Edward Burleson, who succeeded to the command, had fought under General Jackson in the Creek3 war, and was known throughout Texas as a brave and intrepid4 Indian fighter. To him the soldiers now looked confidently for immediate5 action; and all eyes were turned eagerly toward the citadel6 over which floated the Mexican flag.
The old town beloved of St. Denis still hugged the river-bank, buried in evergreen7 foliage8 and gay with ever-blooming flowers. The stone and adobe9 houses, with flat roofs, thick walls, and barred windows, lined the narrow streets which opened out into the Military Plaza10 and the old Plaza de las Islas (now Constitution). These plazas11 had been fortified12, and the streets leading into them were barricaded13 and guarded by cannon14. On the east side of the river the fortress15 of the Church of the Alamo and its walled enclosure had also been fortified and mounted with artillery16.
70
General Burleson, aware of these fortifications, looked at the citadel and at his little army, and, courageous17 though he was, he stopped to count the cost. While he was hesitating and his men were openly fretting18, three Americans escaped from San Antonio, where they had been imprisoned19, and came into the camp (December 3). Their report of the enemy’s condition decided20 Burleson to attack the place at once. The order was given and a plan of assault arranged. The soldiers were jubilant; an activity long unknown pervaded21 the camp. But into the midst of this cheerful excitement dropped like a bombshell a second order countermanding22 the first. A scout23 had disappeared, and it was believed that he had deserted24 in order to warn Cos of the intended attack.
Edward Burleson.
This reason did not satisfy the soldiers. They were defiant25 and angry almost to mutiny. Their indignation knew no bounds when they were told that the camp was about to be broken and the siege raised. There was a loud clamor of rage and disappointment. During this scene the missing scout returned in company with a deserter from San Antonio, who confirmed the report of the weakness of the defenses and the discontent of the Mexican garrison26. Benjamin Milam, upon this, had a word or two with General Burleson in his tent; then he stepped out, bared his head, and, waving his hat with a loud hurrah27, demanded in a ringing voice: “Who will go with old Ben Milam into San Antonio?”
Three hundred volunteers with an answering shout sprang to the front.
71
The same night (December 4) by twos and threes, singly, and in squads28, the storming party stole silently into an old mill on the road between the camp and the town. Milam, the chief in command, told them off into two divisions: one to be led by himself and the other by Colonel Frank W. Johnson. Silent still and like phantoms29, the double line took up its march over the intervening ground and slipped into San Antonio.
A little earlier, Colonel Neill had started from camp with a detachment to make a pretended attack on the fortress of the Alamo. He opened fire before daylight and continued to hold the enemy’s attention until the assaulting party could enter the town. When the sound of their guns apprised30 him that this was done, he returned to the camp, where General Burleson kept his men under arms, ready to march at any moment to Milam’s assistance.
Milam and Johnson, guided by Deaf Smith, drew their men swiftly through the dark and silent streets. Suddenly a sentinel gave the alarm. A shot from Deaf Smith’s rifle silenced him forever; and the Texans dashed to cover. The Mexicans poured out of their quarters and attacked them furiously in the houses of Se?ors de la Garza and Veramendi, where they had taken shelter. They returned the fire with their accustomed coolness, picking off their assailants with unerring aim through loop-holes cut in the thick walls, or from the flat parapeted roofs.
For the next five days the Texans were engaged in fighting and burrowing31 their way steadily32 toward the Military Plaza. With cannon booming and scattering33 grape and canister among them, and the rattle34 of small arms in their ears, they dug trenches36 along the streets from corner to corner; they battered37 down doors; with crowbars and axes they pried38 openings in walls—fighting the while, now at long range, now in deadly hand-to-hand encounters, and always with defiant smiles on their powder-blackened faces. The weather was wet and cold; the dismal39 streets were slippery with blood and choked with the débris of battle. Above, in the smoky air flapped from the church tower a black flag which meant “No quarter.”
72
On the third day Milam, leaping from a trench35 to the entrance of the Veramendi courtyard, was killed. A volley of shot spattered holes in the heavy, green, batten door beside him as he fell. The brave Chieftain was buried on the spot consecrated40 by his own blood. Colonel Johnson was elected leader in his place, and the fighting and burrowing went on. About noon the same day Henry Karnes stormed alone the only house between de la Garza’s and the plaza, and forced an entrance with a crowbar under a heavy fire from the enemy.
