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rur POET'S SONG TO THE STARS. Pel stooJ lhe GranJ Duke MichaeI' lhe the color of that of the Infantrv of Rus
lUL brother of the Emperor. Next to him s;, t. u.ns tn srr thnt"uh his
BY A. J. SPARROW.
paraphrased from the German of Kroner,
Oh ye that calmly move
In holy peace above
Uuled by harmonious love
Since first the world was new!
Oh, solemn stars of night!
Upon your path of light
Eternal, pure and bright
I spake to you!
"While trustingly I gaze
Upon your shining rays,
A tender softness plays
Within my breast and brain.
Sweet stars! I have but three
Fond wishes dear to me,
Oh, do not let them be
Brcath'd forth in vain!
The lore that I have known,
The love I thought my own,
It fails! and left alone,
Mine is a joyless lot!
Restore that love which blest
The poets clinging breast;
This is my first request
Refuse it not!
And deem it not too hard,
Oh, stars! to grant the bard
One only one reward
For all his glowing lays!
The lyre beneath my hand,
Oh, let it but command
In this, my Fatherland,
One voice of praise!
And when death's hour is nigh,
Then swan-like let me die,
And sunwards let me fly,
A singer pure and true!
"When hence I shall depart,
Oh bear my fervent heart,
From sorrow's piercing dart,
Sweet stars, to vou !
XJotco of CraUrllrro.
ROYAL MARRIAGE.
The New York Journal of Commerce
contains a long letter from the Rev. Dr.
Buird, now in Europe, in which he gives
a description of the ceremonies of the
marriage of the Grand Duchess Olga,
daughter of the Russian Emperor Nicho
las, to the Crown Prince of Wurtemburg.
We extract what follows:
As we entered, we found several of the
digr.itaries of the Church standing in the
centre of the chapel, and the choir of
men and boys, dressed in deep purple
coats, which came down to their heels,
standing half on one side, and half on
the other side of the chapel, near to the
most holy place." In fact, they occu
pied corners of the chapel. The Ambas
sadors and Ministers of the Emperor,
and your humble servant among them,
stood on one side of the chapel, and hard
by a portion of the sir.gers.
" It was some time after our arrival, that
the Imperial family came. After them
followed a great number of officers and
ladies, who filled the ante-chamber or ves
tibule, or whatever else it may be called.
The Archbishop of St. Petersburg, ac
companied by several other dignitaries,
dressed in their showy and heavy robes,
which seemed tc be composed more ol
silver and gold than anything else, and
wearing their mitres, met the Emperor
and Empress, and the rest of the Imperial
group, in the middle of the other room,
and received them in Oriental style, bow
ing most profoundly, and kissing their
hand3, an homage which was as gracious
ly returned. Entering the chapel, the
Emperor presented his daughter and her
affianced to the Imperial chaplain, who
w as to perform the ceremony, and who
received them on the estrade or platform.
I had expected that the Metropolitan
would perform this servieei but he is a
monk, and no monk is allowed in Russia
to perform the marriage ceremony. The
chaplain is a little old man, whose coun
tenance interested me much.
After the presentations of the persons
who were to be married, the Emperor,
rmnrMfi. ami fhf mom hers of the Imne-
L.
r.sl W,lr. ibp.r nlirP on the side
.f the chapel opposite the Ambassadors,
MwVonthe riht hand of the officiating
priest. The Emperor and Empress stood
by a window, he being quite nar to the
T.'i-iinn nf th choir on thnt p'uIp of thf
rlnpsl. Next to the Empress stood her
brother the I'nnce ot rrussia, tne neir to
the throne of that country. Next to him
and beside another window, stood the
Duchess of Leuchtensberg, (the oldest
dmshtcr of the Emperor,) and hersistet
in-law, the wife of His Imperial High
ness Alexander Nicholauvitch, the heir to
the throne of Russia. Next to them
viood tho Prince himself, and his three
brother?, h Grand Duke Constantine,
Nicholas, ?nd Michael, whoaro youths
frr;!i H to 10 or 12 vear?. Near to them,
v:ut in 'tn of the side doors of the cha-
i was the Duke of Leuchlenberg; the cen-
! . t 1 .1 .I 1 A ;
; trai ooor anu me ouier muc uwr crc su .
i j -.1. a -iT! u- v. i.i: i
erowuea wiui greai murcre, uii. u.c lauic ;
j and gentlemen who tilled the antechamber 1
j had but a poor chance to see what was j
j going on in the chapel, although they j
might hear the chanting, and much of
what was said.
