The Opelousas courier., 1895-04-20
a Morning at the Alamo.
For the Courier.

t~o
new arrival in this cosmopolitan city Is,
"Have you seen the Alamo? 2" and OF
course ones first jaunt is to the memo
rable old pile, basking 81 costly in the
genial sunlight OF this tropical cline,
but a few stems from the handsome
modern P~ost-otfice, aud adjacent to the
attractive plaza named in its hOnor-
forming a curious link between the
city's busy, prosperous present and its
bloodstaiDed past. On the brightest of
bright mornings, we began our initial
tour of inspection, lettering through
quaint streets and quainter plazas, f.
nally reaching Il objective point-the
historical Alamo.
The gray-haired, decrepit attendant
seems an appropriate picture for such a
frame-being a veteran OF the Mexican
war, and having held his present APP
pointment since SO.
On entering our first act was to pay
our respects to the gigantic register,
which, judging from its appearance,
contained names from every race and
cline ere we had finished exami-
nation, another p%arty-Of rourists-or
transients, as they're called here-made
their appearance, and together we were
| shown over the building.
The Alamo was founded soon after
the SpaDiards settled this part of Texas,
and was a combination of chapel and
fortress; being built as a place Of safety
for the settlers and their property, in
case OF Indian hostility, as we'll as for
| purposes of worship, so had neither the
| strength, arrangement nor compactDess
of a regular ratification. The chapel
of the fortress is setenty-five feet long,
sixty-twO feet wide, and twenty-five
| oxA n half fnat hinb rrpnIn1oH nv u-nlfo
of solid masonry four feet thick. 1t
was built in one story under which plat
forms were placed for mounting annon
| The barrack, which was connected with
the church, is one hundred and eighty
six feet long and there was still an
other barrack, these, like the chapel,
being built OF solid stone. W. were
first taken into the small stone room on
the left, in which Travis and bis men
were huddled the night he made his
deathless speech to them. By the front
wall, just underneath the grated win
dow, stood the couch on which lay the
wounded hero-Bowie-aDd which at
bis urgent request, was enthusiastically
lifted across the fatal sword line that
indicated who would die with Travis
in the defense which all knew was hope
less.
Bowie still lay here, unable tt rise,
when the frenzied Mexicans forced
their way into the room and savagely
murdered him-nOt, however, before he
had shot two of them. From this room
We were led to the corresponding one
on the right-both originally monks
cells-in which Mrs. Anna Dickinson
and her little chiid-the sole survivors,
were quartered. Here it was that her
gallant young husband took leave of
her forever-passing out to death and
duty ; and here she was found by the
Mexicans, who spared her because of
her Catholic faith.
We next entered, by an irregular
opening in the wall on~the left side of
the chapel-or main body of the struc-
tur-a narrow alley, unlighted save by
a Pickering candle 10 the palsied hand
of the old guide. In this weird alley,
or passageway, is a niche where the
pious Fathers used to place candles, by
faithful beads. The niche is blackened
by smoke aud stained by time, and in
the stone floor still remain traces worn
by the feet that now are dust" The
passage leads into a cryptlike chamber,
used a burial place by the early priests,
and which led into the chapel; here the
Texans stored their ammunition, and it
was at it's door that the last defender
fell, pierced by a Mexican ball just as
be was endeavoring to enter in order to
fire the MAGAZINE, according to the
agreement. Travis fell bravely early
in the attack, and Crockett vas killed
at the central door, while attempting
to repel a furious onslaught.
We were also shown tue cavities in
the solid stone walls made by the bonn
bardment-silent witnesses OF that he
roic death struggle which seems SO long
past now.
Subdued by a mingled feeling of rev
erence and awe, We passed out from
the SCARED old structure, coming back
slowly and perchance a little regret
fully from the hallowed Yesterday into
the commonplace To-day.
adobe MAE READ.