University of South Carolina Libraries
REMEMBER 1 SOME TRUE TALKS OF THE OLD HISTORIC FORT-DR, BARN ARD'S ACCOUNT OF THE liURN- \ S NO OF THE BUILDING-FATE OF ORIGINAL MONUMENT. (Ben C. Stuart, in the nalia;-.. Texas, Morning News.) The recent special dispatch from Austin to the News, stating that the Daughters of the Republic would pe tition the Legislature to amend the existing law so as to place the cus tody of that historic edifice, the Ala mo, at San Antonio, in charge of a commission of Ave, recalls the tragic story of that Texas fortress. While much fact and more myth regarding the fall of the Alamo has been writ ten during the last half century, pro bably the best and most authentic account was that contributed by the late Capt. R. M. Potter, of the United States Army, to the Texas Almanac, printed at Galveston in 1868. Capt. Potter was himself a veteran and held several ofllces of trust under the republic of Texas. After Texas became a State in the Federal Union he was appointed paymaster In the United States army. Ile was in the State when, in 1861, the United States posts were surrendered to tue Confederate ruthorltles, and passel through Galveston on Lis way North. While hero be Informed a life-long friend of his determination to -e maln steadfast to the old flag, a?.d, deprecating the secession movement, he remained In the service until his death at or tear New York city some years since, -lc was also the autaor of the Hymn of the Alamo, as we i as a vigorous and painstaking writei upon topics of Texas history. During the celebration of the B?i*..{-centennla! of thc baale of San Jacinto by tho Texas Veterans' Association at Dal las, in April, 1886, Capt.Potter wrote the chairman of the committee on invitations a letter, in which he re gretted his Inability to be present in consequence of the infirmities of age and the pressure of occupation, but ho wrote at some length concerning the fall of the Alamo, and his re marks in this age of seeming historic Inaccuracy and exaggeration are con sidered as worthy of reproduction in this connection. The True Story. "So remarkable a victory as San Jacinto," wrote Capt. Potter, "was liable to create legendary exaggera tion, yet the published narrative ls remarkably free from it. There ls less dispute about incident and per sonality in the history of San Ja cinto than that of Bunker Hill, though the latter was fought under the eyes of a city's population, most of whose families had a member or a kinsman in the combat. It hap pens, however, that one other of thc two most remarkable events in the h'dory of Texas has not been so his torically fortunate. This, indeed,was to be expected. Of those who fought at San Jacinto nearly all outlived the campaign. Of those who fought at the Alamo not one survived, and the beautiful exaggeration to which this nation is so much addicted had con sequently full play. The result has been an amount of absurd fabrica tion which might lead an incredulous and Ill-informed person to doubt If such an event as tho fall of the Ala mo ever occurred. It behooves all who respect patriotic history to dis countenance such fictions, lest heroic fact should be -.ejected for being In such company. The fabrications T refer to. which I think have mostly originated outside of Texas, have been specially injurious to the 'ame of David Crockett, which they threat en to Munchausen into oblivion. In articles published In two respectable monthlies in New York, Crockett ls represented as the last defender who fell after Incredible exploits. In such a light, where ali knew they had to die, tito bravest die first, and the last who ls reached is almost certain to be a sneak. So it was at the Alamo. Travis and Crockett fell early. Bowie would have done the same had he not been on his death bed. The last who died was a soldier dragged from his biding place, along with three or four others, who were all shot. All Fell Fighting. "The walled inclosure of the Ala mo was too large to be long held by so feeble a garrison. It was soon en. tered by two columns of attack, and the men on the outworks mostly took refuge in the long benches of the chapel, where tho last desperate struggle occurred, and all fell fight ing to tho last. Travis and Crockett did not take such rofuge. They were among tho few who foll early on tho outworks, each being shot down on the platform where they stood. The station of Travis wan a one-gun battery In the northwest'angle of the area. That of Crockett was a one gun battery which overtopped the west wall of the area. When the enemy entered tho area that gun was turned against thom. It ls a dis puted point whethor the caunoneers "HE ALAMO! succeeded In effecting a discharge be fore they foll, but lt Is certain that they all went down almost Inmedi ately under a shower of musketry form within the aroa. There Crockett died before any sword or bayouet reached him, and befc.e he had any opportunity to break skulls with the barrel or his broken rifle. On that platform the body was pointed out to Santa