Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-05-24
Tht S;oru Iclltr.
THE FALL OF THE ALAMO.


in the Alamo BY all overwhelming
Mexican army under General Santa
Anna on the 9th Of March. 1885, after
siege of II days, is the most i'm
portant event in the history of Texas,
writes Colonel Sweet, editor of Texas
Siftings, in that paper.
The refusal Of the Texans to sur
render, and their successful effort to
hold their foes at bay, enabled General
Houston to concentrate his forces.
Moreover, the slaughter of the heroes
of the Alamo transformed their breth-
rem in arms from men into demons,
and when the day of reckoning came,
a few weeks later at San Jacinto, they
attacked the Mexicans with fendish
ferocity that was absolutely irresisti-
BILE. With Remember the Alamo" /"
for their battle cry, they slaughtered
the terrified Mexicans like sheep, ac-
tually killing more than their number
and capturing the rest of the Mexican
army along with General Santa Anna
himself, thereby securing the indepen-
dence of Texas. Had it not been
for the massacre at the Alamo the
probabilities are that the Texas revo-
luton would have been crashed.
In February, 1885, portion of San
ia Annals army unexpectedly appear
ed on ;he outskirts of the town Of San
Antonio. The Texas garrison, con-
sisting Of $50 men under Colonel Trav-
is, were taken by surprise but succeed
ed in retreating to the Alamo on the
east side of the river. Fort Alamo
consisted of large inclosure of five
acres surrounded by strong stockade
and high walls Of masonry. The fort
included chapel and convent, mass
lively constructed stone buildings and
was defended by eight pieces Of heavy
artillery. While the walls were we'll
adapted to keeping out Indians they
were too weak to resist artillery. The
story of the Alamo has been told so
often that we will not attempt to re-
produce it in detail. After eleven
days of unceasing bombardment, Cen
eral Santa Anna made arrangements to
take the Alamo by storm, the Texans
rejecting every overture to surrender.
Sunday, March 6, was the fatal day.
Shortly after midnight the Mexican
army began its march to assigned po-
sitions. At 4 o'clock the bugle call
sounded, and Santa Anna headed an
advance. Grape, musket and rifle
balls met them, and twice they were
repelled. They combined, forming a
dense mass, and at last, reaching the
tops of some houses forming the wall
of the fort, effected all entrance to the
inclosed yard. About the same time
they forced a breach in the wall and
captured one of the Texan guns. This
was at once turned upon the convent,
to which the Americans had retreated.
The cannonade of the besieged still did
fearful execution, but the feeble garri-
son could not resist the overwhelming
numbers. The surviving Texans re-
treated to the chapel, and there took
place the most desperate hand-to-hand
fight that ever occurred. The Texans
fought to the last gasp, and when all
was over the chapel was slaughter
house, clogged with hundreds of man
gled corpses.
The boyhood of the editor of Texas
Siftings was spent almost within the
shadow of the old Alamo, and he heard
many interesting stories of the mem
orable event from the lips of the Tex
ans, who knew whereof they spoke.
Travis, the heroic leader of the Tex
ans, was killed early in the fight cheer
ing his men. The body of the immor-
tai David Crockett was found in the
baptistry of the chapel, the door of
which was congested with secondhand
Mexicans. Referring to Crockett, an
interesting story is told by an old
Mexican who was in Santa Annals
army, and in one of the attacking COL
umns. When the Mexican regiment
got within gunshot range of the fort, a
tall man, wearing a cap appeared on
the roof of the chapel. He shot the
Mexican colonel off his horse and dis
appeared. This man was undoubtedly
David Crockett, for he was the only
Texan wearing cap. He wore COON
skin cap.
Colonel Bowie, of Bowie-knife fame,
was in dying condition from typhoid
fever at the time of the battle. He
was probably the last man killed. He
was lying on the ground with his head
in the lap of Mexican woman who
nursed him during his illness. The
Mexican soldiers impaled him with
their bayonets and tossed his body
about like a plaything. His faithful
nurse, Madame Candalaria, is still liv-
ing in San Antonio, and bears in her
face the marks of a wound made at
that time by the bayonet of one of
Bowie's murderers.
General Santa Anna and other high
Mexican officers had special spite at
Bowie. He had married Ursula Vera
mendi, the daughter of Governor Vera
mendi. 1,he Mexicans thought be-
cause hs had married into an aristo-
cratic Mexican family he should have
sided with them instead of with his
own couLtrymen.