The Press., 1895-04-18
REMEMBER ALAMO.
STORY OF ONE OF THE MOST HE
 Rolc FIGHTS IN HISTORY.

RolC FIGHTS IN HISTORY.
 Magnificent Defense 0f l15 Men Against
 the Attacks of 4.GO0 = Colonel Bowie
 Unable to Stand, Fought With Telling
 Efect Until the Breath Left His Body.
 It is a safe wager that nine out o1 every eleven boys who are proficient in the use of howie knife have not the slightest idea where the instrument got it's name.
 Colonel Bowie of Texas fame gave the knife it's 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 tc think so little and half of them know nothing whatever
 They read how the brave soldiers fought and held the pass of Thermop ylR, but they seldom think of how 8 mere handful of men defended the ing on their knees and then died facing the foe.
 If you should go to the historical city of San Antonio, ill Texas, you will see the old mission building standing, with battered, bullet pierced walls, a nonu- ment to the I72 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 independence. Here il was that Colonel Bowie ended his brave life, dying with his boots on and fight ing under 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 other nations are talking of their great deeds:
 One hundred and forty five men un- der Captain Travis, young man of 28, were holding the town of San Antonio against General Santa Anna and 4, OO0 men They were the only defenders of the town and were ensconced ill 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 IA 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, how, ever, were being rapidly exhaust d, Some of the little band were falling sick; others were desperate. Re-enforce- ments had been appealed for, but none had come Colonel Lamein, with 800 men and four pieces of artillery, had started ill answer to the appeal, but had put in somewhere for fresh water and food supplies
 At last Captain Smith joined the ex- hausted band with 32 men. Three days after General Santa Anna ceased the bombardiDg, and taking advantage of this Captain 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-en- forcements were OH the way. He does not utter one word against Lalnein for failing him. He simply gives them their choice of deaths. They can surren, der and be shot down or be killed fight ing out their revenge. The captain drew 8 line and said, Every man who is de- termined to re.nain here and to die with me will come to me across this line. v 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 mel Won't some of you carry me across?" And the only backward step they made was to go over the line and carry the colonel to the young captain s side The man Rose, who was a coward, dropped over the wall into ditch to tell the tale And then came the terrible day.
 Santa Anna brought all his forces to bear on the fortress The scaling lad, ders were again and again raised, but those who placed them were shot down like grain. Four thousand men charg- ing into l15 seemed easy enough. but it soon reduced the 1000. At last num- bers conquered, and the Mexicans climb ed over into the Alamo. The little band of defenders were trampled on and beat en, but they dropped to their knees and hacked and shot and pierced until the pile of tho dead was awful Colonel Bowie, too weak to rise from his cot, leans on his elbow and marks his man every time he pulls the trigger Cut, bleeding, h@ continues to kill until the pistol drops and the breath leaves his body. Davy Crockett, standing in a cor ner, fights like a panther, and tho young captain, backed against the wall, surren- ders only when run through and through.
 The great battle is over The Mexi- cans have won. Out Of the l72 Texans are l72 dead. No SpartAns were braver or 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 Houston said to his men. "Remem- ber the Alamo. ''-St Louis Republic,