The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-01-21


Prevent 1t, thunder!" said he. "It can
be done as slick as goose grease. Here's
my idee: Let lot OF fellers slip of their
duds, swim out thar with bowie knives he
tween their teeth. some dark night climb
up onto that boat and Jest clean out them
dad-gasted blue bellied Yankees. That's
how to do it,
Jumping up and extending my hand,
exclaimed: Shake, my friend, shake!
you are the very man I'm looking for Sit
right down 10 that chair few minutes.
I'm going to give you written authority to
so right back home, raise company
armed as you suggest. and report here to
me for duty as soon as possible. Strange
! never even dreamed Of your plan to cap
ture that vessel"
The fellow looked wild, scratched his
head, hummed and hawiSed. and finally
blurted out; well. now, Mister. vol Sc,
It's sorter this way--some iellers come
down with me and I'll haveter talk il over
with them spell, but you can bet soar
life I'll report back here pretty soon what
they say bout st." But my bloodthi stY
friend has not reported back yet
Notwithstanding the reassuriug report
made by the committee that visited Cap
tain Alden. the citizens felt that additional
measures should be taken to protect the
/ city in case OF sudden attack especially
az night, by force that might possibly
be landed In barges. Therefore regi-
meat OF home guards was organized
This regiment was certainly heterogene-
GUS in its composition being eonposei o.
members OF various sizes and AGES. nom
beardless youths TO gray headed men, and
varying IN avoirdupois calber from seven
! ty-fve to 200 Founders. As TO their arm 8
these we're simply ndescribable, owing to
variety in construction and caliber. They
had regular place for drill and for as
sembling In case OF an alarm signal viii III
! was to be given by ringing all the large
bells IN the city, when the colonel was
to report at my headquarters for orders.
a telegraph line had been constructed from
the city office to Fort Point.
| month or so after the regiment had
been organized plan was arranged TO
\ test its efficiency by night false alarm.
II being made known only to the COM
! nHnds at Fort Point and ou Pelican is
1 land. and to two or three OF the beach
| mounted patriot nearest the Point. AZ
about midnight the patrol we're TO report
! the enemy landing in barges on the east
ern end Of Galveston island, the two ba &
teries we're In open FIRE each dis,ha~ginG
! two or three gups with few minutes
intervals and the landing reported to me
by telegraph At the designated hour
! hoom' came up from Fort Pc nt-hoom'
quickly followed from Pelican island. In
a few minutes every large hell In the
city was ringing as II for dear life. And
the scene that followed, II an artist
could have taken life-like snap7ho' pie
ture of those scenes, II nigh. have s..
cured him fortune. The colonel OF the
"home guards" was a large, fsshy man.
He reached my office on foot, almost
breathless from exhaustion, not having
waited for his horse to be saddled.
showed him the telegram reporting the
enemys iandine. directed him TO pro-
coed TO the designated point with his
regiment at a double quick and I would
follow In few minutes. Being under
the circumstances little more deliberate
In actions than the colonel ! wal ell 10
my horse to be brought round, having no
idea OF tramping through that deep sand
The moon was shining brightly. and az
rode along Church street the galleries OF
residences exhibited many groups Of
white-clad figures, some as cold as
statues, some weeping and wringinr thei,
hands, and others crying or laughing in
hysterical Ats. believing their male re'a-
tives, sweethearts and friends we're march
ing into the very jaws OF death. I found
most of the heavyweights of the regimen
had fallen by the wayside and were seek
ing sweet rest in the embrace OF the deer
sand. Just as l reached the commant
when few hundred yards away from tins
beach, a messenger from the officer ir
command at Fort Point reported that tn:
patrol had been deceived by the shadows
of the waves rolling In on the beach ant
had mistaken them for the enemy's
harges. This news caused a sigh Of re-
3 lief all along the line, With several ev-
Iclamations sounding something Ike,
well, I'll be d--d!" ] believe the secret
never leaked out up to the time l left
Galveston I must omit one or two other
incidents. ! am taking up too much space.
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