Anna by Mr. Ruiz, of San Antonio, who was sent for to Iden tify the dead leaders. Ruiz tells us where Crockett died, but says noth ing about a semi-circle of dead Mex icans, of which 1 have read, struck j down by the fallen hero. The Inci dents of the fall or the Alamo and all matters therewith connected I early | made a study, and continued it for years ns opportunities occurred, and for this I had, perhaps, better raclll tles than any nerson now living.. "The first publication which I made was done at San Antonio in 1860. The narration 1 then gave was imperfect, and, on some minor points, incorrect, but I afterwards obtained more and complete Informa tion. From tho latest and fullest data I published In the Magazlno of American History In New York, on January 1, 1878, what I believe to be the fullest and most correct account of the siege and capture of the Alamo which has ever appeared. In that article I gave my authority for every alleged fact, and my grounds for my every conjecture. * * * * I cannot beter close than by praying that tito heroes of the Alamo may escape the curse of absurd and fabulous eulogy which so often throws a blighting shadow on real merit." The Alamo Building. In the Texas Almanac article re ferred to before the Alamo as lt ex isted In March, 1830, at the time of thoMexIcan assault,is thus described: "It had been founded soon after the settlement of that vicinity as a place of safety for the settlers and their property In case of Indian hostility, but while lt was large enough for that purpose lt had neither the strength nor arrangement which be long to a regular fortification. The front of the Alamo Chapel bears date 1757. The other works must have been built earlier. The chapel of the fortress ls 75 feet long, G2 feet high, surrounded by walls of solid masonry four feet thick, lt was built of one story, with upper windows, under which platforms were built for the mounting or cannon. The long bar rack which was connected with the church is 168 reet long, 18 reet wide, IS reet high, and or two stories. There was another barrack 114 reet long and 17 reet wide. These bar racks, like the church, were or solid rock, and their walls are still stand ing (1867.) The rectifications were manned by 14 guns, but these proved of little use in the defense, as the enemy either kept out or range or approached rrom a quarter they could not be made to bear upon." The final assault, intrusted to Gen. Castrillon, a Spaniard by birth and a brilliant soldier, was made April 6th, 1836, and was timed so that the at tacking columns should reach the foot of the wall at daybreak. "When the hour came," says the Almanac article, "the batteries and the music were alike silent, and the single blast of the bugle was followed by no sound save the rushing tramp of sol diers. The guns of the fort soon opened upon them,and then the band, as the south battery struck up the assassin notes of 'Dequello,' a Span ish martial air, which signifies to the soldier no quarter. But few and not very effective discharges rrom the works could be made before the ene my was under them, and lt Is thought that the worn and wearied garrison vas not till then fuly mustered." All Viv Slain. "The Tolucan column was the first at the base of the wall, but lt was not tho first to enter tho area. A large piece of cannon at the north west angle commanded the breach. IOU ber this or the deadly tire of the riflemen at that point, where Travis in person commanded, brought the column to a disordered halt, and Its leader, Col. Duque, foil dangerously wounded. Hut at this time another column arrived and entered tho gate or by escalade near by lt. Tho de fense of the outer wall had now to be abandoned, anti the garrison took refuge in the buildings already de scribed. It was probably while the breach that Travis fell at his post, for his body was found beside tho gun referred to. All this passed within a row minutes arter tho bugle sounded. The early loss of the outer wall so thinly manned was I evita ble, and it was not until the gar. 'son became more concentrated that the main struggle began. They wore moro oompact as to spuce, but not as to unit/, for there waB no connecting space between buildings, nor always between rooms. There was now no retreat from point to point. Each group of defenders had to fight and die in tho den where lt was brought to bay. . * * Tho church was the last point taken. The column which moved against lt. consisting of the battalion of Xlmines and other troops, was at first rAyulsed, and took refuge in some old houses outside of the barrier, near the southwest angle, but it was rallied and led on by den. Amador. It was soon joined by the rest of the force, and the church was carried by a coup de main. Its in mates, like the others, fought to the last, and continued to fire from the upper platform after the Mexicans bed occupied the floor. During the closing struggle Lieut. Dickinson, with one of his children in his arms, or, as some say, tied to his back, leaped from an upper