The herald., 1895-01-21
AN Ala MO HERO.

Colonel Bowl" Di.d W tn HIS Boots On.
Thu Bowi- In L. S.msd Altar Him.
1t is a safe wager that nine out of every
eleven boys who are proficient in the use OF
bowie knife have not the slightest idea where
the instr dment got its name.
Colonel Bowie of Texas fame gave the knife
its title
And when one writes of the Texas hero, one
must needs think of the battle OF Alamo that
heroic fight of which our American boys and
girls seem to think so little and half of them
know no hi 6 whatever.
They read how the brave soldiers fought ana
held the pas of Thermopyle, but they seldom
think of how mere handful of men defended
the Alamo mission; how they dropped fighting
on their knees and then died facing the foe.
If you should go to the historical city OF San
Antonio, in Texas, you will see the old mission
building standing with battered, bullet-pierced
walls, a monument to the 172 heroes of 80
Behind these walls the most important battle
in the war between Mexico and Texas was
fought. That was when santa Ana was presi-
dent and the Texans were fighting for their in
dependence Here it was that Colonel Bowie
ended his brave life dying with his boots on
and fighting against most terrible odds. The
story is this, and every American child sh ould
know It by heart, that he may tell it with
pr de when other nations are talking of their
great deeds
One hundred and forty-f1ve men under Cap
tain Travis, young man OF %, were holding
the town of San Antonio against General Santa
Ana and 400 men. They were the only de-
tenders of the town aud were ensconced in the
old mission OF the Alamo. Davy Crockett was
also with them and Colonel Bowie, who was
wounded and stretched out on his cot OF ar
tillery they had only IA pieces
Santa Ana demanded surrender, but thelitte
garrison held out for 10 days, skirmishing Sc
cretly for food AMI water. Every shot sent
out of the mission house told but not one of
the Alamo heroes was hurt. Patience and
strength, however, were being rapidly ex-
hausted. Some of the little band were falling
sick, others desperate Reinforcements had
been appealed for, but none had come Colonel
Lamien with 300 men and four pieces of artil-
lery had started in answer to the appeal, but
had put in somewhere for fresh water and
supplies.
At last Captain Smith joined the exhausted
band with 81 men. Three days after, General
Santa Ana ceased the bombardiDg, and taking
advantage OF this, Captain Travis called his
men into line aud frankly owned that there
was no earthly hope for them; that he had led
them into this, thinking that re endorsements
were on the way. He does not utter one word
against Lamen for failing him; he simply
surrender and be shot down or be killed fight
ing out their revenge. The captain drew line
and said: every man who is determined to
remain here and to die with me will come to
me across that line" Every soldier but one
crossed at once. When they finished, Colonel
Bowie looked up, with his arm in sling. and
cried: ''Boys, don't leave me. Won't some of
you carry me acrJss?" And the only backward
step they made was to go over the line and
carry the CO onel to the young captains side.
The man Rose dropped over the wall into a
ditch, and was verify the only man who es-
capped to tell the tale And then came the
terrible day.
Santa Ana brought all his forces to bear on
the fortress. The scaling ladders were again and
again raised, but those who placed them were
shot down like grain. Four thousand men
charging into 175 seemed easy enough but it
soon reduced the 4O0J. At last numbers con-
auered and the Mexicans climbed over into the
Alamo. The little band of defenders were
trampled on and beaten, but they dropped to
their knees and hacked and shot and pierce |
until the pile of the dead was awful. Colonel
Bowie, too weak to rise from his cot, leans on
his we'll elbow and marks his man ever time he
pulls the trigger. Cut, bleeding, he continues
to kill until the pistol drops and the breath
leaves his body Davy Crockett, standing in q
corner, fights like panther, and the young
captain backed against the WALL surrenders
only when run through and through.
The great battle is over. The Mexicans have
won out of the 172 Texans are 172 dead.
No Spartans were drawer and more tenacious,
for they killed 522 OF their enemies and
wounded 500 more. Texas, though, was finally
freed, and whenever great deeds thrill young
boys hearts, they should think of that splen-
did piece of American daring and say as Hou-
ston said to his men, Remember the Alamo. -
[Inter-Ocean.