San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-12-20
AN ALAMO SURVIVOR.
A MAN WHO CLAIMS TO BE ITS
SOLE MALE SURVIVOR.
Uncle Jimmie" Cannon, Says he Escaped
From the Building With Madame
Candaleria-How it Was Done.
Special correspondence.

Special correspondence.
Fort Worth, Tex, Dec. 1S.-While
travelling recently in the western part
of the country your correspondent fell
in with man who bears the distin-
guished reputation of being the sole
male survivor of the Alamo, where,
in March, 1886, bloodthirsty Santa An
ma, with 5000 Mexican troops, ruth
lessly slaughtered 172 Texans. The
mans name is William j. Cannon, al
though he is known far and wide as
Uncle Jimmie" Cannon, and he is up
wards of SO years old. In height he
measures nearly six feet and weighs
100 pounds. Notwithstanding his ad-
vanced age, he is strong physically
and has, apparently, the vigor of a
man 40 years his junior. uncle
Jimmie" is the only official Indian in
terpreter in the employ of Uncle Sam
under the title of inspector of all the
Indian tribes of the United States"
He is natural linguist, speaking
French, Mexican and Spanish, fluent
| ly and the Indian tongue of "a tribes.
and in the last accomplishment he is
said not to have an equal living.
| BY studying a profile view of Mr..
| Cannon one can clearly see likeness
to Washington, fact much COM
mented ON by Uncle Jimmie's friends.
In character he also resembles Wash
| ington, being the soul of honor, and Of
strong determination. He has spent
| tho loSt SA ar p,nra raarS arnnn0 tha
Indians, and is said to WELD a great
influence amongst them. He has met
and personally known all of the noted
pioneers Of the western country of his
time, among his most intimate ac-
quaintances being Kit Carson, Phil
Sheridan, General Logan, Fremont,
Tom Benton, Samuel Houston, Colonel
Bowie, Colonel Travis, Davy Crockett,
| Bill Cody and scores of others. He is
probably better acquainted with the
geography and topography of the west
and southwest than any person now
living, knowing by name every stream
| mountain or section of land of any
importance. He has only the educa-
ton born of experience, as he was
born in the wilds of Texas in 1872,
when schools were not known In that
country. He was Gin saddle" as
soon as he was old enough to mount,
a broncho which was at very early
age, and spent his time hunting, trap
ping, and going among the Indians,
Mexicans and Spaniards, with whom
he soon acquired the fame Of being
the best scout, guide and Interpreter
in the country. Two years after his
escape from the Alamo massacre he
went into the service of the United
States. and has been there up to the
present time.
Several years ago the offices of in
terpreters, guides and scouts were
abolished, and those employed as such
were dismissed from the service, but
Uncle Jimmie registered kick at
Washington, saying that he was still
s'too young" to give his life up to en-
forced idleness, and his name was al
lowed to remain on the books of the
war department. No one considers q
history of Texas complete without the
narrative of the Alamo massacre in
which the names of Crockett, Travis,
Bowie and Santa Anna are min
gled, and in which the 172 Texans, like
heroes, fought against great odds I'M
til they were killed one by one. His
torians aver that not one escaped, but
Uncle Jimmie has indisputable proofs
in his possession that three escaped
himself, messenger named Bigford
and his old nurse, Sonora Candlaria,
who is at present living in
San Antonio. in an adobe, at he mar
velous age of 10S years. Uncle jim
mic has a wonderful retentive memo
nv, not only remembering individuals,
and events with remarkable accura-
CIV, but dates and details to an astoun-
ding degree. His wife lives in st.
Louis with her son, and Uncle jim
mic lives wherever Uncle Sam sends
him.
Uncle Jimmie loves to talk, and
when asked about the Alamo, his
sharp eyes glistened. and his hand in
stinctiyely went to his side as If to
once more grasp the musket he held
on that occasion. $50 you would like
to know about the Alamo" he said.
well. l am the only man who was
present at the sige and lived to tell of
| it. Yes" he continued meditavely,
81 remember it as clearly as though
| IL was WV
172 men under command of Colonel
w. B. Travis of the U. S. A, and all
but myself was killed. / was born
in 1912, so you see, being "a years old,
l could perform a soldiers work and
did my share.
1.-The Alamo" he said, twas a fort
near San Antonio, Tex, and had been
constructed out of a stone church,
surrounded by walls on three sides,
and the San Antnoio river forming
a natural wall on the west. During
the Texan war of independence, after
considerable fighting between the
Mexicans and Texans. Santa Anna
with 1000 Mexicans, drove 80 Tex
ans and their families into the Alamo.
Col Travis sent for reinforcements
but only a score or so reached him,
and finding that the Alamo would in
all likelihood be beseiged we began
preparations to hold our position. Or
March 3, 1886. Thursday. we saw the
| Nfnv;nonc non,inor from San AntOnin