Evening star., 1931-12-13

Cen. Sam Houston, first President OF
Texas.
Carolina, who had lately to volunteer
in the cause of Texas and was considered one
of the most chivalrous and estimable of its
supporters"
THE enemy arrived Unexpectedly on Febru-
! airy 22, and during the evening a shot
from the 16-pounder of the fort was answered
by a shell from the Mexicans. On the 24th
of that month, reinforcements reached Gen.
Santa Ana, and from that time to March 6,
the investment was complete
About the second day Of the siege Col.
Bowie was stricken with pneumonia, and this
cut short any rivalry which might have existed
between him and Col Travis, since the
nature Of the disease was such that death
would undoubtedly have resulted from this
cause had not such a termination been anti
cipated by the sword.
"On the following night, the 18th of March,"
says Potter, "a company of 30 men from
Gonzales made its way through the enemy's
lines and entered the Alamo never again to
leave 1t. This must have raised the force to
1913 men thereabouts none of the original
number of 1856 had fallen.
"On the night of the Sd of March, Travis
sent out another courier with letter of that
date to the government, which reached its
destination. In the last dispatch he says,
With an hundred and forty-five mer, have
held this place ten days against force vari-
ously estimated from 1,50o to 5000, and I
shall continue to hold it till I get relief from
my countrymen or viii perish in the attempt.
We have had q shower of bombs and cannon
balls continuously falling among us the whole
time, yet none Of us have fallen. We have been
miraculousiy preserved
The final assault on the Alamo took place on
March g. and Travis soon fell from shot
in the forehead, while other men rapidly fol-
lowed, but not without almost supernatural
resistance by the conquered defenders of the
fort.
THE chapel was the last point taken, and
here the carnage was awful. The body
Of David Crockett, who no doubt exacted a
great toll in life before he died, according to
some authorities, was found in the west bat
terry, and Bowie, ere he passed away, enfeebled
as he must have been, shot down, IL is said
more than one of his assailants before he was
butchered where he lay critically i'll.
The enemy now in possession of the fort,
trained the guns to fire into the door Of the
church. and here the last struggle was inde-
scribably fierce-there was no quarter asked,
and no quarter given. For years. only part
Of the roof over the chapel existed, and this
condition facilitated access by scaling ladders,
and, to repel the invaders, the Texans sought
places of vantage toward the top of the struc-
ture On account of this elevated position
some Of the dead Mexican soldiers were found
to be shot in the crown of the head after the
engagement.
spectacular event, which occurred as af-
fairs in the chapel had reached a crisis, was
when Lieut.. Dickinson with hfs child In his
arms-or tied to his back, as some say@eaped
from the embrasure of the mission and both
were riddled with bullets. To quote Potter
again: "Of those he left behind him, the bay
ry,et xoOn cleaned what the bullet had left and
in the upper part of that ediice the last de-
fender must have fallen. The morning breeze
which received his parting breath probably
still famed his flag above that fabric, for
doubt not he fell ere it was pulled down By
the victorS."
Not one OF the defenders of the Alamo e.
capped alive. Several at the last moment at
tempted flight, but with the exception of ons
who hid himself under a small bridge, wher,
he was detected and later executed, all wer'
killed Even after all resistance had ceases
the five six men who were found concealed
in the building under mattresses were sho
by order Of Santa Ana. The wife Of Lieut.
Dickinson and a few Mexican women, and
negro slave belonging to Col. Travis were tn
only ones within the inclosure whose i've
were spared, and IN the case OF Mrs. Dickenso,
there were special reasons for this course o
action.
It would be impossible definitely TO state tn
casualties In this engagement, so connactm
are the reports. According to Potter, the mum
Der Of defenders killed In the Alamo Is put q