Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-25
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II .o Deaths edeuSnJ @ino-F Rover

with his back against his menaced
home.
Houston did not dare give battle
except on his own terms, and accom-
pa MED by few ragged hundreds, he
fell back TO the Brazos, begging and
beseeching the council for food and
supplies.
All the money that he possessed for
the campaign was 5000 Of his own
private funds; there w3s little to cat,
and no tents to protect against the
rain; night after night the wretchcd
company perched on saddles to keep
dry, DOING miserably with their backs
against trees.
Houston's one hope was that Santa
Anna might be 80 insane as to pursue.
and his faith was not misplaced, for
when + came to displaying incompe-
tcnce, i dictator could always be
depended upon. lie plunged into the
| interior. vowing a war OF exterrnina-
! ton.
SaE Felipe de Austin and Harris
burg went up in flames. and as Hous
! ton still retreated. the rage Of the
people scourged him, and his own men
threatened .mutiny. Was he coward
or fool that he refused to make a
stand?
Yet as he reported In heart-broken
letter, What has been my situation
At Gonzales / had ga efficient men
without supplies, not even powder.
balls or arms. At the Colorado, 700
men without discipline. Two days
since my effective force was SOB men. "
! Closing his ears To taunts. beating
his men down with a lioniike glare.
| he fell back to San Jacinto, drawing
| Santa Anna on and on. This was the
| revolution. according TO history. that
was fought and financed by the men
and money Of the United States for
the extension of slavery-this stary.
| ing. desperate rabble racing before an
| army.
At last. when his rebelIious men
were about to depose him, Houston re-
ceived word that Santa Anna. at the
head Of 500 men. had crossed Vinces
Bridge. entering a natural cul de sac
formed ny Buffalo Bayou and the San
Jacinto River. Behind him az Fort
Bond the fool had left Gen. Filisola
and 4 900 men.
II was the moment for which Hous.
ton had waited. and. with caution no
longer a necessity. all that was hot
and intense in that wild nature famed
TO the surface.
What though he had at his COM
mand only 7s3 men, worn To the bone
by hardship? What though his ar.
tillery consisted of two small cannon
the gift Of Cincinnati-with only
broken horseshoes for ammunition?
All that he saw was the throat OF his
foe.
Driving his scarecrows TO the work
! of building RATS. he crossed the
Bayou, sent Deaf Smith 10 cut
Dali. hat lSn
/ fight 10 the death. and ordered his
solitary FIFE TO Sound the charge.
! "Will you come TO the bower !
/ have shaded for you9" was the only
tune the fifer knew, but as the men
| legped forward. Houston cried in his
great. roaring voice. Remember the
( Alamo and that cry had the inspira'
ton Of thousand hugies.
THERE on that sunny afternoon of
= April %. 1885, there was slaughter
grim and terrible. Charging with a
ferocity that swept the Mexicans into
panic, the Texans threw away their
! rifles. at the first fire and came 10
Gloss. quarters with their long knives.
Rv the time n white flag waved,
s30 of Santa Anna = men lay dead on
the ground. eos were wounded and
13o were grouped in abject surrender.
The following day the dictator him.
self was captured as he wofmed his
was through the grass in peon dress.
The shivering wretch could not con-
troll his hysteria until he had been
given opium from his captured sup
plies, but something of his old as
surance returned with, the drug.
You. SIR he said with n grandilo
quent flourish. ARE born to no com
mon destiny. for you have captured
the Napoleon OF the Western world. :
Houston lying at the foot OF a tree
his ankle shattered by bullet, pierced
the little murderer with glare that
froZe his marrow. What of the Alamo
and Goliads What OF their brothers
that he had hu;chsrcd in cold blood,
Nevertheless the Mexican had sur