The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-10


: republic, the Legislature granted a pen
sion of 500 a year to this heroic oil
. lady.
Nine. Candellario is still alive, an
living in a small adobe house at 81
Laredo street, San Antonio. Nothin,
pleases her better than to receive a Wis
itor who manifests interest in he
story of the fall of the Alamo. She il
totally blind and though rather feebl
and somewhat slow and hesitating il
the use of the English language, sh,
manages, through rapid and emphati,
gestures, occasionally assisted by +;
Spanish girl who is constantly by hel
side, to give an attentive listener 6
very impressive description of one Of
tne most remarkable battles ever
fought in the history of the world
Nine. CandelIario is a born revolu.
! zionist, and during the whole of her
long life she has been in sympathy with
\ every people who were struggling for
4 freedom. She has kept well posted con-
corning the progress of the war in Cuba
and so eager has she been for the sue
| cess of the revolution that she has fire.
! Quently sent small sums of money to
the Cuban junta in New York.
Not long ago. when she received a
check for her pension, she told her
granddaughter to go to one of the
stores and purchase her a pair of shoes.
While the young girl was getting ready
to obey the request some one happened
to say something about the Cuban
war. The old lady sprang up on the
side of her cot and excitedly exclaimed:
Never mind the shoes. send 50 to the
Cubans 1 can go barefooted until next
payday" This little act is character
istic of her whole life. She is a lover
of justice and charitable to a fault
A young lady, who was present during
my visit said: They call her the
mother of the waits and the strays,
and those who have known her for a
long time say that she has raised about
40 children, though she had but two of
her own
Though every drop of her blood is
Spanish blood. she has never loved
Spain. from the fact that her fathers
family was forcibly moved to Texas
from the Canary islands about the mid
die of the last century for the purpose
of carrying out a colonization scheme,
concerning which her people were never
consulted.
She married a revolutionist, who en-
braced the first opportunity to show his
hatred of the mother country
He fought with Perry, Nina Magee
and Toledo.
Nine. Candellario was with the Amer
leans at the terrible battle of Medina,
where 500 revolutiOnists charged a
whole Mexican army. and she saw 707
OF these fall dead and wounded upon
the bloody field. Here her husband
was wounded. and a flame of bitter
hatred against Mexico ever afterwards
burned fiercely in her breast.
THE NURSE OF COLONEL BOWIE.
In 1886 she kept hotel in San Anto-
MO. and her house was always at the
disposal of Houston, Austin, Travis.
Lamar and such other daring spirits
as were at that time committing them
selves to the cause Of Texas freedom
All of the old warriors knew her well, |
and all of them admired her many fine
traits of character and her patriotic |
devotion to the sacred principles, for |
of which many of them |
sacrificed their lives. James |
Bowie had been living. in San Antonio |
for several years, where he was very |
popular with all classes. The Next |
cans, who We're still attached to the |
old country, hoped that he would en-
brace their cause, from the.fact that he |
had married a beautiful Mexican girl.
But the alarm was no sooner sounded
than this man of peerless ysIpr offered
his services to Texas. When Santa
Anna suddenly appeared on the praI-
ries, in sight of San Antonio, at the
head OF veteran army of 10000 men,
Colonel Bowie was very sick. Hopeful
rs all are who are afflicted with con-
he still felt himself able to
discharge the duties of a soldier He
vent to the Alamo and declared that
he would fight as a private. 1t was
lot long before he was confined to his
,ot. General Houston wrote a letter
o Nine Candellario, which she still
possesses, asking her to look after his
riend Bowie, and nurse him herself.
All Save Bowie himself realized that
he hero was in the last stages of con-
When Santa Anna invested the city
md drew a Gordon of troops around
he Alamo, Nine. Candellario was in
ide OF the walls She might easily
ave returned to her home, but her
eart was with the patriots and she
determined to remain with them and
hare their fortunes. Bowie grew worse
very day. he was never able to sit up
1ore than few moments at any pc
iod during the time that the battle
Jas going on He occupied the little
DOM on the left of the great front door. !
nd Mime. Candellar:o sat by his side
hen the firing grew hot he would ask
is faithful nurse to assist him TO raise
imsef to the window. He would aim {
and after firing would fall I
ack on his cot and rest. One evening
olonel Travis made a fine speech to
is soldiers. Nine. Candellario does nO-
retend to remember what he said, ba
he does remember that he drew a line
4 the floor with the point of his sword
nd asked all who were willing to die
n Texas to come over on his side
hey all quickly stepped across the
ne but two men. One of these sprang
yer the wall and disappeared The n
hers name was James Bowie. He \
q eafT 70 r-rc hut
18th tears streaming from his eyes, he /
ia; Boys, won't none of you help n
e over there?" Colonel Davy Crockett S
Id several others instantly sprang 4
ward the cot and carried the brave Il
an across the line. Mime. Candellario1 s
,ticed Crockett drop on his knees and V
TX earnestly in low tones to Colonel n
OWE Tor long time. AT this time" b
US the heroic old lady. I'VE all knew II
at we We're doomed. but not one was Il
favor of surrendering. A small herd o.
cattle had been driven inside of the p
alls, and we had found a small auan- W
" of corn that had been stored by ],
e priests. The great front door had fl
en- piled full of sand bags. and there p
as bare hope that we might hold out :
It'll General Houston sent a reinforce w
emit. on
)LONEL CROCKETTS BRAVERY. IL
There were just III men inside of the ey
amo, and up to this time not one ii
d been killed. though cannon had lie
undered against us and several as sc
ults had been made. Colonel Travis A
is the first man killed. He fell on the iii
utheast side near where the Menger
tel stands. The Mexican infantry cj
arged across the plaza many times. c.
d rained musket balls against the m
Ills, but they We're always made to ii;
coll. I'D TO the morning of the Eth hi