window. Both were killed. Of ?hose he left behind the bayonet soon gleaned what the bullet missed, and the upper part must have fallen. The morning breeze which received his parting breath probably still fanned his flag above him ere it was pulled down by | the victors. The Alamo bad fallen." After the Battle. The garrison of the feeble fort w^ps some 188 men, all of whom perished. The Investing force has been vari ously estimated at from 3,500 tjO 1,000 men, under the Immediate command of Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the president and virtual dictator of Mexico. Of the Inmates of the fort only three were spared-? Mrs. Dickinson, her babe and a negro man owned by Col. Travis. The rud est form of sepulchre was accorded the slain Texans, the historian Ken nedy stating that "their bodies were stripped, thrown into a !>eap and burned." Dr. J. H. Bernard, a sur^ geon in Fannin's command, who was saved from the massacre at Goliad, was in San Antonio as a prisoner In April, 1836, and In his diary made this record under date of the 21st of that mouth: "Yesterday and to-day we have been around with the surgeons of the place to visit the wounded, and a pretty piece of work Travis and his faithful few have made of them. There are now about one hundred here of the wounded. The surgeon tulls us there w?re 400 brought Into the hospital the morning they storm ed tho Alamo, but I think from ap pearances there must have been moro. I see many around the town who were crippled. There are ap parently 200 or 300, and the citizens tell me that 300 or 400 have died of their wounds. After news had been received of the defeat of Santa Anna at San Ja cinto orders were Issued to evacuate San Antonio and to destroy the Ala mo. Under date of May 24, 1836, Dr. Bernard's diary contains this entry: "Six o'clock p. m.-As the troops left town this morning a large fire streamed up from the Alamo, and as they had fairly left Dr. Shnckleford and myself, accompanied by Senor Ruiz and some of the citizens, walked over to see the state In which they had left lt. We found the fire to pro ceed from a church, where a platform had been built extending from the great door to the top of the wall on the back side for the purpose of tak ing up the artillery to tho top of the church. This was made of wood and was too far consumed for any at tempt to be made to extinguish the fire. The walls of the church, being built of solid masonry, of course would be but little damaged by tho fire. The Alamo was completely dis mantled. All the single walls were leveled, the fosse filled up and the pickets torn up and burned. All the Nursing Mothers and Over-burdened Women In al! stations of lifo, whoso vigor and vitality may havo boon undermined and broken-down by over-work, exacting social duties, , ho too frequent bearing of children, or other causes, will lind In Dr. Pierce's Favorito Prescription tho most potent, invigorating restorative strength giver ever devised for their special bono lit. NurslnK*raothors wYRfind lt especial ly valuable Ik sustaining wndr strength and promoting^an abundantlVsmrishment for tho child. ^xpVctantwprkors too will find lt B prleelessHttj>?t?trf p>cj7^p tho Bystem for baby's coming and nhnijjcing tho ordeal comparatively painless?^ tt can dp no barm in any state, or condition of The female system. "~ """^ Delicate, nervous, weak women, who stifler from frequent headaches, back ache, dragglng-down distress low down In tho alxlomen, or from painful or irreg ular monthly periods, gnawing or dis tressed sensation in stomach, dl/.zy or faint spells, seo Imaginary spooks or .ipots floating before oyes, havo disagreeable, pelvic Katarrhal drain, prolapsus, ante version or retro-version or other displace ments of womanly organs from weakness of parts will, whether they experience many or only a few of tho abovo symp toms, find relief and a permanent euro by using faithfully and fairly persistently Dr. Pierce's Favorite Proscription. This world-famed specific for woman's weaknesses and peculiar ailments ia a pura glyceric extract of tho choicest na tive. medicinal roots without a drop of alcohol lu Its make-up. All Its ingredi ents printed in plain English on its bottle wrapper and attested under oath. Dr. Pierce thus invites the fullest investiga tion of his formula knowing that lt will bo found to contain only the best agents knowu to tho most advanced medical science of all the different schools of prac tice for th? cure of woman's peculiar weaknesses and aliments. If you want to know moro about the composition and professional endorse ment of the "Favorite Prescription," aond Kstal card request to Dr. R. V. Plorco, iffalo, N. Y., for his free booklot treat ing of samo. You can't afford to accept as a substi tute for this romody of known wmpoaitUm a secret nostrum of unknown oompotir Hon. Don't do lt. artillery and ammunition that could not be carried off has been thrown irte thc river." Tne defenders of the Alamo did not fight under the Lone Star flag, nor cid they know