Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1901-07-26


moment we had fired. for their only
mark was the smoke Of our guns.
They would put 20 balls within the
I space OF pocket-handkerchief in the
| spot where they saw that smoke"
In this fashion the fight was kept
up for two hours. and James Correll
was shot through the arm. Seeing
| that the Texans were not to be dis
lodged from the thicket. the savages
, resorted to fire-for the double pur-
/ pose Of routing the little party and
OF carrying away their own lead and
wounded under cover OF the smoke,
for the rifles OF the rangers had
brought down half a dozen at every
round They set iire to the dry prai.
rie grass 10 the windwarl OF the
thicket; the flames nared high and
burned all the grass as far as the
creek; but there they bore away to
the right and to the left, leaving a
clear space of FIVE acres around the
camp. Under cover Of the smoke the
hostlles carried away their dead /;
while the Texans scraped away the
dry grass and leaves from their
wounded comrades. and piled rocks
and bushes to make a fimsy breast
work
The Indians re-occupied the trees
and rocks in the prairie and renewed
their firing, Suddenly the wind shift
ed to the north and blew hard The
red men were quick TO see the ad-
vantage and seize the chance. One
Of their braves crawled down the
creek and set fire to the high grass.
Robert Armstrong killed him-too
late. Down came the flames. 10 feet
high, straight for the camp The
shouts AMI yells Of the Indians rent
the air. and they fred 20 shots in a
minute
Behind the screen Of smoke the
Texans held a council Of war. II the
Indians should charge them under
cover Of the fire they could deliver
but one effectual round Even then
the sparks were flying so thickly that
uo man c6GiG c6ii open Nh MS nowder-horn
but at the risk of being bloSn~SrS..
Bowie's men determined if the In
lians charged TO deliver that one
round, stand back to back. draw our
knives. and fight AS long as one was
left alive" On the other hand, should
the Indians not charge. an / should the
Texans still stand their ground. they
might be burned alive In that case
each mar wc"ll take care Of himself
as well as b. could ur.n the FIRE
reached the ling II cleared grouni
around the wonnded men AMI the bag
gage; then they would smother j;
with buffalo robes. bearskins. deer
skins ami blankets And this they
did the hostiles not charging,
BY this time the h;a had left so
little Of the thicaet that the small
group Of fighters took refuge in the
ing they had made around the wound
"A and the baggage. and begun rails
ing their breastwork higher with loose
rocks and with earth that they dug
with their knives. The Indians had
succeeded in removing their killed
and wounded under cover Of the
smoke. Night was approaching. AMI
they had been fighting since sunrise
The indiana. seeing that the Texans
we're still alive anl dangerous. drew
5ff and encamped for the night with
their dead and wounded. BY 10 O'Clock
the Bowics has raised their clumsy
ampart breast high: the men filled
their vessels and skins with water.
'nd waited for the attack which they
imposed the morning would bring
III night they heard the red men wall
ng over their dead; and at daylight
they shot mortally wounded chief.
s the customs Of the tribes pre-
crbed A little later they retired
with their dead and wounded tn a
mountain about mile awsy. wher,
cave served them for shelter and
Tor tomb. At o'clock two of the
Texans venture1 out from the little
fort, and made their way to the en-
ampment where the Indians had
lain the night before and there they
ountei IS blo2dy spots on the grass
Texan rifles. Finding ourselves much
ut up" wrote the Bcwies. having
ne man killed and three wounded.
i've horses killed and three wounded,
ee resumed the Strengthening of our
little fort. and worked until l D. m.
when IS Indians appeared, but re
tired again as soon az they discovered
that we were still there, well fortified
and ready for action" The Texans
held their ground eight DAYS. an then
retracej their march 70 San Antonio
where they arrived safely with their
wounded and their horses in 12 davs
Nine men and two bows and killed So
Indians and routed a fighting force of
1854.
It was proper to the CHASTITY fitness
of things" that the man who directed
this wonderful fight, and was the
heart and eye and arm behind every
rife and every knife. should go to
meet his death with Crockett and Ira
Wis in the Alamo When. on March
3. Travis drew a line with his sword
across the adobe floor, and called on
all those of that desperate little gar
rison Who would stay with him TO the
leath to come over that line to him.
Crockett sprang across merrily. wav-
ing his cap. and every man Of those
about to die followed him. ssluting
TIE morituri salutamus, James
Bowie. fast bound in raging fever
tossing and muttering on his cot "in
the little north room OF the Alamo
heard the call. and cried for two Of
mis- comrades to lift the Get and carry
him over that line. Il was lone. and
then they bore him back again to the
little room to die.
II is Madame Candelaria. the Mexi-
can woman who nursei him there
and who alone Of all hat Spartan
band survived, who tells the story
1T is not true. she says, that Col
onel Bowie was Drained with an ak
He lied in wild delirium in the height
If the awful carnage. several hours
before the Mexican horde burst into
the Alamo. @ They broke in the
door where ! watched with Colonel