Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-02-07
THE DEFENSE OF THE ALAMO.

THE DEFENSE OF The ALAMO.
story Of tho Terrible Massacre Where
Travis. Bowie and Crockett Fen.
The recent presentation at Austin by
John p. White, one of the Judges of
the Court of Appeals. to L. i. Foster,
Commissioner Of the State Bureau of
Statistics and History, of a portion of
the monument erected to commemorate
the memory of the defenders of the
Alamo, recalls celebrated link in the
chain of Texas history.
The Alamo was located in the plaza
of San Antonio, and after the capture
of that city by the Texans in 1885 was
garrisoned by force under command
of Col. u. Barrett Travis until it was
formally invested by the Mexican army
commanded in person by Santa Ana,
President General of that Republic.
When first besieged Travis had about
Bowie, Davy Crockett and Col John
Carolinin. On the 1st of March, 1886,
Capt. w. Smith, of Gonzales, and thir-
ty-two men made their way through
the enemy's lines in spite of the strict
investment, and reinforced the garri-
son. The Mexicans were well APP
prised of the condition of the Texas
forces, and an unconditional surrender
was demanded by Santa Ana, which
was refused. Real and feigned at
tacks, a heavy bombardment and the
necessity of procuring wood and wa
ter outside the fort wore down the
physical energies of the garrison, but
could not subdue its spirit. Soon after
midnight on the 9Th of March, 1886,
being the eleventh day of the assault,
the Mexican army, commanded by
Santa Ana in person. surrounded the
fort to take it by storm.
The cavalry, formed circle around
the infantry, for the double purpose of
pricking them on and preventing the
escape of the Texans. Long before
daylight they advanced, amid the dis
charge of musketry and cannon. Twice
repulsed in their attempt to scale the
walls, they were again impelled to the
assault by their officers, until borne
onward by the pressure from behind.
they mounted the walls, and, in the
language of an eyewitness, ''tum-
bled over like sheep" Then COM
menced the last struggle of the garri-
son. Travis received a shot and fell
| while cheering on his men. When he
dropped Mexican soldier rushed for
ward to despatch him. Summoning
all his powers for final effort, Travis
met his assailant with a thrust of his
sword and both expired together. The
brave defenders of the fort, overborne
by multitudes and unable in the throng
| to load their arms. continued the con-
| f1ict with the butts of their rifles until
| only. seven men were left, and these
were refused quarters. OF all the per-
sons in the fort but two were spared
Mrs. Dickinson and a colored SER
want belonging to Col. Travis. Major
Evans was shot while in the act of fir
ing train to explode the magazine,
by order of Travis. Bowie, who had
| been confined to his room several
days by sickness, was butchered in his
bed and his remains savagely mutilated.
! The rudest form of sepulture was de-
MED the dead. Their bodies were
stripped, thrown into heap and
burned. Masses of the enemy lay
| strewn around the form of the bold,
| against the weak fort and feeble gar
rison was not less than 4, 900 men, com
| posed of the flower of Mexican sol
| diery. Their number of killed was es-
| timated at ], 500.
| After the defeat of the Mexicans al
San Jacinto, the bones of the slain
were gathered together in San An
tonic and buried. Some years after a
| monument was erected to their mem
Dry at Austin. 1t was composed OF
| limestone from the Alamo, and stood
on the porch of the old State Capitol,
being almost entirely destroyed when
that building was burned. several years
since. The portion of the monument
which has been preserved is the base,
broken into two pieces, and in his let
ter to Commissioner Foster, Judge
White expressed the opinion that this
is all that remains of the original mon.
ument The relics will be accorded q
fitting place in the new State Capitol