After all had taken their places, lhe ser
vice commenced. The Grand Duchess
and the Prince ot U urtemburg standing j
on the platlorm, occupied a conspicuous
station; and certainly they went through
their portion of the ceremony in an ad
mirable manner. The Prince was dress
ed in the uniform of a Wurtemburg offi
cer of the highest rank. He is a fine
look inj vou tig man, of between twenty
three and twenty-four years of age. He
is well-formed, of proper height; pos
sesses a very pleasant countenance, and
has the reputation of unblemished morals
and line talents. The Grand Duchess is
twentv-four years of age, and is older
than her husband by some six months.
She is a beautiful woman she is even
called the most beautiful woman in Eu
rope. However this may be, it is certain
that it would be difficult to conceive of
one that could possess more charms of
person; and those of her mind and of her
heart are said by those who know her
well, not to be inferior to those of her
person. She is rather above the medium
height of ladies; has bright blue eyes, a
fair blonde complexion, and auburn hair.
Her dress was magnificent, as maybe
supposed.
In the first place, she wore a white, or
rather a fawn-colored, silk dress, with
large sleeves, that were adorned, as was
the skirt, with a rich border of flowers of
silver. A red velvet riband, Df a couple
of inches in width, passed from one shoul
der over or beneath her bosom, round to
the other side, from which hung numer
ous diamonds, as pendant. A iiecklace
of the richest and most splendid kind, all
sparkling with precious stones, adorned
with many a fold, her neck and bosom;
whilst two tresses of her hair fell on her
fair shoulders behind, and two more de
scended before. A coronet, studded with
precious stones, rested on her head; whilst
a train or mantilla, if such it may be term
ed, made of the richest purple velvet, and
ermine, some ten or twelve feet long and
j six wide, attached to the dress below her
I shoulders, descended behind, and was
j borne by five great officers of state. In
my humble opinion, she would have look
ed better without this splendid and heavy
appendage, As it was, she appeared ex
tremely beautiful. When she ascended
the platform, and throughout the ceremo
ny, she was rather paler than usual, but
seemed to be self-possessed. The grace
ful manner iu which she stood, and the
rcat beauty and loveliness which beamed
from her countenance, charmed every one,
and made it impossible to take their eyes
off her.
The marriage service was very long,
and consisted of reading portions of the
Gospels and Epistles, and chanting of
prayers and hymns; the chaplain, and
two deacons, who assisted him, taking
the lead. And never have I heard such
singing or chanting as from the choir,
which consisted of from sixty to eighty
boys and men. There was no instru
ment of any kind. I have heard the
Pope's choir many times in the Sixtine
chapel, but never did I hear any thing
like this. The bass and soprano voices
were wonderful. A great portion of the
sinking consisted of the responses in the
prayers, chanteJ by the whole choir. I
never heard so :nds prolonged to any thing
like the extern I did in these responses.
Often the priest had made considerable
progress in the next petition, before the
last lingering notes of the choir uttering
the preceding responses, had died away.
At the commencement of the ceremo
nv, a wax candle was put into the left
hands of the bride and bridegroom, which
they held until its close. The marriage
crowns were held over their heads, du
ring almost the whole ceremony; the
Grand Duke Constantine holding one over
the Princes, the Grand Duke Nicholas
holding the other over his brother-in-law,
the Prince. It must have been fatiguing
work to these youths, for they changed
hands and position very often.
