File:Stories of the West (1914) (14590836687).jpg

Identifier: storiesofwest00roos (find matches)
Title: Stories of the West
Year: 1914 (1910s)
Authors: Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Subjects: Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.) Mississippi River Valley -- History
Publisher: New York, The Century Co.
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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commander of the fort, and Bowie,the inventor of the famous bowie-knife. Theywere a wild and ill-disciplined band, little usedto restraint or control, but they were men of ironcourage and great bodily powers, skilled in theuse of their weapons, and ready to meet withstern and uncomplaining indifference whateverdoom fate might have in store for them. Soon Santa Anna approached with his army,took possession of the town, and besieged thefort. The defenders knew there was scarcely achance of rescue, and that it was hopeless to ex-pect that one hundred and fifty men, behind de-fenses so weak, could beat off four thousandtrained soldiers, well armed and provided withheavy artillery; but they had no idea of flinch-ing, and made a desperate defense. The dayswent by, and no help came, while Santa Annagot ready his lines and began a furious cannon-ade. His gunners were unskilled, however, andhe had to serve the guns from a distance; forwhen they were pushed nearer the American rifle- o cro o oa
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REMEMBER THE ALAMO 103 men crept forward under cover and picked offthe artillerymen. Old Crockett thus killed fivemen at one gun. But, by degrees, the bombard-ment told. The walls of the Alamo were bat-tered and riddled; and when they had beenbreached so as to afford no obstacle to the rushof his soldiers, Santa Anna commanded that theybe stormed. The storming took place on March 6, 1836.The ^lexican troops came on well and steadily,breaking through the outer defences at everypoint, for the lines were too long to be manned bythe few Americans. The frontiersmen then re-treated to the inner building, and a desperatehand-to-hand conflict followed, the Mexicansthronging in, shooting the Americans with theirmuskets and thrusting at them with lance andbayonet, while the Americans, after firing theirlong rifles, clubbed them and fought desperately,one against many; and they also used their bowie-knives and revolvers with deadly effect. Thefight reeled to and fro between the shatteredwalls, e

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