The Republican., 1897-03-25

upon their rusty hinges as they swing
back to let you enter Pass through
the door and the visitor will notice a
small room on either side of the main
| entrance. One of these rooms was
| used as a confessional and the other
as kitchen-for the Alamo, as above
stated, was a church as well as a cas-
! tie. Near the rear and in the main
room, or chapel, are two columns sup
| porting the roof. In the extreme rear
of the building are two more rooms
similar to those at the entrance. One
OF these was used as a powder maga-
zine and the other as a sleeping apart
ment for the priests. The building,
from the exterior, has the appearance
of being two stories, but the roof is
arched and has but one floor, that
| furnished by nature. Originally the
Alamo was surrounded by wall eight
or ten feet high and three feet thick.
Inside this enclosure and between it
and the Alamo proper the pioneers
with their families and cattle took ref
uge at the first sign of trouble with
the Indians or Mexicans. Such is a
brief description Of the place where
the brave Travis and Crockett and
Bowie yielded up their lives and wit
messed their heroic death-struggles.
The following account of the battle
of the Alamo is a matter of history
which should be learned by every
true and patriotic citizen of the coun-
try:
On December 10, 1885, Gen. Sam
Houston captured BeXar (San Anto-
nio) from the Mexicans under Gen.
Cos, and caused the fort to be dis
mantled. After his defeat Cos retired
to Laredo on the Rio Grande. Nearly
all the Texans had returned to their
homes, leaving the fort with a garri-
son of only 140 men under Col. Will
liam b. Travis, to guard it. The
treachery displayed by Gen. Cos when
he was met at the Rio Grande by the
Mexican General Santa Anna and
compelled to violate the terms of sur
render and march back to attack the
little band of brave defenders at the
fort, has called forth from every wri-
ter words OF condemnation, but such
is the nature of the Mexican. On
February %, 1886, the Mexicans. 1000
strong, after taking possession of the
town, erected batteries on both sides
of the San Antonio river and bonn
barded the fort without cessation for
twentyfOur hours. During this time
over two hundred shells were exploded
inside the fort, yet not a single man
was killed or injured, while the Texan
sharpshOOters, standing upon the
ramparts, were able to pick off man
after man of the enemy. Thus mat
ters stood on the 23d of February,
1886. On the 24th Col. Travis sent out
by messenger the following appeal:
COMMANDERY OF THE ALAMO,
BEXAR, Feb. "a, 1886.
Fellow Citizens and Compatriots:-
| am besieged by a thousand or more
MeNicans under Santa Anna | have
sustained continued bombardment
for tWentv-fOur hours and have not
lost a man. The enemy have deman-
ded a surrender at discretiOn; other
wise the garrison is to be put to the
sword if the place is taken. | have
answered the summons with a cannon
shot, and our flag still waves proudly
from the walls. | shall never surren-
der or retreat. Then | call on you in
the name of liberty, of patriotism,
and everything dear to the American
character, to come to our aid with all
dispatch. The enemy are receiving
reinfOrCements daily and will no
doubt increase to 5000 or 1000 in
three or four days. Though this call
may be neglected, ! am determined to
sustain myself as long as possible, and
die like a soldier who forgets not
what is due to his own honor and
that Of his country. Victory or death.
w. BARRETT TRAVIS,
Lieutenant Colonel Commanding.
p. S. - The Lord is on our side.
When the enemy appeared in sight
we had not three bushels of corn We
have since found in a deserted house
eighty or ninety bushels, and got into
the walls twenty or thirty head of
baeves. Il.
These messages were repeated from
day to day, but only thirty-two men
We're able to gain the fort from the
outside. Travis was then ignorant
of the force of the Mexicans. On
March Sd Travis made his last appeal
TO the convention in session at Wash
ingtOn, on the Brazos river. TO a
friend he wrote, Take care of my
little boy. If the country should be
saved | may make him fortune, but
If the country should be lost and |
perish, he will have nothing but the
proud recollection that he is the son
of man who died for his country"
BY this time, owing to the scarcity of
provisions and the constant vigil kept
by the defenders the health Of the
mon were undermined but their spir-
its were not broken. On the after
noon of the 81 the bOmbardment of
the fort suddenly ceased. This was
u