The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-09-14
RELICS OF THE ALAMO.
Five or Six Old Cannon Unoarthed at Sal
Antonio, Texas.


A short time ago, while workmen
were engaged in excavating for new
building on the site of the old Maverick
homestead, just opposite the Maverick,
they unearthed the barrels of five or
six big cannon. The pieces were all
old-fashioned Spanish siege-guns, and
while the long period they had lain in
the ground had covered them with rust,
the device of Spanish authority on them
was plainly discernable. The longest
was eight feet and capable OF chamber
ing an eighteen-pound ball. These
evidences of lively times in the past at
tracted many spectators. Where they
were found was thirty or forty years
ago the residence of Captain Samuel A.
Maverick, the father of the present
generation of that family. These all
knew of the presence of these old guns,
as did many other old citizens, but to
strangers and younger persons they
were brand new discovery. In speak
ing of them this morning Banker Sam
Maverick said:
when l was little boy-I am now
| ffty-two-we dug trench right out
there (pointing to the spoD to build
| fence, and found eleven of those old
guns. One was an enormous brass
piece about twenty-five feet long. Cen
eral Harney. of the United States army,
was here then, and took it and sent it
North TO some foundry, whore he had
three smaller cannon made out of 1t.
| One OF these he sent back TO my father,
and my brother Albert still has it up
at his house. We used to fire it off on
the Fourth of July when we were boys.
These they have just found were left in
| the ground, and have been there ever
since. My opinion is they are part
| of the battery used at the Alamo. The
| Texans had several they had captured,
and if they are not these, then they
might have been buried by the MeXi-
cans here after the TALL of the Alamo.
There used to be one in the river just
back of the Vance block, whore we
| boys used to bathe in the river"
The pieces will not be removed, but
will be again covered up by the foun-
dation of temporary building on the
site. Captain Tom Rife. the custodian
of the Alamo, and one of the best post
ed of the living veterans of the Texas
war for independence in 1886, was
asked what he knew about the grim
old weapons. He started off by saying
he knew nothing, but in the course of
| frrt thor ,nSnarlyS stated that tha Alamo
at the time OF its fall was defended on
the northeast by battery, where Ira
Wis fell fighting, and also on The west,
besides the cannon mounted on the par
apet. There were fourteen altogether.
Captain Rife thinks they did little SER
vice, however, for the reason that the
| Texans were short of ammunition.
and rarely fred them. When Santa
Ana had finally effected the capture of
the Alamo, he left it manned by n small
garrison, and it is also probable that
he left considerable cannon behind,
owing to the difficulty OF transporting
them over the prairies, which that sea-
son were wet andslniry from frequent
rains When the garrison heard Of
their commanders defeat and capture
at San Jacinto, it is probable they
buried the artillery which was found
yesterday. and retreated. The guns
were evidently made in Spain, brought
here by tho Mexicans. used at the Ala
mo and afterwards buried by somebody.
San Antonio (Tex.) Letter.