Henry Karnes, the hero of this exploit, was a trapper from the frontier of Arkansas. He had a genuine love of Indian warfare41 for its own sake, and in search of it came to Texas with the earliest pioneers. When the trumpet42 call for volunteers was sounded, he enlisted43 and soon came to be known, with his celebrated44 friend and companion Deaf Smith, as one of the best scouts45 and spies in the army. He had many adventures among the Indians. At one time in single combat with an Apache chief he was wounded and taken prisoner. His fiery46 red hair, which the Indians supposed to be painted, caused him to be regarded by them as a great medicine man. After his capture they concluded to deprive him of this charm, and, taking him to the nearest stream, they ducked his head under the water to wash the red from his hair. When they found, after nearly drowning him, that the red would not come off, they released him, satisfied that he was a favorite of the Great Spirit. He held the house he had taken, against the enraged47 Mexicans, until Captain York’s company joined him and fortified the position.
“These dogs of Texans are hard to beat off,” thought General Cos, listening to the crack of their rifles. His crafty48 face lightened for one moment, for Ugartechea came in from the Rio Grande, and entered the fortress, in spite of the cordon49 of guards, with five hundred recruits. But such recruits! Cos’ face darkened again. They were five hundred convicts chained together two and two, and driven like sheep by their guards.
73
On the night of the 8th of December the Texans, by a sudden rush and under a hail of hostile bullets, made themselves masters of the Priest’s House. The Priest’s House was a large, thick-walled building, commanding the Military Plaza on the north side. The captors at once barricaded the doors and cut loop-holes in the massive walls. A loud cheer carried the news of their success to their comrades outside. “To-morrow!” they shouted joyously50.
But the capture of the Priest’s House completely demoralized the Mexicans. On the morning of the 9th the cannon at the Alamo ceased their thunder; the black flag was hauled down from San Fernando’s tower and a white one went up in its place.
General Burleson entered the city the same day and arranged with General Cos the terms of surrender.[20] By these a large quantity of valuable stores, ammunition51, artillery, small arms, and clothing remained in the hands of the victors. The Mexicans to the number of thirteen hundred, after taking an oath not to fight against Texas, were permitted to leave, the officers retaining their arms and private property.
The Texan loss in this five days’ fight was two killed and twenty-six wounded; the enemy lost about one hundred and fifty.
General Burleson placed a small garrison in the fortress of the Alamo. The camp was raised, and many of the Texan volunteers scattered52 to their own homes and firesides, rejoicing in the fact that not a Mexican soldier remained to tread the soil of Texas.
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1
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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commissioner
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| n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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intrepid
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| adj.无畏的，刚毅的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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citadel
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| n.城堡；堡垒；避难所 | |
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7
evergreen
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| n.常青树；adj.四季常青的 | |
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foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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adobe
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| n.泥砖，土坯，美国Adobe公司 | |
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10
plaza
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| n.广场，市场 | |
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plazas
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| n.（尤指西班牙语城镇的）露天广场( plaza的名词复数 )；购物中心 | |
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12
fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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barricaded
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| 设路障于，以障碍物阻塞( barricade的过去式和过去分词 )； 设路障[防御工事]保卫或固守 | |
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14
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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15
fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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16
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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17
courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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fretting
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| n. 微振磨损 adj. 烦躁的, 焦虑的 | |
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19
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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pervaded
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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countermanding
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| v.取消（命令），撤回( countermand的现在分词 ) | |
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scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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hurrah
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| int.好哇，万岁，乌拉 | |
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28
squads
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| n.（军队中的）班( squad的名词复数 )；（暗杀）小组；体育运动的运动（代表）队；（对付某类犯罪活动的）警察队伍 | |
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29
phantoms
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| n.鬼怪，幽灵( phantom的名词复数 ) | |
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30
apprised
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| v.告知，通知( apprise的过去式和过去分词 )；评价 | |
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31
burrowing
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| v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的现在分词 )；翻寻 | |
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32
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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33
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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34
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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35
trench
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| n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕 | |
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36
trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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37
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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38
pried
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| v.打听，刺探（他人的私事）( pry的过去式和过去分词 )；撬开 | |
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39
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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40
consecrated
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| adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献 | |
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41
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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42
trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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43
enlisted
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| adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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44
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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45
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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46
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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48
crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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49
cordon
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| n.警戒线，哨兵线 | |
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50
joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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51
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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52
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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