.
Colonel Bowels second in command
at the massacre of the Alamo was
Colonel Davy Crockett, many of whose
quaint sayings are household words in
this country. AS hunter and back,
woodsman he had no equal. He served
one term in Congress and was candt-
date for reelection but was defeated.
He then emigrated to Texas and Joined
the patriot army. He escaped from the
massacre of Colonel Fannin's 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 were 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 Mexicans rushed over the
wa is all that is known; by whom or
how no was left to tell. But the
imaginat IN can well picture him burl-
ing whole squalrons from the wall. OF
heaping up pyramids of the slain where
the struggle was most desperate.
Another noted duellist, 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 until overpowered by
numbers. Next day the bodies of the
fallen patriots were collected and re-
duced to ashes.-Davtd Graham Adee
in the ReDubEc.