Jefferson High School - Monticello Yearbook (San Antonio, TX)

Page 16 text:

-rbi 3- The Fatal slege of the Alamo by bte Ing lush Mcllha y A8 ln 1803 the mllltary force ln Texas was lncreased by the Companle del Alamo de San Carlos de Parras from Coahulla MSXICO Thls company was quartered ln the Mlsslon San Antonlo de Valero the entlre mlsslon settlement wlthln ten years belng called the Alamo As a result of the comlng of Moses and Stephen F Austm and the 1200 famllles they lnduced to come to Texas deslrable Amerlcan lmmlgrants now began comlng ln great numbers but the treatment of these Colo nlsts by the Mexlcan government meant that war must come Wlth the capture of San Antonlo by the brave Volunteer Army of Texas and the capture of the Alamo on December 5 1835 by Lt Colonel Nell and hls 300 men from General Cos and hls 1 500 troops there floated over the Alamo the flag of the Texas Provlslonal Government the MGXICGH trl color wlth the numerals 1824 replaclng the eagle lllness causlng Colonel Nell to re llnqulsh hls command the dual responslblllty lor leadershlp fell to Travls and Bowle untll Bowles grave lllness made lt necessary that Travls take full command From a force of 104 men at the tlme Bowle Wrote Governor Smlth that he and Colonel Nell pre ferred to dle ln these dltches rather than to demollsh the Alamo the defendlng force had lncreased to 182 men by the fateful last day of the terrlble thlrteen day SIGQS When the fearful sound of the Deguello, the enemy's bugle sound of No Quarter, was heard, before the dawn of March 6, 1835, there began the actual stormlng of the Alamo, at whlch memorable tlme was shown the most deter mlned, the most splendld, valor the world has ever known, lastlng untll all of the defenders had been ruthlessly slaln, flghtlng to the very end of thelr llves ' . V X . . l , yu ' .X 5 I fi 4' W, gr far T M. I if ' riff . . W , 1.1 A ' ' at A fl 4 , 33 i f f V . I 5 Y 1 at . 'Y wx., , r .. l ' F A 1 e Q l r , 'T V 1 I V s z' k iff 'lf 3 9 A 1 ' l' i A er n , ' l - 1 - 1 I - 1 f I - 1 I I - l . . , . . . .. . . . ,, . . ' .

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fi 4,2 fi 5 Z The Ancient Well of the Alamo by Sterling Fisher lvfcllhany, '43 All seemed bright for the mission work until suddenly the decline began. By 1761 the sacristy had caved in, by 1762 the sidewalls had collapsed. ln 1785 the mission was abandoned. ln 1793 all of the records were placed in the care of the Villa de San Fernando and the Presidio. The mis- sion era then ended, the buildings remaining unoccupied until 1801. lt was during these years between the mission era and 1836 that the well, dug within the mission grounds in the early days as a precaution in case enemies obstructed the aceguias, fell into disuse. The records show that after long years the old well had been cleaned and water made available only a few days before the fatal siege began in 1836. lt is a beautiful thought that this old Alamo well kept the brave defenders alive long enough for the delay to save Texas. Further records show that on lanuary 24, 1912, state workmen, tearing down the old wooden superstructure from the original convent walls, uncovered an old well within the mission enclosure, disclosing for the first time the source of water for the besieged heroes of the Alamo. This well, of solid masonry, fourteen feet deep, ten feet long, and seven feet wide, had been designed to afford filtration of water. The finding of this old Well drew thousands of sightseers to the ruins of the old fort on Sunday, lanuary 29, 1912. This same old well was again brought to light in 1936 during the beautification of the Alamo park and gardens by the State Board of Control. Today the ancient well under the protective branches of the huge tree above it is still a mecca for sightseers to the Altar of Texas Liberty. fPlease see page 160 for the well as it looks today to reverent visitors from everywhere.

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xlflvx 4 'V Q., ,tx - ' 'sf-df hr 'Wi 1 The Bums ol the Alamo by Sterlmg Flsher Mcllhany 48 Very trag1c the Alamo must have seemed after the fatal stege the smoke from the funeral pyres ascendlng hlgh toward Heaven ln 1841 only a few of the houses were 1nhab1ted th1s occupancy by some Mex1canfam111es alone preventlng the sale of the mlsslon lots to pr1vate Mex1can c1t1zens Th1rteen years later 1n 1849 the entlre place was st111 1n a state of absolute rum when Ma1orE B Babbrtt U S Army took possessron of the Alamo bu11d1ngs ln the name of the U S Government to use them as a Quartermaster Depot MaJor Babb1tt found the church bu11d1ng choked w1th debr1s stones mortar and d1rt formmg a slantlng heap from the base of the rear wall to the top of the front but the fragments of the walls were st11l bravely standtng Ftrst he cleared the church Deep down 1n the debrrs he found several skeletons fur caps and buckskm trapplngs nearby mute wltnesses of the slaughter Next he repalred the front He f1n1shed 1t off ln 1ts present shape roused the rest of the walls to an equal hetght and added a roof To hold up the roof he bu11t two stone p111ars 1ns1de at polnts ln the wtngs of the cross 1n 11ne w1th the arched p111ars The convent and yard were f1tted up for storerooms stables and sheds The carcel rooted and cleared and used as a granary was later demo11shed the wlnds begrnntng the destructlon 1n 1868 tts foundatrons were dtscovered rn 1889 when the levehng of Alamo Plaza began for the 1ay1ng of mesqutte blocks Ex cept durlng the per1od of the War between the States 1861 1865 when the Con federacy had charge, the Alamo was used by the U S Army unt11 the Govern ment H111 Quartermaster Depot was ready for occupancy on Ianuary 31, 1878 U C X 0 1,1 , ' II -XJR 'li' rf . 1 V 4' in l f . ,J -L RX 1 W Lt, .Qian K t .H-. ..-4-----Y - f --- 'qr- - ' if . 5 ' S 1 ,1 T K' ' 1 I 1 W . ,M V .3 N g 4' 3 2 ff V 'J W 11 W 1:21 3 t 1 1 - N X M: . lg W N :rg I , . , , , , I I D I I - I -