The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 37, July 1933 - April, 1934 Page: 36
330 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
wounded died for want of medical attention, beds, shelter, and
surgical instruments.
The whole garrison were killed except an old woman and a negro
slave for whom the soldiers felt compassion, knowing that they had
remained from compulsion alone.'7 There were 150 volunteers, 32
citizens of Gonzales who had introduced themselves into the fort
the night previous to the storming,74 and about 20 citizens or mer-
chants of Bexar.
Considering the disposition made for attack, our loss should
have been still greater if all the cannon in the fort could have
been placed on the walls, but the houses inside prevented it, and
from their situation they could only fire in front. Furthermore,
they had not a sufficient number of gunners. Indeed, artillery
cannot be improvised as readily as rebellions. Also our movement
from the right and the left upon the north front, and the move-
ment executed by Mifi6n and Morales with their column on the
western salient, changing the direction from the southern front as
instructed, rendered unavailable the pieces of artillery which the
enemy had established on the three other fronts.
when the signal of march was given by the President from the battery
between the north and east. Immediately, General Cos cried, 'Forward,'
and placing himself at the head of the attack, we ran to the assault,
carrying scaling ladders, picks, and spikes. Although the distance was
short, the fire from the enemy's cannon was fearful; we fell back; more
than forty men fell around me in a few moments. One can but admire
the stubborn resistance of our enemy, and the constant bravery of all
our troops. It seemed that every cannon ball or pistol shot of the
enemy embedded itself in the breasts of our men who without stopping
cried: 'Long live the Mexican Republic! Long live General Santa
Anna!' I can tell you the whole scene was one of extreme terror .
After some three quarters of an hour of the most horrible fire, there
followed the most awful attack with hand arms. . . . Poor things-
no longer do they live- all, all of them died, and even now I am watch-
ing them burn- to free us from their putrifaction-257 corpses with-
out counting those who fell in the previous thirteen days, or those who
vainly sought safety in flight. Their leader, named Travis, died like a
brave man with his rifle in his hand at the back of a cannon, but that
perverse and haughtly James Bowie died like a woman, in bed, almost
hidden by the covers. Our loss was terrible in both officers and men."
"8Ram6n Martinez Caro, Verdadera Idea, 11, says, "The enemy loss
was all, that is to say 183. Among this number there were 5 who hid
themselves, and when the action was over, General Castrillon found
them and brought them into the presence of Santa Anna who for a
moment angrily reprimanded the said general, then turning his back,
at which act, the soldiers already -formed in a line, charged the prison-
ers and killed them." Later on in his narrative Caro adds, "All of us
saw this cruelty which is revolting to humanity; but it is the sacred
truth, and I can prove it on the testimony of the whole army. I have
given my word against my former cruel falsehoods, and so I cannot
omit the telling of it."
7'Filisola makes an error here. The Gonzales men, as we know, went
into the Alamo on the night of March 1.
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Texas State Historical Association & Barker, Eugene C. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 37, July 1933 - April, 1934, periodical, 1934; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101094/m1/44/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.