San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-05-10


down on the prairie side we would probably
not have heard them, as we would have been
TO the windward.
Bowie went cautiously about the camp, and
arousing a few old scouts to help him, soon
had every man in camp awake and prepared
without the least noise being made in the pre-
mature reveille.
We spread ourselves entirely around Our
small piece of bottom land, facing the prairie,
knowing that thence must come the attack.
Presently we heard the enemy cross the river.
Had our senses not been sharpened to the ut
most by knowledge of impending and i'm
minent danger, we probably could not have
distinguished the slight noise attending their
crossing from the rushing sweep of the river;
but so preternaturally acute did our hearing
become that the low toned words of COM
mand could be distinctly separated from the
other surrounding sounds There was just
air enough to convey the slightest noise to us
without their being sufficient to disturb even
q leaf.
At last they were all over, and then slowly
and carefully did they march round to take
post on our front, preparatory to their in
tended attack We could hear them range
themselves, but a thick mist was rising from
the river, and everything was by this time
concealed from our eyes. We could even
hear them unlimber the cannon and were
very sure that they were in reach of our
rifles. What weary moments were those, as
we lay silent as the grave, expecting every
instant to hear the roar and feel the hurting
storm of their artillery. But the fog had
Disconnected them, and although st was but
little past ) when we were first alarmed, the
ruddy tint impaired to the dense mass of
vapor now told Us plainly that the sun was
rising.
Never can | forget that weary watching,
but its prolonged anxiety was as nothing to
the dreadful feeling of suspense we expe-
rienced when the fog commenced lifting and
we could see the feet Of. the horses and the
lower part of the wheels of the artillery. At
this moment word was whispered cautiously
through the ranks for each man to pick out
his mark, and to fire from rest at the word
of command, Higher and higher fog drew
up. 1t was evident that the decisive moment
was at hand Officers passed iii lrOHt.Of the
line of horses Issuing orders
Take tree" whispered Bowie to me,
take a tree, the nearest one to our breast
work that you can"
A cool breeze fans our fevcred cheeks, the
dense mass of vapOr rolls up as curtain;
there stand the horses fully revealed, there
are the cannons, there the gunnerS whirling
their matches, there the trumpeter with his
instrument already at his lips to sound the
charge All this we saw, but only saw it, for
at this very instant the matches were eX-
tended towards the cannon, the hOrSemen
drove their long rowels deep into the horses
sides, but ere the iron storm burst forth, ere
the horses had made the first leap, or the
trumpeter blown his first note, a stentorian
voice from our ranks shouted Fire"
Down went horse and rider down gunner
and trumpeter, and rifle ball and grape shot
met careering in midair. The confusion in
their ranks was indeScribable Checked in
full career, the horses wheeled and ran every
man at the guns was shot down, and for q
moment we thought that the contest was
over But no; they knew our numerical
weakness too well, and having again formed,
here they came dashing up in splendid style.
The strife was now to obtain the mastery of
the artillery We dared not take them and
determined that they should not.
Give it to them in the face and eyes,
boys" shouted Bowie; never mind their
backs"
Up they came, and just as the leading
squadron reached the guns down went every
man of the front rank and away went the
rest.
Another charge, and the same result; then
came a bold attempt to withdraw the cannon
without our line of fire, and here more cour-
age was exhibited than l have ever seen in
Mexicans since. They surrounded the guns
dismounted some men and absolutely gave US
a harmless salute, but again every arsillery
man bit the dust.
The enemy, forced to abandon their field
pieces once more retreated, and their officers
evidently held a long and warm consultation
in full sight, but out Of our line Of fire. Some
of our men wished to make a rush for the
cannon, but to have been caught upon the
prairie would have been their destruction,
and the proposition was decidedly overruled
The enemy were in trouble; the men had
apparently had quite enough Of it, and we
could see the officers whipping them into the
ranks with their swords.
On they came again, and as they drew
near Bowie's voice is heard once more:
STEADY, boys, steady wait your timer
We did; and l firmly believe that three out
of four of our shots told The destruction
was awful; no Mexican could stand it, AS
they broke in confusion, man-the sergeant
major-dropped from his horse, hammer in
hand, and endeavored to spike one of the
guns. He fell, shot through the head. Our
men, no longer to be restrained, now dashed
out upon the prairie, seized the guns, and the
fight was over.
Had they done this before the enemy were
thoroughly disheartened and cut up not one
of us would have lived to tell the tale, but all
the fight was fairly taken out of our foes.
The field was won with no greater loss