The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-03-17
REMEMBER ALAMO.
TORY OF ONE OF THE MOST He
ROIC FIGHTS IN HISTORY.

the Attacks of 1000 Colonel Bowie,
Unable to Stand. Fought with Telling
Effect Until the Breath Left His Body.
1t is safe wager that nine out OF
every eleven boys who are proficient in
the use Of a bowie knife have not the
slightest idea where the instrument got
its name.
Colonel 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 seem to
think SO little and half of them know
nothing whatever.
They read how the brave soldiers
fought and held the pass of Thermop- |
yle, but they seldom think of how
mere handful Of men defended the |
Alamo mission-how they dropped fight
ing ON their knees and then died facing
the foe
Ii you should go to the historical city
of San Antonio, in Texas, you will see
the old mission building standing. with
battered, bullet pierced walls, monu-
ment to the l72 heroes of 1886. Behind
these walls the most important battle III
the war between Mexico and Texas was
fought. That was when Santa Anna
was president and the Texans were
fighting for their independence. Here 1T
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-fve men un-
der Captain Travis, young man OF 20,
were holding the town OF San Antonio
against General Santa Anna and 1000
men, They were the only defenders OF
the town and were ensconced in 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 exhausted.
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 300
men and four pieces of artillery, had
started in 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
bombarding, 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 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 sling, ano
cried: Boys, don't leave mel Won
some of you carry me across?" And the
: only backward step they made was &c
9 90 over the line and carry the colone
to the young captains side. The mar
Rose, who was coward, dropped ovel
7 the wall into ditch to tell the tale
: And then came the terrible day.
!, Santa Anna brought all his forces &
g bear ON the fortress. The scaling lad
a ders were again and again raised, bu
= those who placed them were shot dow
K like grain Four thousand men charg
5 ing into IT5 seemed easy enough. bu
q it soon reduced the 4,000 AT last mum
10 beers conquered, and the Mexicans climb
y ed over into the Alamo The little ban
q of defenders were trampled on and beat
"a en-, but they dropped to their knees an
d hacked and shot and pierced until tn
pile of the dead was awful Colone
Bowie, too weak to rise from his. cot
|. every time he pulls the trigger. Cu'
70 bleeding, he continues to kill until tn
l. pistol drops and the breath leaves hi
body. Davy Crockett, standing i'll col
ner, fights like panther, and tho youn
re captain, backed against the wall, surrer
S. ders only when run through an
70 through.
I'd The great battle is over. The Mex
f. cans have won. Out of the LIZ Texan
is are l72 dead. No Spartans were brave
N or more tenacious, for they killed 52
Of of their enemies and wounded 300 more
ne Texas, though, was finally freed, an
whenever great deeds thrill young boy
hearts they should think of that sple'
81 did piece of American daring and So,
- as Houston said to his men, "Remen
Der the Alamo. st. Louis Republic.
III Ambitious.
:, - A VOL known and popular singn
- teacher recently received the followin
I-AN