At one stage of the ceremony, the offi
ciating priest uniting the right hands of
. i . I
! trie parties wnoit
whom he was marrying, and
taking their hands in his, led them three
tunes around the altar, accompanied by
j the crown-bearers, tram-bearers, and two
j deacons, whilst the choir and priests
! chanted portions of the Scriptures in the
I most wonderful manner. It seemed al-
most as if the very walls of the chapel
must bc driven asunder by the power and
immensity of the volume of voice, which
was poured forth by the many-throated
band.
During the whole service, the Empe
ror, the Empress, all the members of the
Imperial family, and many of the specta
tors, crossed themselves frequently, ac
cording to the custom of the Greek church,
with much apparent devotion. This was
especially tho case with the Emperor,
who stood rdi the time, wearing a half-
military a;es oi auccp rvtnt wmcn is
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1846,
w10ie heart he doated upon his Moved j
. .... . S
daughter; and that his earnest aspirations
c . . . . . F. .... 1
ascended to heaven m her behalf. 1 he
Empress, who is a most affectionate mo
tjierf seemed scarcely to take her eyes off
her; and it was manifest that her mater-
nal affections were deeply interested in
the touching scene before her.
There was one part of the ceremony.
which was verv striking, and which I
,ave never seen jn anv excepting that of .
the Gseek Church. It is this: the offi- !
dating priest placed in the hands of the !
Prince a cup filled with wine, into which
177 ur"S ,a""w" "
j which he drank, and then gave it to the
Princess. She drank of it, and then re- ,
frrnfl tho r.m in him Tin .W i
three times. It signifies that those who 1
enter the married state must expect sor- i
row, as well as joy, and that they must J
sepk snnnort nnrJpr tbf fnrmpr frnm Gml i
tt
alone.
At one point of the ceremony, all
kneeled down, and remained iu that posi
tion whilst the priest offered up a prayer ;
over the heads of the couple whom he
was marrying. It was an impressive '
and affecting moment. (
At the close of the marriage ceremony, !
properly so called, the bnde and bride- !
groom moved from the estrade towards j
uiL-.unn-i-iU! dim .iiipiwa. iiju i "i.- ,
embrace they were both received by the
parents, as well as by all the other mem
l)ers of tne Imperial Family, to whom
they advanced in the order in which these
persons stood.
When this was done, the Metropolitan
and other great dignitaries of the Greek
Church came forward on the estrade, and
there took their stand. They commenced
the chanting of the Te Dei m: and cer
tainly I never heard any thing like it, al
though I have heard it chanted by many
celebrated choirs.
At the close of the service; the most
distinguished of the clergy came forward, j
and expressed their felicitations and con
gratulations to thc newly-married pair, r.s
well as to the Emperor, Empress, and
other members of the Imperial Family.
This was done in Russian style, in which
there was mutual kissing of hands. That
ir, while the priest took the hand of the
Princess, (or Prince, or Emperor as the
case might be,) and kissed it, she kissed
his. Ihis being over, thc Imperial ra
mily retired first from thc chapel, follow
ed by all thc rest of thc company.
The Prince is a nephew of the Empe
ror, the Princess is a sister of the reign
ing Duke of Nassau.
'ew rouncllancl.
A disastrous gale swept the Colony on
the 19th, 20th ane 21st ult., causing im
mense destruction to life and property.
Among the buildings destroyed in the
city of St. John's, was the Native Hall,
which was blown down at 5 o'clock iu
the afternoon, burying a voting woman
and child in the ruins: the former is likely j river, the better to behold the success of
to recover. A brother and sister were j his design?, and establishes his head quar
also instantly killed by some falling tim- J ters in a small stone building yet stand
bers at the same place. Several ojhers jn,r. 'j'hc signal is given, and, ere the
were more or less hurt. Several bridges 5Un rien np0:i tie ?Ccne, the roar of
were carried away. One boat with six artillery from the Mexican battery awa
or seven men on board, in trying to make kcns tie echoes far and wide, and rouses
the harbor, was upset and all in the boat j froin their slumbers the yet sleeping m
pcrished. Wrecks cover the waters, and habitants. But thc defenders of thc Al
dead bodies are continually being washed j am0 iarc not sight for a single mc.nent
on shore. It has been found impossible
to form any thing like a correct estimate
of the entire injury.