that the independ ence of i' 'xas had been declared. Al. though tho declaration was adopted on March 2, 1836, there waa no means by which information could be convoyed to the beleaguered garrison before the end came on the morning of March 6, and consequently Travis and his men went down to defoat and death under the flag of constitu tional liberty in Mexico-a trl-color, with 1824 otnmped or printed upon it. The Old Alamo Monument. As previously stated, the bodies of the defenders of the Alamo were burned by the Mexicans. On the 2 5th of May, 1836, Dr. Bernard visited tho spot and thus mentions it in his diary: "After looking at the spot vhere, it is said, Travis fell and Crockett closed his mortal career, we went to visit the ashes of those bra\e defenders of our country. About a hundred yards from the fort wo came to Where they were burned. The bonos had been reduced to cinders; occasionally a bone of the leg or arm was seen almost entlro. Peace to your ashes! Your fame Is ininior tal ! To the memory of those heroes Texas erected a monument, which for years stood at Ibo entrance of the old Stale bouse at Austin, lt was ten feet high, and was constructed from rock taken from tho Alamo. Each of the four fronts contained tho names of Crockett, Bonham, Bowie in.d Travis ir bold relief. The Inscriptions on the monument were ns follows: North front ********** * TO THE * GOD * OF THE * FEARLESS AND FREE * IS DEDICATED * THIS ALTAR * MADE FROM THE RUINS * OF THE ALAMO. * MARCH 6, 1836, A. D. ********** West front ********** * BLOOD OF HEROES * HATH * STAINED ME. * LET THE STONES OF THE * ALAMO SPEAK * THAT * THEIR IMMOLATION * BE NOT * FORGOTTEN. * MARCH 6, 1836, A. D. ********** South front ********** * BE THEY ENROLLED * WITH LEONIDAS * IN THE HOST OF THE * MIGHTY DEAD. * MARCH 6, 1836, A. D. ********** East front ********** * THERMOPYLAE * HAD HER * MESSENGER OF DEFEAT. * BUT THE * ALAMO HAD NONE. * MARCH 6, 1836, A. D. In addition the names of 156 of the men who fell In the 4O's were In scribed on the north and south fronts. About 1880 the old State house was burned and the monument was al most destroyed at the same time. Af ter the fire a portion of the memorial was kicked about in the debris of the grounds and finally attracted the at tention of Hon. .lohn P. White, then one of the Judges of the Court of Appeals. He recognized its value and preserved lt. The portion saved by Judge White was the lipper part of the monument, containing a portion of the inscriptions noted in full above. On August 31, 1888, Judge White presented tho relic to Hon. L. L. Foster, commissioner of Insurance statistics and history, with this note: '/I herewith turn over to your de partment two pieces of the old Alamo monument, which I have been pre . erving ever since tho burning of tho old capitol. These are the only por tions of 'be monument which I be lieve nave been preserved. Tho mon liment, you recollect, stood in the porch of the old capitol, and was made out of the stones of the Alamo/' OASTOniA, Bean th? _S9 ^he Kind You Haw Always Boag)* Signature rf jflto Kind You Haw Always Methuselah ls Dead! Nev Yovlc, April 2.-Methuselah died here ? j-day at his homo In the Bronx Zoo. He was 1,000 yoars ole' His death ls ascribed to Ills Incident to old age. Methuselah, also known as Rame ses II, was a toad which was dis covered in a rock pocket in a mine 500 feet below the surface at Butte, Mont., two years ago. His age was carefully computed by the zoologists and geologists. Every writes Mrs. E. Fournie? used to suffer from head {>ressing-down pains, and ast I took Cardui, and no lt Win ] Cardui is a medicine upon the cause of most ve ing the weakened woman cause their work is too ha It is not a pain "ki! remedy, composed of pur perfectly harmless and rec men, old or young. Try < AT ALL DR ?J? ?J? ?|? M4 ?J? ?J? ?J? ?J? ?J? ?J? ?J. THU SOlli'S Tl TUX INO POINT ?J? .I* * .I? ny J. Hussen Wright. .J? ?J? ?I? ?J? ?J? ?J? ?J? ?J? ?J? ?I? ?J? ?J? A person Is converted when the whole Ufo heroines changed through tho Influence ot divine grace upon the heart, lt ls not merely a chango in our religious professions, lt must include the transformation of our thoughts, desires and inclinations. This is tho result of saving faith in Christ Jesus. And let us not doubt the fact of a man's conversion be cause lt happens to differ with our own In non-essential features. Some have visions and tears and emotions and others do not. Some have hard struggles bofore they enter tho King dom; others find tba gate wide open and simply walk In. Test conversion, not by the attending features, but by tho fruits of the spirit, and by tho attitude of love to God and man. It has been said that tears are a I mark of weakness. Such is not the case. Thore Is a sacredness In tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They are messages of overwhelming grief, of deep contri tion, of unspeakable love. If there were wanting any argument to prove that man was not mortal, I would look for it in the strong, convulsive