The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1895-02-27
REMEMBER ALAMO.
STORY OF ONE OF THE MOST He
ROtc FIGHTS IN HISTORY.

Effect Until the Breath Left His Body.
1t Is a safe wager that nine o at OF
every eleven boys who arc proficient i'll
the use of a howie knife have not the
slightest idea where tho instrument got
its name.
Colonies 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 seom to
think so little and half of them know
nothing whatever.
They read how the brave soldiers
fought and held the pass of Thermop-
yl@, but they seldom think of how a
mere handful Of men defended the
Alamo mission--how they dropped fight
ing on their knees and then died facing
the foe.
If you should go to tho historical city
of San Antonio, in Toxas, you. will see
the old mission building standing. with
battered, bullet pierced walls, q monu-
ment to the l72 heroes of 1886. Behind
these walls the most important battle in
the wal between Mexico and Texas was
fought. That was when Santa Anna
was president and the Texans were
fighting for their independence. Here it
was that Colonel Bowie ended his brave
life, dying with his boots on and fight
;,.r ,1,,1n,. thn ,Nncf forrih1a odds Tho
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-6ve men un-
der Captain Travis, n Young man of 2S,
were holding the town Of San Antonio
against General Santa Anna and 4, 900
men. They were tho only defenders Of
the town and wero ensoonced i'll the old
mission of the Alamo. Dayy Crockett
was also with them and Colonel Bowie.
who was wounded and stretched out on
his cot. or artillery they had only IA.
pieces.
Santa Anna demanded surrender, but
tho little garrison hold out for ten days,
skirmishing secretly for food and water,
Every shot sent out of the mission house
told. but net one Of the Alamo heroes
was hurt. Patience and strength, how
ever, were being rapidly exhausted.
Some of tho little band were falling
sick: others were desperate. Re-enforce.
ments had been appealed for, but none
had come. Colonel Lamein. with 300
men and four pieces OF artillery, had
started in answer to the appeal, but had
put i'll somewhere for fresh water and
food supplies.
AT last Captain Smith Joined the ex-
hausted band with 80 men. Three days
after General Santa Anna ceased the
bombarding, and taking advantage Of
this Captain Travis called his men into
line and frankly owned that there was
nc earthly hope for them; that he had
led them into this thinking that re-en-
forcements 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 surren-
der and be shot down or be killed fight
ing out their revenge. The captain drew
a line and said. Every man who is de-
termined to remain here and to die with
ME will come to me across this line. !"
Every soldier but one crossed at once
When they finished, Colonel Bowie
looked up, with his arm in q sling. and
cried: Boys, don't leave mel Won't.
some of you carry me aoross?" And the
only backward step they made was to
go over the line and carry the colonel
to the young captains side. The man
Rose, who was a coward, dropped over
the wall into a 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 175 seemed easy enough. but
it o 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 the 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, he continues to kill until the
pistol drops and the breath leaves hia
body. Davy Crockett, standing In Q coz
ner. fights like a panther, and tho young
captain. backed against the wall. surren-
ders only when run through and
through. 4
Tho great battle is over. The Mexi-.
can have won. Out of the ia Texans
are l72 dead. No Spartans were Drawer
or mara Aonaniarn 70. 4Lau Eillod ZOO