Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1916-04-27
REMEMBERING THE ALAMO
America Knows No More Thrilling
Tale OF Heroism Than the Story
of How This Brave Band Died

of How This Brave Band Died
"Thermopylae had its messengers
of death, but the Alamo had none"
Not a defender of the old stone
mission house and FORTRESS, which
S .ands today in San Antonio, Texas,
survived to tell the story when the
Alamo fell so years ago before 1000
frenzied Mexicans. The battle cry
tnat had its origin in that blood
soaked compound of SCARED walls
and its defenders ashes has never
been forgotten.
Remember the Alamo" ran the
word through Texas, and Texas re-
Emembered.. At San Jacinto, Texas
troops, LOO of them, shouted to one
another hoarsely, Remember the Al
amo," and men remembered how
Davy Crockett had died, hinged
around with dead Mexicans, and
Jim" Bowie, and Colonel Travis.
and at San Jacinto the power OF
Mexico was broken forever as far as
Texas was concerned. -.
Texas remembers the Alamo today,
when rumblings and rumors Of new
bloodshed run up and down the bor-
der, when the bodies of Americans
slaughtered on scattered ranches, 10
IL ming villages, even on American
soil, cry ou; for vengeance. You do
Lot wonder that hatred Of the MeSl-
can burns dep in these border folk
when you lcCk back upOG the blood
stained pages of their past-and re.
member the Alamo"
Texas, settled by hardy frontiers
men and backwoodsmen, had reyolted
against the rule of Santa Anna, die
tator of Mexico, and declared itself
independent. That independence 1t
won without aid of the United States,
and the most heroic struggle of the
| night was the Alamo.
The Alamo was an old stone and
'dobe mission house, built in the
early Eighteenth Century and used
occasionally by Spaniards and Mexi-
cans as a fort and arsenal. Then,
when Santa Anna came up with his
1900 over 600 miles Of desert In
|February, 1886. the little handful Of
Americans, 100 strong. under Col;
William Travis. n ade their stand. Il
Na@ = Gcsperate venture fronf-the
Start. a iorlorn hope. If Houston
came down from the north in time,
rescue was possible, otherwise-What
could 100 men hope to do against
1900?
ye,ween him and the Alamo when
Dayy Crockett, frontiersman, hunter,
sUiuier under Jackson and one-time
member OF Congress, made his way
Ito tile fortress. From the roof OF
,.e ca building the Americans saw
Inc dust ol santa Annals army COM
- Up from the south.
Pngre we're few old cannon in
tt.- AII!ao, 80 headof beef cattle, 80
.Js..y!s of corn. But when Santa
Aai.u sent IL messenger demanding
Il.e IyrLa immediate surrender, Col
iouci IIa,is refused promptly and
I..yu one oil his cannon. In the camp
lU. tie MeXicans they raised blood
rcd nag and that meant no quarter.
I4e frOntiersmen knew how the Mex
Iic..ns not only slew, but mutllated
continued until March =. The MeXl-
c,,a5 mad altillery. but they could not
tL,ir enemies.
.G.ruagy 23 the siege began and 1t
continued until March 6. The Mexl-
cans hud artillery but they could not
v..us 1t close. The Texas rifiemen
&C 100 skilful in picking off the
: .uuers. At one cannon Davy Crock
e., picked oil five gunEers in success
SION and tuc MeXicans could not even
l...- IL vAck 10 a safer position until
....,r Gutk. The Americans threw
>.., Il min snirni<h line beyond their
..!ug,,uyAs and The long rifles did
.U.aa.. work..
..u,.r-, desperately ill OF typhoid
. .a..r. wHo constantly alert, constant
aa.lus whether there was any
..a.a O.. a.ccor from the North. There
Ids none.
, Dl. u;rr Qay rifle balls and can
mon snut icll within the inclosure.
-: liter day men fell and their
bodies we're piled in 4 dark room on
lie inst door OF the old building.
..aj UuySide very many little brown
soldiers, in their gaudy, jaunty uni
forms fell down and writhed little
ION tue ground, and soied with blood
and dust, lay still forever.
i band OF 80 rangers, knowing we'll
enough that they were riding to their
iI.uA, hacked their way, cheering,
iiuroush The Mexican lines and Joined
LAG I,a-sard fighter in the Alamo.
II VAS March when Colonel
is;..is, in lull of the fighting, called
".s garrison around him. He ex-
p'ainri thai it WAS hopeless any lon
sar - expect assistance there were
$50 things to do One was to haul