The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-04-27
FALL OF THE ALIMO.
An Heroic Event in the History Of
the Republic of Texas.

of March, 1886, was the "bloody
month" of the short but sanguinary
struggle.
President Antonio Lopez de Santa
Anna had, in May, 1885, practically
completed the destruction of the Re-
publican party in Mexico by his final
victory on the 18th day of that
month, over Governor Garcia, near
Zacatecas. Texas was the only one
of the Mexican states Cor provinces)
which disputed his authority, and
his full energy and military powers
were now being directed to her sub
jugation. His scheme was to send
two columns into Texas. General
Urres was ordered to Matamoras with
with one division to operate along
the coast and to proceed to Goliad
and Victoria. The president-general
himself commanded the main divls-
ion and proceeded to San Antonio
AS it was there that the Mexican
forces, under Gen. Martin Perfecto
de Cos (Santa Annals brother-in-law)
had received a signal and disgrace
full defeat at the hands of greatly
inferior number of Texans only few
weeks previously, the self-styled
Napoleon of the West" determined
to make it the initial point of his in
vasion. While General Urres was
making his bloody march along the
Texas coast toward Goliad to attack
Fannin, the president himself was
moving on San Antonio, the two in
vading columns advancing eastward
in parallel lines some rs or more
miles apart.
Travis at San Antonio.
When the Texans captured San
Antonio from Gen. Cos, in December,
1885, Col. F. w. Johnson was left in
command of the town. When he, in
January, 1886, entered upon the
scheme of capturing Matamoras, he
left Col. J. G.. Neill in command of
the garrison. On January 16, Gen.
Houston, commander-in-chief of the
Texas forces, arrived at Goliad. The
following day he dispatched Col.
James Bowie, with 80 men, to San
Antonio with Letter to Col. Neill, in
structing him to demolish the fortl-
fcations and bring away the cannon,
as it would be impossible to hold the
town with the small force he had.
Neill replied to this order that, for
want of teams, he could not remove
his artillery, of which there were
more than 20 pieces, and, therefore,
he did not destroy the Notifications.
Only 80 troops were now left at San
Antonio. Gov. Smith sent Col. VIM.
B. Travis there to take command,
Col. Neill retiring to his home. Col.
Travis called for 500 more troops
and for money and supplies for them.
The commander-in-chief could not
comply with these requests; conse-
quently Col. Travis was very poorly
equipped for holding San Antonio
against the large invading force of
Santa Anna.
San Antonio Invested.
On February %, the advance
guard of Santa Anna's army reached
Alazan creek, just west of San An
tonic, when Col. Travis, with only
16O effective men, retired to the fort
ress of the Alamo, on the east side
of San Antonio river. Three heavy
guns were planted upon the walls of
the Alamo chapel and an eight
FOUNDER at the southwest angle of
the main square.
About 2 o'clock of February 20,
Santa Anna sent a summons to the
Texans to surrender. 1t was an
swered by cannon shot.
The Red Flag Raised.
The Mexicans then hoisted a blood
red flag, indicating that no quarter
would be shown the Texans, and be-
gan the attack. The bombardment Of
the fort (the Alamo chapeD now
began, but did no damage.
Upon the following day, February
"a, COL Travis sent couriers to va
rious points for reinforcements, say
ing in his dispatches: II shall never
surrender or retreat" The next day,
February 25, the Mexicans, after
several unsuccessful efforts, sue
ceeded in erecting a battery 800
yards south of the Alamo, and an
other 1000 yards to the southeast.
Late that night, however, some of the
Texans stole out of the fort and
burned the wooden buildings, behind
which these batteries had been plac-
ed.
Early in the morning of the 26th