At Quidi Vidi,a loss of not less than
1,000 falls on poor fishermen, thc pro
ceeds of whose Summer's labor were de-
stroyed in a few hours. At Grates Cove
in Trinity Bay, about 70 fishing skiffs
lay at anchor, and 60 of them were totally
wrecked and lost. In addition to the
great loss of skiffs and loads of fish and
oil, the poor people's fishing stages and
flakes were destroyed. They are likely
to suffer much: from want of food and
clothing in the course of the coming win
ter. We understand also lhat the state of
things is truly melancholy and distressing
in other parts of Trinity and Conception
Bays. Boston Post.
THE HOTTEST I EVER SAW.
Thc story of the countryman who drank
the lemon water from the finger bowls at
one of the fashionable hotels, and called
it poor lemonade, has found its equal in
the following: A gentleman atone ot the
hotels in an eastern city, sat beside a
countryman, who from his appearance
had "just come down." He used "split
ted spoons," as he termed silver forks,
with remarkable agility, and the fricasee
do poulet and other viands, were sent-1 tti
their long account with magnetic spcciL
On the opposite side of the table sat a
plate of peppers, the genuine red hot ones
strong enough to shake a man to . pieces,'
which the countryman eyed for a moment
and plunged his fork over, and conveyed
one entire to his mouth. He munched,
and munched, and 'munched away until
he could stand it no longer, for . he was
the color of crimson, and the lears pour
ed down his cheeks." He hastily took it
from his mouth, and laying it down a-
side of his plate, exclaimed, "There ! lay
um vuu, .
A KIND WORD.
A little word in kindness spoken,
A motion or a tear,
Has often healed the heart that's broken
And made a friend sincere.
A word a look has crushed to earth,
Full many a budding flower,
Which had a smile but owned its birth,
Would bless life's darkest hour.
1 nen t,eem 11 not a" tnmg,
A pleasant word to speak;
The face you wear the thoughts vou brin,
A heart may heal or break,
'
THE DCFCXCE OF THE ALAJIO
IX 1S36.
Lettkr frok ax Officer of the Army
to his flten d ix north carolina,
commcxcated to the national l
teligencer. San Antonio ile Zfcxar, (Texas.)
August 24, 184G.
On tho 1-lth inf.int I ivrntp rnn n vprv
Ar:pr tpnpr annonn-;nn. mv arrivni at lh;a
place; We are so faf rcmovcJ from thc
UniteJ St3tes lhat iatercourse is almost
prohibjted. Mails are so irregular that
no reiiancc js to bc piami on tj,emi nnd
private expresSes to La Baca, and thence
to Ncw Orleans, bv any vessel that offers
jorm the most common means ol trans
mission. This place is very different
from any in the Republic as it was, and
the houses and streets are not more extra
ordinary than the habits and appearance
of the people. The most interesting ob
ject, however, in the vicinity, is the Alamo.
It is now a shapeless mass of ruins. The
chapel is defaced and broken down, and
the walls of the fort are fast crumbling to
decay. Time and the elements have al
most completed what the Mexican artil
lery commenced, and the Coliseum of
Texas will soon form but a shattered and
mournful monument of its own exist-
encc.
