Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 91, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 April 1911 — WHEN THE STAFF OF TEXAS REVOLTED [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WHEN THE STAFF OF TEXAS REVOLTED

|p|ORT SAM HOUSTON, in San ■ - Antonio, Tex., to which 20,000 troops weije hurriedly dlsJL patched, is located close to the historic spot where the battle of the Alamo was fought. There a small force of American pioneers of the southwest fought against overwhelming odds until death gave the Mexican army a temporary victory. The stronghold whither, they are bound bears the name of the general who brought independence to the Lone Star state. “Thermopylae had Its messenger of defeat. Alamo had none.” This inscription, ascribed to Lord Macauly, is engraved -on a monument in the grounds of the Texas capitol at Austin in commemoration of the garrison, all of which died fighting against overwhelming odds in the battle of the Alamo, which ended March 6, 1836. Americans in Texas rose in rebellion against the government of Mexico in 1836. Early in 1836 the rebellion grew into warfare. The Texans were under the leadership of the bluff Gen. Sam Houston as president of the new republic of Texas and as com-mander-in-chief of their little army of volunteers. It was a daring undertaking for a scant 2,000 men to attempt to wrest the state from Mexico with its 16,000 drilled troops. But the Texans, headed by Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, William Travis and John Haydon, feared no failure. The Mexican general, Santa Ana, set out from the Rio Grande northward to quickly conquer and punißh rebellious Texans. His army of 6,000 men, after a march of nearly 600 miles acrbss a desolate country, reached San Antonio, confident of capturing that town and moving on to the new capitol at Washington, Tex. Unprepared for Battle. The garrison at San Antonio was unprepared for Santa Ana’s coming. The first tidings of his approach were given by the sentinels posted on the roof of the Alamo, which was an abandoned Franciscan mission, built in 1723. It numbered about 185 men under command of Col. William Travis. When the news of Santa Ana’s approach reached Travis he determined to make good its defense until reenfotcements could, arrive. With him was Col. James Bowie, whose name was always associated with his famous knife, and Davy Crockett, the frontiersman and hunter of history and romance. They had a few pieces of artillery, little ammunition, 90 bushels of com and 80 beef cattle, which were hurried within the inclosure. Santa Ana demanded immediate surrender. Travis returned a defiant refusal, emphasized by a cannon shot. A blood red flag, signifying no quarter, immediately was raised above the Mexican camp and their batteries opened upon the garrison. Meanwhile Travis had dispatched messengers to Houston and Washington, Tex., 96 miles away, appealing for assistance. The Mexican batteries attempted a breach in the stone walls of the mission at dawn February 26. For hoars every day the Mexicans continued the siege. In a hot fire which was opened upon the garrison on the last morning in February some of the bombs fell close to the spot where Davy Crockett lay. He sprang up and made his way to the ramparts just as the Mexican gunner was reloading and before he could fire again shot him. A comrade caught up the match and ran to the touchhole. But already a fresh rifle had been handed the Tennesseean and he picked off the second gunner as he had the first. Three more Mexicans made the attempt and met a like fate and for a time the gun was silenced. Colonel Travis called the garrison about him March 3. He made a brief talk, telling his coinrades that longer hope for asslstan6e was useless. He said that the Alamo should be surrendered or it should be defended until the last man was dead. He drew a line with his sword on the adobe floor and said: "I propose to stay here until I am killed. All who will be with me will come to this side of the line; all who wish to surrender remain on that side.” Davy Crockett leaped across with a triumphant wave of his cap. Every man in the file Joined him. It was a grim decision; the garrison lessening in number every day, the food supply was almost exhausted and only a few rounds of ammunition was left for the survivors. Bowie, almost from the beginning of the siege, was ill with typhoid. In a little adjoining room he lay on a rude bed attended by a Mexican woman. Hearing the speech of Colonel Travis, he feebly called to his companions and begged them to pick

up his cot and carry him over the line. A few hours later he became delirious and never recovered consciousness. Dawn of the Morning of Death. The morning of the final attack was a warm, bright Sunday. Colonel Bowie died about three o’clock. Death had become so common that no one paid any attention to the dying pioneer. They were blackened with gunpowder; they looked wild from lack of sleep and food; they seldom spoke and all their words and acts were those of men tferribly In earnest. The sole idea of each was to sell his life as dearly as possible. Santa Ana determined to take the Alamo by assault. The bond struck up “Duguelo” (assassin) and amid a boom of cannon ladders were brought, the walls of the building were scaled by 2,000 cavalrymen, while battering rams beat in the doors. The Texans ran to the roof, where several cannon had been stationed. As fast as the Mexicans mounted they were stabbed and the ladders overturned. Meanwhile the Mexican riflemen on the ground shot down the Texans on the roof and the battle raged with the few Texana who stayed on guard behind the barricade. After an hour the Mexicans had overpowered the Texans and were swarming to the roof. The defenders retreated down the stairs, fighting every inch of the why. Then the doors below were beaten down with huge timbers and with a yell the frenzied soldiers poured in the opening. The little band of Texans was pitifully Insignificant against the horde of Mexicans. There were yells and gunshots and groans in one long, hideouß chorus. Not one of the Texans sank to death till he had all his strength. Coloned Crocket® stood in the comer of the main room and with a cutlaßs slashed all who attacked him. His shirt was soaked with blood and a bullet had piercea his cheek. Shot by a man in front of him, he lunged forward, selling his life as dearly as possible. Colonel Travis was shot through the head while defending the stairs. No one was spared, and every one of the Texans sank to the floor fighting. So ended the Alamo, Nearly all the information that historians have concerning the events inside the Alamo during the siege has come from Dona Andrea Castarion de Dillanueda, the nurse of Colonel Bowie and the sole survivor. The state of Texas pensioned her for 40 years. They Remember the Alamo. From that day the words, “Remember the Alamo!” were the slogan t>f the campaign throughout Texas. In less than two weeks more than 600 frontiersmen, maddened by the massacre, joined Sam Houston’s army. A month later Houston, with a force of 700 Texans, faced Santa Ana, with 2,000 soldiers, on the banks of the Ran Jacinto. The battle was only an hour long. The Texas force, with a mighty and exultant yell, “Remember the Alamo!" routed the enemy and captured Santa Ana, who barely escaped death. Texas independence then was established.

THE ALAMO