emotions of the heart. When the mountains of feeling aro rising, and when tears are gushing forth in crys tal streaniB, Oh, speak not harshly of the stricken ones weeping in silence; break not the solemnitv by laughter or intrusive footsteps. De spise not woman's tears; they are what makes her an angel. Scoff not if the stern heart of man hood ls sometimes melted into sympathetic tears; they are what help to elevate him above the brute. I love to toe tears of affec tion; they are plain tokens, but still most holy. There ls a pleasure in tears, an awful pleastl e. If there was no ono on earth to shed tears for me, I should be loath to live; and If no one might weep over my grave I could never die in peace. They that sow in tears shall reap In joy. Jesus shed tears of deep sympathy at the grave of Lazarus. Tears help to dis pel deep grief; they soften the heart, and expand the soul. -Go to W. M. Brown for buggies, vagons, harness, etc. tf The Best Ferti That the yield of corn from tl creased by intelligent and liberal demonstrated. Large crops of go land well, using the right kind ai and proper cultivation. Virginia Ferti will greatly "increase your yield p In some cases remarkable results! Mr. C. W. Caruthers of Sum] cannot express the value of your of other companies' goods, that it brands, were they given free and p I say to be a fact. I made a test the land your fertilizer tmd on the izer, same grade; the iand receiv< / ke?t a correct account of the an, ana I got $Joo more from the land Fertilizer than I did off the ot h corn from the land on which f ust Write today to nearest office Company for a free copy of the Almanac, full of the most valuable planters and farmers; or ask your 1 Virginia-Carolii Salts Officti Richmond. Va. Norfolk, Va. Columbia, S. C. At i ir.i ,1. Ga. Savannah, Ga. Memphis, Tenn Month of Lake Charles, I^a, "I j ache, backache, side ache, could hardly walk. At w I feel good all the time. J 26 Help You that has been found to act ornent pains, strengthen ly organs, that surfer be ,rd for them. 1er," but a true female ely vegetable ingredients, ;ommended for all sick wo Cardui. Women's Relief. ?G STORES MEETS DEATH OX TRESTLE. Woman was Going to SOO lier Hus. bain! in tho IVnltontiary. Macon, Ga., April 1.-Caught on tho troatlo of tho Georgia road over Walnut or?ele, a short distance out of Macon, Mrs. Imogen Compton, 35 years of ago, was knocked 40 feet to the ground below and Instantly killed. Engine No. 61 and passen ger train No. 71, bound from Camak to Macon, In charge of Engineer B. F. Anderson and Conductor Abren, met the woman and her lltlo son ns they were getting off tho trestle ou tho end toward the direction from which the train was coming. The engineer looked for them to get off until he was within short range, but made Immediate efforts to stop when ho found the woman was struggling with time to get out of the way. The little boy ducked down on the end of ?he ties, and the mother, in hor hurry, ullpped and fell through In the middle of the road bed. Hero she was picked up by the pilot of the engine and hurled out into tho creek. The engineer allowed his engine to pass over the boy so he could get out, and when the train crew went back they found tho mo ther lifeless. Mrs. Compton resided ID South Georgia and was passing through to her former residence near Athens. She had applied to Mayor Miller for transportation, but through some mistake she left without getting the tickets. She had started out to walk and was ove? aken. Her hus band, Dick Compto, , is serving a life sentence in the State penitentiary for having killed three men near Athens. The little boy ls left a charge on the public, ten years of ago and heart broken. For a mild, easy action of the bowels, a single dose of Donn's Reg ulets Is enough. Treatment cures habitual constipation. 25 cents a box. Ask your druggist for them. Card of Thanks Editor Keowee Courier: Please al low us space in your columns to again thank the good people ot the Tabor section for their kindness and assistance to us in the sickness and death of our six-weeks-old baby. May God ever bless them with His rich est mercies. Respectfully, Mr. and Mrs. J, S. Colley. 'lizers for Corn ic average farm can be greatly In fcrtilization has been repeatedly od corn result from preparing the ul quantity of fertilizer, good seed Carolina lizers icr acre " o? rom or any other crop, ?ave been obtained. pter County, Fla., writes: "Words fertilizer. It is really so far ahead would not pay anyone to use other iut in the f?ela. 1 can prove what on five acres. I used on one half other half another company's fertil :d the s? ne cultivation every time. tount of money J pot Off each half on which I used Virginia-Carolina er half. I got four times as much id your fertilizer" of the Virginia-Carolina Chemical new 1900 Farmers' Year-Book er ; and unprejudiced information for fertilizer dealer for a copy. ria Chemical Co. Salts Offltes Durham, N.C. Charleston, S. C. Haltlmore, Md. Columbus, Ga. Montgomery, Ala. Shreveport, La.