On the 23d
day of February, 183G,
! Sanla Anna entered San Antonio de Bex
! ar, and took possession of thc town with
out firing a gun. J he small garrison of
one hundred and thirty men, under com
mr.nd of William Barret Travis, retired,
as he advanced, to the A'anio, on the op
posite side of the river, determined there
to offer whatever resistance to the pro
gress of the tyrant that God and their own
energies should permit. Flushed with
thc conquest, so easily effected of the
town, the Mexican General preparad for
an immediate attack upon the Alamo. He
ordered breastworks to be thrown up on
every commanding poinf, and artillery to
be planted wherever it could bc made
most effective. One battery was comple
ted on thc right bank of the river by the
25th, and on this day the siege commen
ced. It is a dark and gloomy morning, devo
ted to a dark and unholy purpose. Ex
ulting in thc work of death upon which
he is entering, Santa Anna crosses the
of their wily and remorseless enemy:
they watch the studied gun: they see the
match lighted; they listen, breathless, as
if even at that distance they could hear
thc command to fire: and when it does
come, and the walls of thc citadel tremble
j under thc shock of the iron hail, and lhe
j fragments of stone arc whirled aloft by
I tie suddcn impulse, they send back a
t shout of defiance, mingled with a dis-
charge from their own guns, almost as
deafening as the thunder of their assail
ants. Before the smoke rolls away, and
the reverberations arc lost in the distance,
while the shouts of the besieged still lin
ger on thc ears of the besiegers, the can
nonade is renewed, and for seven hours
fiercely continued upon the walls of the
Alamo. BuJ these walls yield no more
than the spirits of their defenders. TI13
fire is steadily returned; and, though stones
are shivered around them, there are stout
hearts and willing hands ready to repair
every breach, and to restore from the in
terior whatever may have been destroyed
from without. Earth is thrown up; every
crack or fissure closed as fast as created
bv the eager efforts of those who will per
mit no evidence of success to cheer the
hopes of their enemy. The sun has al
most sunk behind the western plains when
there is a pause in the work of demolition.
The firing ceases lor the day by order of
the Mexican commander, with his thirst
for blood uusatisficd, for not a single drop
has fallen within thc Alamo. Many of
his own men have bit the dust before the
artillerists and riflemen of the fort; but
thus far they arc unavenged. Darkness
falls upon besieger and besiged, the for
mer raise new-entrenchments to prose
cute the assault;the latter establish a watch
j for the night, and endeavor to seek that
! rypose which shall give them fresh vigor
j for thc contest w hkh they know will come
to-morrow. .
i anj .
L thc ef-
eneniv 1
i i
reveals to the occupants of the fort
feet of the midnight labors of their enenr
in the establishment of two additional i
batteries within the Alameda of the Alamo.
The bayonets of the infantry, crossed
over the river during thc niht. fitter in I
The morning of the 26th dawns, and !
the morning beams, and the plumes oflusual movement. Th besieging army
the cavalry are seen waving on the east-) ls ln motion. There is no advance by
ern hills, to intercept the expected aid : columns- The force of the Mexicans is so
from that quarter. The contest is renew-; fea?' th.al the forl ' 'c surrounded,
ed bv a slight skirmish between a few of! saving mtervals only for the fire of artxl
the Texans, sent in quest of wood and i CT- The P1?ce " girdled by a deep,
water, and a detachment under the Mexi- Ime of infantry, and these are hemmed m
can General S:mi: but this is a mere & surrounded by another of cavalry If
overture to the grand performance of thc th' ret ir,nk' cy must be thrust for
day. The thunders of thc heavy ord- j wf rJ l? ?S8auIt b-v,lhs ard P"s"
nance, under thc direction of Colonel
Ampudia, are soon roused into action
.-f' -r. i! t .u r-. i
i .!.. ' . .
vais, uy ttie snouts ol tiiose
witnin.
- r
There is no pause, no cessation.
tjU .'
the cannonade goes on; shells fly hissing
through the air, and balls bury themselves
within thc ramparts; but night comes on,
and the .Mexican general can see no pro
gress. BatH?d but not discouraged, he
advances his line of posts, and prepares
with the morning light to enter again
upon his task. The north wind sweeps
over the prairies, as it only sweeps in
passions of thos'e contending hosts. The J
J exas: a storm v lullaby to the stormy
darkness is broken onlv bv the feeble
blaze of a few huts, fired bv the Texan?,
which have furnished a cover to "the ene
my. The flames curl upwards with a
sickly glare, throw a fitful light for a mo
ment upon the slumbering army, and ex
pire. The reign of darkness and of si
lence is resumed.
