Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-05-15

His example was instantly followed
by every man in the file with the ex-
ception of Rose. Every sick man that
could walk, arose from his bunk and
tottered across the line. Colonel Bowie,
who could not leave his bed, said:
Boys, I am not able to come to you,
but I wish some of you would be 90
kind as to remove my cot over there
Four men instantly ran to the cot, and
each lifting a corner, carried 1t across
the line. Then every sick man that
could not walk made the same request,
and had his bunk removed in the
same way.
"Rose, too. was deeply affected, but
differently from his companions. He
stood still till every man but himself
had crossed the line. He sank upon
the ground, covered his face and yield
ed to his own reflections. A bright
idea came to his relief: he spoke the
Mexican dialect very fluently, and
could he once get safely out of the fort,
he might easily pass for a Mexican and
effect an escape. He directed a search
ing glance at the cot of Colonel Bowie.
Colonel David Crockett was leaning
over the cot, conversing with its occu-
pant In an undertone. After a few Sec
onds Bo vie looked at Rose and said:
You seem not to be willing to die with
US, Rose?' No. said Rose, Il am not
prepared to die and shall not do so if l
can avoid it. Then Crockett also look
ed at him, and said: You may as well
conclude to die with US, old man, for
escape is impossible Rose made no
reply, but looked at the top of the
wall. L have often done worse than
climb that wall, thought he. Suiting
the action to the thought, he sprang
up, seized his wallet of unwashed
clothes, and assembled the wall. Stand
ing on It's top, he looked down within
to take a last view of his dying friends.
They were all now in motion, but
what they were doing he needed not;
overpowered by his feelings, he looked
away and saw them no more. He
threw down hie wallet and leaped
after it. He took the road which led
down the river around a bend to a
ford, and through the town by the
church. He waded the river at the
ford and passed through the town. He
saw no person, but the doors were all
closed and San Antonio appeared a
deserted city.
"After passing through the town he
turned down the river. When he had
gone about q quarter of a mile below
the town his ears were saluted by the
thunder of the bonn bardment which
was renewed. That thunder contin-
ued to remind him that his friends
were true to their cause, by q continual
roar with but slight intervals until a
little before sunrise on the morning of
the 9th, when it ceased and he heard
it no more.
"And well may it cease on that
morning of the 9Th; for after that
thrilling 3D., the siege goes on, the
enemy furious, the Texans replying
calmly and slowly. Finally, Santa
Anna determines to storm. Some
hours before daylight or the morning
of the 9th, the Mexican infantry, pro-
vided with scaling ladders, and back
ed by the cavalry to keep them up to
the work, surrounded the doomed fort.
At daylight they advance and plant
their ladders, but give back under a
deadly fire from the Texans. They
advance again, and again retreat. A
third time-Santa Anna threatening
and coaxing by turns = they plant
their ladders. Now they mount the
walls. The Texans are overwhelmed
by sheer weight Of numbers and x
haustion of continued watching and
fighting. The Mexicans swarm into
the fort. The Texans club their guns;
one by one they fall fighting-now
Travis yonder by the western wall,
now Crockett here in the angle of the
church wall, now Bowie butchered
aud mutilated in his sick cot, breathes
quick and passes away; and presently
every Texan lies dead, while there in
horrid heaps are stretched five hun
dred and twenty-one dead M~exicans,
and as many more wounded! or the
human beings that were in the fort
five remain alive: Mrs. Dickinson and
her child, Colonel Travis negro SER
want, and two Mexican women"
Such is the story of the AlamoI
What is now known as 1.-THE Ala
mo" is in reality the chapel of the
Mission Of San Antonio de Valero.
The original mission was founded or
the Rio Grande IN 1905 under another
name. After several changes, both in