Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-11-26
Heroes in a Tight Place.

The little garrison al San Anton.
10 numbered only lSa men, bat 10 ia.
cluded such heroic and forccful spIr.
It's as Davy Crockett, james Bowie
and Barrett Travis. An order cnmo
TO blow up the Alamo and fall hacl
on Gonzalez, but with one voice tho
men refused 20 obey e.. They pro.
posed 10 stay there and die, If necca-
sary. "Military defeats may bo
moral victories" said Crockett, "nud
moral victories make national groat-
ness Said Travis, "lf we hold
the Alamo, il IL deed well done"
And Bowie said, "Commdca, do
not want "a prettier quarrel 90 die in-
] do not want better monument
than the Alamow So they loaded
their trusty rifles, sharpcnod tb.ir
terrible knives, and waitcd f0r tho
coming Of Santa Anna. "Io shall
have "A square fight Tor every ufc g.
GETS they promised one another
The Mexican NHny reached San avs.
tonic on Tuesd,y, Feb 23, 1856,
and by the 27th the city was closely
invested. lntrenchmcnts cncircIod
the doomed Americans in tbo Ala.
mo, aud from dawn 90 sunset tho
bombardment went on. Not until
March ., however, did Santa AnHa
succeed Ia getting large cannon
near enough the fortress for really
effective work, and then it could
not az once Doe used, for Crockett
stood on the roof nl day and shot
down ths gunners one by one ns they
advanced Ia Gre 70. Thon SbuiH
Anna swore "by every saint In hoav.
en- or helr 30 enter the Alamo tbc
next day at all hazards.
At o'clock OF that memorable
morning of March d, the stomUua
of the fortress began, led by Santa
Anna la pcrson-lOOO Infatuated
Mexicans against ls3 rcsoluto aud
undismayed Americans Charge af.
ter charge was repclled with awful
loss. For every ne chat went 0ut
Ia the Alamo, dozen McNIcaus h.t
the dust. At length, about 40 o'e.oe,
the outer wall was gained. Then
room lay room was taken with u
slaughter At noon only
six of the garrison were lcft alive.
Crockett stood in an angle 0f tHc
fort, with his shattered ride in h.H
right hand, and in his left his wal.
'ier knife, dripping with blood At
hi, side was Travis, scarcely alive,
jut still erect aud dsdant Bowie
y murdered in his sick bcd, but at
lis feet lay also thc dead body of
he murderer with knife Boz bIa
ieart. Santa Annu's chief uWrer
,sked him 30 spare che liycsHof tlo
emainng six heroes, but ho an-
wered with malignant emphasis.
Fire J" and the last man of tlrm
,ehshcd The Alamo was mkeu.
,ut il had cost 1900 lives and bIbok.
ned the name Santa Anna with
verlasting infamy History does
lot afford another such instance of
nconquerable courage and proud
as tho story of ohio
'exan martyrdom presents Every
nan Of The litlle band died in higb
Roman fashion, and no voice wac
eft 10 tell thc tale. "rhomopyIp
ad lis messenger 30 defeat. but thc
Alamo had none"
Then followed the horror of coli.
a, where Fannin and ms soldiers
,ere pat 10 death after they had
Aud then clmo lbo
attic Of Jacinto, where Houston
ret and defeated Santa Anna, and
lus asserted tbe Independence of
'exas. "Remcmbcr thc Alamo"
.as the shout Of vengeance with
hich th Americans advanced upon
he Mexican lines in chat conflict.
nd paused for nothing unul the
ictory was achieved, The yeam
assed and there came 4 day whom
an Antonio was nriAycd in holiday
arb 10 receive Gen. lluuston. "a
,strom had been erected in che pla.
/, and Gen. Houston stepped upon
, and stretched ont hIa arms t0 tho
people. "Whateyof state
ave us BIRTH ho cried, "wo haro
ne native land and we have one
" :" At that instant, from tho
i'm, bood-stained walls OF che ola
,rtress, the blessed Stars and Stripes
uttered Ia the rich sunshine, and
a moment n thousand smaller 0a9a
ON every high place, gave it ahlu.
tion. Then che thunder of tho
lnnon was answered by che thunder
voices. "And far of far on,
,claimcd Houston, "yct louder chan
Nv noise ON earth, hear from lhe
,ad years and che dead heroes of
e Alamo. Of Goliad, of San JaaIu.
b, the hurnhing Of ghostIy voices
ID the clapping Of unseen hands,"
-E1.