On the next day the Mexicans appear
inactivc. There is but little firing on
either side. Those within the fort, with
spirits unsubdued, and with energies
weakened but not exhausted, are apply
ing their limited resources to the purposes
of defence. No heart falters; no pulse
throbs with diminished power, no hand
shrinks from the labor that necessity im
poses; all is confidence and determination
a firm reliance springing from the holi
ness of the cause, and the certainty of its
final triumph. Sunday follows, but
brings no rest to those whom God has
created in his own image, vet endowed
with such unhallowed passions. Per
haps within the. chapel of the Alamo, con
secrated to the worship of the Almighty,
and distinguished by the emblem of man's
salvation which surmounts the dome,
heads may be bowed in prayer to the God
of battles for deliverance from their san
gui narv foe: but that foe takes no heed 'of
Sabbaths. Exclusive followers, as they
proclaim themselves, of the true church,
they doom to destruction the very temple
they have erected for its worship; and,
kissing the cros suspended from their
necks, and planted before every camp,
they point their guns upon the image of
that Saviour they once made the tutelary
deity of the Alamo. The fire of the ar
tillery keeps company with the minutes as
they roil on. Morning, midday and eve
ning are passcl yet there is no filtering
among tiiose who are defending
the Thermopylae of Texas. Another sun
rises and sets; and yet another: still the
indomitable hearts within quail not before
the unceasing efforts of their enemy. In
spite of tint enemy's vindictive vigilcncc,
the little garrison receives from Gonzales
a reinforement of thirty-three men: addi
tional victims for the funeral pyre, soon to
be kindled by Santa Anna on thc sur
rounding hills, as a human hecatomb to
Mexican vengeance.
New batteries arc erected by the be
siegers: from every point around the mis
siles of destruction concentrate upon the
Alamo. The circles grow smaller and
smaller. The final hour must soon come.
Provisions are not vet exhausted; but the
ammunition is almost gone. Water for
days has been supplied by the daring ef-
forts of a solitary Mexican woman, who,
through showers of grape and musketry,
has threaded her way from thc river to
the castle, while her own blood has mark
ed the path. She bears with her the
spirit of her illustrious ancestor, stretched
upon the nicks of Certez; and il is not
the fear of death or thc torture that can
swerve her from her purpose. In her
presence there is hope, and joy, and life.
At each arrival she is hailed by the gar
rison as the guardian angel of the Alamo,
and until it falls her efforts fail not.
The siege has continued for ten days.
The Mexican General has received large
reinforcements, and his army now num
bers thousands. He has been unceasing
in his efforts to batter down the walls,
hut has thus far failed. Thc triumph is
with Travis; hut it is written iu the heart
of his ruthless foe that he must diV; and
when the cannonade is suspended on the
1 C'h of March. Santa Amid has determined
that the hour for the assault has arrived.
During ten days a blood-red fig has been
streaming from the spire of the church in
San Antonio, proclaiming that no quarter
is to be riven to thc champions of the
Alamo lhat blood alone will appease the j
fury of Mexican malice. When the sun
arain goes down, the flag is no longer
pecn, for thc deed o; whih it was the
j sign has been accomplishod.
1. It i-j midnight. Stars arc ? miU;-g in
Vol. 4. No. 49.
lhe rmancnt,and the repose of paradise
tne nrmaneni, pnu wie rcposu ui paiautu
sccms hovering over the armed hosts, and
h'ls Plains which encircle the
Alamo. A low murmur rises upon tho
Alamo. A low murmur rises upon
air, which graduallv becomes more and
j more distinct. Lights now move to and
Jro m lhe distance, and indicate some an-
tois 01 mcir coinraues. ouuuemy me
! batteries are in a blaze, and from their
concentric positions pour lorth
radii of
fire pointing toa single centre.
