Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1895-05-23
Saint Maru's Beacon


~ 20 onA% "@S~A Ss@~ A@sAs% Dss~
OF every eleven boys who are pro-
ficient in the use of bowie knife
have not the slightest idea where the
instrument got its name.
Colonel Bowie of Texas fame
gave the knife its title.
And when one writes OF the Tex
a. hero one must needs think Of
the battle of Alamo--that heroic
fight Of which our American boys
and CRIB seem to think so little and
and half Of them know nothing
whatever.
They read how the brave soldiers
fought and held the pass Of Their
mopyl@. but they seldom think OF
how q mere handful Of men defend
ed the Alamo mission--how they
dropped fighting on their knees
and then died facing the foe.
IL Jon should go to the historical
city Of San Antonio, in Texas, you
will see the old mission building
stsnding, with battered, bullet
pierced walls, monument to the
I12 heroes Of 1886. Behind these
walls the most important battle in
the war between Mexico and Texas
was fought. That was when Santa
Anna was president and the Texans
were fighting for their indepen-
dsnce. Here it was that Colonel
Bowie ended his brave life, dying
with his boots on and fighting un-
der the most terrible Odds The
story is this, and every American
child should know it by heart, that
he may tell it with pride when 9TH
err nations are talking of their great
deeds
One hundred and forty-five men
under Captain Travis, young man
of %, were holding the town Of
San Antonio against General Santa
Anna and 1000 men. They were
the only defenders Of the town and
we're 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 artillery they
had only ii pieces.
Santa Anna demanded surrender
but the little garrison held out for
ten days, skirmishing secretly for
food and water. Every shot sent
out of the mission house told, but
not one of the Alamo heroes was
hurt. Patience and strength were
however, being rapidly exhausted.
Some of the little band were fall
ing sick /; others were desperate.
Requirements had been appealed
for, but none had come. Colonel
I.amein, with 800 men and four
pieces of artillery, had started in
answer to the appeal, but had put
in somewhere for fresh water and
food supplies.
At last Captain Smith joined the
exhausted band with thirty-two
men. Three days after General
Santa Anna ceased the bombarding
and taking advantage of this Cap
tain Travis called his men into line
and frankly owned that there was
no earthly hope for them /; that he
had led them into this thinking
that re-enforcements were on the
way. He does not utter one word
against Lamein for failing him.
He simply gives them their choice
Of deaths. They can surrender
and be shot down or be killed fight
ing out their revenge. The cap
tain drew line and said, "Every
man who is determined to remain
mere and to die with me will come
to me across this line" Every SOL
der 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 across ?" And the only
backward step they made was to 60
over the line and carry the colonel
TO the young captains side. One
man, Rose, who was coward,
dropped over the wall into q ditch
to tell the tale. And then came
the terrible day.
Santa Anna brought ali his forces
In ha0r m Tho farf.o., Ill., -