Norwich bulletin., 1921-01-06
ODD lscIDEN1s IN AMERICAN
-~s.- MISTQRY.
BRAVE DEFENCE OF THE ALAMO

BRAVE DEFENCE OF THE ALAMO.
In the annals Of American history there
Is nothing more glorious than the defence
of the Alamo by little handful of Amer
leans against the army Of Mexican Gen.
Santa Anna, On the twenty-third Of
February, 1896, Santa Anna himself, with
four thousand Mexican soldiers, marched
into the town Of San Antonio. In the
old mission house Of the Alamo were the
towns only defenders, AS men, under
Capt. Travis, a young man % years of
age. With him were Davy Crockett,
wac had crossed over from his own state
to help those who were freeing theirs,
and Col James Bowie-who gave his
name to knife which he invented, and
which name our government gave later
TO q fort-who was wounded and lying on
a. Get,
On the third Of March there was q ees-
sion and Capt Travis drew his men into
single rank and took his place in front
of them. He told them that all that re-
aimed to them was the choice Of their
death, and that they had but to decide
in which manner of dying they would
best serve their country.
He told them that they could surren-
der and be shot down mercilessly, they
could make a sortie and. be butchered
before they had gained 20 yards, or they
could die fighting to the last, killing
/ their enemies until that last came.
Travis gave them their choice and
| then stocping drew a line with the point
| Of his sword in the ground from the left
! to the right of the rank. And now,
| he said, every man who is determine ed
| TO rernai in here and to die with me wiz
come to me across that line"
Tapley Holland was the first to cross
| He jumped il with bound as though il
we're Rubicon. 81 am ready to die for
| my country" he said. And then all but
| one man, named Rose. marched over to
wounded on his cot; raised himself on
| his elbow. "Boya,"s he said, don't leave
me. Won't some OF you carry me across :?
And those Of the sick who could walk
! rose from the hunks and tottered across
the line; and those who~could not wall
| were carried. Rose, who could speai
Spanish, trusted to this chance to escape
and scaling the wall Of the Alamo, drop
ped into a'ditch on, the other side, ant
craWled. hidden BY the cactus, into Z
| Mace Of safety Through him We know
what happened before that final daI
came. He hadAis reward.
Three days Skter this, on the mornin;
Of March 6, Santa Anna brought forward
all Of his infantry, supported by his cav
airy, and stofnned the fortress. The in
fantry eame IN on every side at once il
long, black, solid rows, bearing the seal
ink-laddArs before them, and encourages
by the press Of great numbers abou
them.
4 At the third trial the ladders wer
planted and Mexican after Mexican seal
ed them. and jumped down into the pi
inside, hundreds and hundreds Of them
, to be met with bullets and then by bay
, onet thrusts, and at last, with desperat
. swinging Of the butt. until the little ban
grew smaller and weaker, and was driy
En- up and beaten down and stamped be
meath the weight Of overwhelming an
intending numbers.
The little band died fighting on thei
knees, hacking up desperately as the
were beaten and pinned down by q doze
hayonets. Bowie leaning on his elbo'
and shooting from his cot. Crockett light
ing like a panther, in the angle Of tn
church wall, and Travis with his bac
against the wall To the west.
The IT. men who had held 1000 me
D at bay for two sleepless weeks wer
: swept away as dam goes that has hel
back food, and the Mexieans epene
| the church doors from the inside and Il
J.. in their comrades and the sunshine thu
Il showed them horrid heaps Of Ave hyndre
! and ferty-two Mexieans and Ave hundre
| more wounded.
There were no wounded among the TIE,
e ans OF the Ia who were IN the Alan
& there were IT, dead. With an exanap
like this to follow, it was not difficult
gain the independence Of Texas, al
" Whenever Sam Houston rode before h
a men crying: Remember the Alamo
II the battle was already half won.
(TonofEoW-Amsrica's Mysterious Exil