Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-29
SURVIVORS or THE ALAMO.
The story Told by Aged "Uncis Jimmie
Cannon.

San Antonio Letter 20 the Philadelphia Prr..
Just over the San Pedro. Just across the IL
vidins line between the Mexican and the Amer
lean San Antonio in a humble adobe hut. chssr-
acteris;ic OF the poorer classes Of Mexicaus,
lives Sonora Csndelaria.
Who is Senora CAndolaria2 some viii ash.
She Is the oldsS; living survivor Of the greet
massacre. that Of the Alamo. To few the
sonora has told the story % her presence in the
Alamo on that fatal SUNDAY. March S. 1855. Of
the figl. and her escape after seeing the las, OF
the i72 brave Texans put 10 death by the msr-
cilcs7 NeKicsns and after taking a last sffeo-
tioaase farewell OF Bowie. stabbed 10 death In
her arms by the Mexican bayonets.
Some who have mel her and heard her story
d'scredii Il and say she could not have been
there; Others claim that she not only thew.
but 10 the oldest and only survivor Of the AWFUL
daN. There u a man. however. who knows that
Sencrs Candelaria was in the Alamo, and q at
she Is the only female who escaped. He knows
1 IL 20 be a fact hecanse he was there. Tins 10
] William J. Cannon, Familiarity known through
| ont the west rs Uncle Jimmie Cannon. scout
guide and Interpreter. and the only one OF tue
| l12 men who survived the fight Of the Alamo
History. where Mexico or Texas is conccrn'd.
| II incomplete without an account OF that fight
where Santa Anna made hi- famous At;ack IN
the Alamo and the heroic and tragic doa,h ~
| Travis, Davy Crockett and Bowie. with thur
| 1863 brave companions. There stories and
1 traditions related NJ that event nov hi-to l.
cal. but one aud all that not a soul OF the
| l72 survived
| Two there are. however Sonora Candelara
| and ~ ncle Jimmie Cannon, who can prose
indi-putably that history and tradition hH -
! erred. and can present conclusive evidence
that they are the two sole survivors OF tle
| Alamo
| The sonora is mast her one hundred and seg-
en'h and Uncle Jimmie l. in his eighncth yoar
Age hae dealt lightly with the latter, aud Ph,s-
| lcallS aud mentally he shows the ylgor OF
| mar many wears his junior. He L. about siK
| let iu height. weighing 800 pounds Has ere q
| form and steady nerves show the preserving f.
fleets Of a lie out OF doors ia the pure moal-
| tain and prairie air. A he saws he wa -itt-
| Gated only 10y experience. Born IN Texas n
| lsl2. he roamed the mountains and ptaifies q
| inc border with Indians. MeNicans and Span
isrds until he attained the distinction of beirg
the best guide and scou, on the border Sincs
ls3S. two wears after the Alamo he has been n
the service Of the Uai;ed States government ~
scout and interpreter. His m.moryis most ~
markable. and there il probably not a strca n
or Hroya on the whole Mexican border that lie
does not know from head 70 mouth
81 ncle Jimmie Is now at the SOLDIER Homo
at Leavenworth. Kan. where he Is enjoying tho
society of old comrades. He has large LANDED
property in Texas and is looking after some
legal business attached tn il.
His story - follows: 1T was on Thurs-
day, the ID, after several weeks of skirmishin 2
those a. the Alamo first the Mexican troops
appearing, coming into San Antonio. We
drove In and butchered thirty three bocyes az a
stored The beef. with two cart loads ~ cor
in the Alamo. The oxen that drew the carts
were also butchered. The Alamo. Won mus
remember, large stone church. sur
rounded by high wall on the north east ard
south sides. while the san Antonio river formed
barrier on the west.
''On Friday the MeHicans began coming M,
and that day and saturday we spent in strength
ening he fort. Santa Anna. with between ? 90
aud 8 900 men, arrived Gu the opposite side e
the river and began the investment We raised
the walls and placed two OF the three cannois
on the roof. The third placed on the
ground near the main entrance. Some that
sandbags were brought aud piled near the
trance. but such was not the case SAudbass
were placed on the roof of the building.
rounding the guns
SUNDAY morning everybody was expecting
an attack. but il did not as has been reported,
take place early in the morning The MeNicans
are Catholics, and all attended mass early ia
the morning. Between and 0 clock in the
morning Santa Anna sent flag of truce ami
told us to send ont all our women and children
before the fight began The flag was not
needed, but in the parley Mrs. Alsberry ant
baby, Mrs. Dickinson and baby. Miss Hess AMI
eight Mexican women made their way out %
the Alamo, and believe all escaped.
"A few minutes after this Travis fred a shot
from the cannon on the ground at a party Of
MeNicans who were trying TO throw a bridge
across the river. The fight was now. Nv
mother. with two small children. was In tho
lower part OF the yard in little house and they,
with several other women and children, we're
the first killed. About the beginning 90 tbs
battle Crockett and Travis held a consultation.
Crockett advised that a man be sent TO Hous-
ton at Gonzales about 10 miles away as there
were not enough provisions ammunition for
prolonged battle. There were two brothers
Nathaniel and William Bigford in the fort, and
Il was decided to send one of them. Tie was
let down over the walls in the black brush TO
the northeast Of the fort, aud think made his
escape.
As | said. the first shot was fired about
o clock. and il was but short time until the
MeXicans we're inside of the walls. They were
driving the Americans into the house. Col
Travis was on the outside with a number Of
men and Crockett was on top with the o.hers
When the rush came Col. Travis tried 20 retreat
after his men into the house. but the doorway
wa SO filled with dead and wounded men
tina he could not get through. As he
irving 10 help wounded man he struck by
a bullet, and fell on the pile of those already
| slal
Now the Mexicsns were close upon us that
shooting was no longer possible. Ladders had
been raised 30 the roof and MeNicans were seal
ing them by the dozens. Fighting going on
above. below and on the ladders. hand t. hand,
| and with dubbed muskets. IL finally became
| too much for us who we're above. and we de-
scended TO the upper right hand room.
| Here Col Bowie was living slck, attended bv
Sonora Candelaria. who had been nursing HIM,
| AMI no. by the way, had been connected with
n ,nIly for some TINT. BY that time the
| NJ leans we're all through the house and we're
| f-E'ing with knives and bayonets. Two or
! tE:ee Mexicsns we're in the room where Cob
f'aie was living and just entered we saw
| Se-ara Candelaria trying to ward of \ musket
| ct e. while she pleaded for his life at the
| har' of her conutrymeu. She was struck
dos with a blow with the butt end of the
mu. ket, while the colonel was stabbed 10 death
with the bayonet
| In the skirmish she caught up blanket and
| threw it over her head. and |, hardly knowing
what | was doing. threw the colonel blanket
over NV shoulders and placed his Hombrcro on
I my head. and. with tine sonora. made nv
/ from the room TO the lower floor. IL there
that saw Crockett and the few remaining men
she down. Crockett recognized me and threw
mo piece Of brown paper on which be had
written some time during the morning:
"'ThermopylR had her messenger Of defeat,
but the poor Alamo has none. let the goddess
OF the free dedicate altar made Of the mate
l rial OF old Fort Alamo. Let the stones speak.
! Their emulation be not forgotten Blood has
/