Amid the
.i .i . . i .u:- x -
. . ...
l ;t'rs iims rrrain . iiif-ir u i. 11 a iu
scarcely less terrible, and thc blasts of
! bugles, the .Mexicans advance to tne
Alamo. A sheet of Came from rifles
that never failed is the answer to the
charge. The infantrv recoil and fall
back upon the cavalry; their rank3 bro
ken &, disordered by the deadly fire of the
be5ieeJ.The shouts frcm the fort are min
gled with the groans of the dying on the
plain, while the officers are endeavoring
to re-form their scattered masses. Ther
retur" '? attack' but l leen show
er which thev encounter fells them to tho
earth by platoons. Travis shows him
self on the walls, cheering on his un
daunted followers. Around him are
Crocket, Evans, and Bonham, roused to
a last struggle, for they know that their
doom is sealed. In quick succession,
rifle after rifle is discharged, sending hun
dreds to their long acconnt. The Mexi
cans are again repulsed; they fall back,
disheartened bv the dead and the dying;
around them. The battalion of Toluca,
the flower of the Mexican army, is re
duced from fourteen hundred to twenty
three. Men have become for a moment
regardless of their officers, and arc al
most delirious, from the cries of anguish
which no discipline can restrain, and
which come from their fallen and expir
ing comrades. But a breach is made at
last; the disjointed forces, by the aid of
threats and entreaties are rallied, and
once more turn their faces to jhe Alamo.
The firing in that quarter has for some
time been growing slower and slower.
Rifles have dropped from many a vigor
ous hand, now cold in death, while others
cling to their weapons even in the ago
nies of dissolution. Ammunition, too,
has been failing; one by one the muzzles
drop; the last rifle is loaded and dischar
ged, and the Mexicans have gained the
wall. Proudly conspicuous in that aw
ful moment, Travis receives a shot, stag
gers, and falls. He dies not unavenged.
A Mexican officer rushes upon him, and
is about to plunge his sabre into the bo
som of the fallen man, when, gathering all
his energies for a last effort, he bathes his
own sword in the blood of his enemy,
and they die together.
In the mean time the battle has bcc.l
raging hot and thick. The Mexicans'
have poured into the citadel, like leaves?
falling before the storms of autumn. The
conflict becomes haud to hand. Each
man struggles with his adversary, dealing:
blows with rifles, sabres, or whatever
missile may be within reach The Tex
ans are almost buried beneath the num
bers of their opponents. The carnage
has been so terrible that the slain are
piled up in heaps. Death stares each
survivor in the face, but still he struggles
on. Crockett has been conspicuous in
the melee, wherever the blows fell hottest
and thickest. He has forced his way
over piles of the dead bodies of his ene
mies, and has reached the door of the
chapel. Here he determines to make hia
; last stand. At one glance of his eye
he sees that the fate of thcAlamo rests up
on himself alone. Travis ha3 fallen;
Evans is no more; Bowie expries upon a
bed of sickness, pierced to the heart by a
Mexican bavonet; Bonham fell before
eyes,
md he finds himself Lhe
only living warrior of lhe one hundred
and sixty-three who had been his com
rades. Perhaps at that moment thc life
blood creeps to his heart by a natural im
pulse, but it is only for a moment Hi?
foes gla-e on him with the fierceness of
demons, and assault him with blows from
sabres, muskets, and piitois. The
strength of a hundred men seems concen
trated in his single arm, as he deals out
death to his rancorous and unsparing as
sailants. Their bodies hare grown into
a rampart before hira. Blackened with,
fire and smoke, besmeared with blood
and roused into phrenzy, he stands Ike
some fabled god of antiquity, laughing to
sroni the malice, and the power, and lhe
furv of his enemies. New fire ftis&cs
from his eye. and new vigor nerves his
arm. On bis assailants rush, but il ts on
ly upon certain death. They LII. but
their places are still suppled; and cv
quVaiy the dead seemed to nc up
before him, like armed men from the teeth
of Cadmus. At length a bd! from a dis
tant rifle piervft him in ih? forehead; he
falls backward to the earth, in the tream
ofore which curdL around him. N
roan escapes his lip: no cry of agony
gratifies the imp'a.-aMc ranmr of his ne-
' cue?; he rlic -i-i A:.n? hz i.dla.
ir