The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-25


instead Of Americans that died in its de-
Tense the bards OF Britain would have
glorifed it. Yet only one poet has sung
OF the Alamo in strains worth remember.
ing. Col. r. VI. Potter's "Ilymn Of the
Alamo deserves TO live, though II is safe
10 say that one modern TeXan in fifty
never heard Of IT, But every Texan ought
10 know the lines;
'Arlfc' Man the wall our clarion ba,t
Now sounds it, hnal rcycillc-
This dawnug morn must DC the last
our fatal band shall ever see.
To life, but not 90 hope farewell
lnn ttunpCts clnng aud cannons peal
Add siurWlng shout aud clash Of .tccl,
Ia ours, but not our COuntTsk kuclL
"wclcomc the spartan's death
lis no dcspalriug strife
We fall-Wc debut our expiring breath
Is Freedoms breath OF life
"Hcrc on this now Thcrmopylc,
our monuments shll tower on high
And Alamo hereafter l1
on bloodior f,ld, the battle cr,i"
Thus Travis from the mmplr c-lti.
Aud when BIZ wgruurs saw The Zoo
Like whclmng hillows move below
At once each daunllcss heart replied
"w,lcome the spari1ns death
IT. no dCspiirlng strife
We tll, but our expiring breath
Ia lrVcdum's bt,Ath oi hic"
They comc-llIc auluu leaves they hu.
Yet horde ou hofdcs they OuWui rush.
with gorr tramp thcy mount the wall.
Till number on, defenders crush
The lrst was tcllri the light "a GAIN
We'll may the funinuy quake Geo tDl
How ImNIf and his huulrol iell
Auid thousand iuyucn tlnin.
They ici the sparian's death
lut mot ln hopeless strife
Lille bnih,r dlcd and tlcitcNprlug breath
Was frcodUm's hruuth oi life
The author Of this wns Texas veteran.
lie fought for the independence ri Texas,
aud subsequently served the Republic aud
the State. lie now resides Ia New York,
IN honorcd old age proud OF the great
Commonwealth he helped TO found.
-
The Alamo h an old adobe structure
half church, half fortress, situated about
the center of the city OF san Antonio. II
N now owned by the State. Some years
ago II fell into the possession Of gentle
man from Jerusalem, and was used ~ u
st1ryhousc for his goods. The sentiment
OF the State rC,oltcd, and the Legislature
authorized the Governor to buy the old
building and preserve Il for the state. The
gentleman from Jerusalem saw that lac had
n chance 10 drive n good bargain, and the
State hal 10 folk over $1,000 before th,
vulgar trader would evacuatc the tempt,
OF liberty But the old structure Is nov
owned by Texas, aud one Of these days Il
will be- used 10 shelter all The relies II the
war for Texas independence In the posses
sion OF the state.
The Alamo Won lbs glory during the war
for Texas independence. On the 23d ol
February, 1886, Santa Anna, Dictator OF
....a A.. a NM a. a.
O01 men, we'll armed and equipped, In.
vested the Alamo. then garusoncd hy 10
Texans The garrison Wus commanded los
Lieutenant Colonel William Harry Travis
Travis had been commissioned Lieutenant
Colonel of cavalry hy the provisional gov
ernmcnt. buthis cutIs had not been raised
aud thusc under his command In th,
Alamo were volunteers. James Bowie wa
second In command, and the gallant an,
eccentric David Crockett WIS there az
volunteer in the ranks. There we're acyof
women In the garrison, including a Mex
lean and negrcEs. The McNicans bonn
bardcd the fort The siege lasted lot
twelve DAYS. On Sunday March Il, 1880
the Alamo was stormcd and all It's defend
eis killed. On the tenth DAY Of the siege
when Travis became convinced that succol
would not arrive IN time, ho announced e.
his companions their desperate situation
lie declared his intention 10 sell his life AZ
dearly ~ possible aud drew a line in thJ
yard with his sword. lie cXhoricd al VIII,
were willing b. fight 20 the death with hin
o. foim on the line. With one exception
all fell into the ranks. Even Bowie, VIII,
was dying with consumption, had his CO
carried 10 the line. The man who decline,
a. enter the ranks escaped from the Tor
trees that night.
When the MCNicans sormcd the fortress
they killed every person in sight III,
Texans sold their lives dearly All O
them were killed-lN hut nearly 200
McAicans hit the dust. The McNicaus ha,
g. Kill every man Ia the fortress bcior
they could call 10 their own.
Thrmopilr bad her messenger VI d,igal
The Alamo hId nome.
Four n0ncomlaiunts escaped the slaurl
ter They were negro servant Of Go
Travis, Mn. Alsbury. Mira Dickinson an
ihc infant daughter -four days old OF III
latter.
Amman nokruson was n lieutenant
The volunteer tJrcc under Travis nc III
Alamo. Imyis and Dickinson were ~,
only brother Ia arms battling Tor the sau
taHb'f huA NNll If'lN'NNl lfIfWNNt lilll
onson was brave, rough itonlcrmii
He was huuismun, an Indian hsht,
and lover OF adventure. Ills vile ".
also accustomed TO the border She coul
shoot ~ straight ~ her husband, ON
shared In oil his dangers md ndycntur
without qunilng. She had little Of d
polish oi civilization, and no education
Dickinson aud his wife and child lived
Fan Antonio when Santa Anna mnrrh,
on the cts. Dickinson immediate
Joined Tmyis's band and was chosen
lieutenant Whom tho Americans Ia n
Antonio retired ~ the Alamo Lieu
Dickinson took along his wife aud chill
When the Mexicans scaled the walls
the Alamo aud the slaughter Of the giri
Bon vas nearly c1uplc,c, Dickinson d,
his child ol his back and lcapcd from
upper window. Scarcely had hc touch,
The ground when himself aud child We
nddled With bullets On the eighth Il,
OF he siege, or, more correctly, the ID
March, while the Mexican batteries We
bechiny forth death aud destruction ar
the gallant defenders of the Alamo We
rcaiing overwhelming numbers, Nj
Dickonson gave birth 10 q little girl VIII
The Alamo was captured and il lat =
render WIS dead, Alm Dickinson. NJ
weak from the lahors Of maternity, "
discovered with her babe IN her arms Ia
dark and damp corner 81 the old churc
Even the bloody Mexicans had ooinpa
hon on her aud her lie WA spared n