. Our pioneer heroes and their daring deeds . last. Before daybreak, on the sixth, the wholeMexican force assaulted the fortress, Santa Anna battle raged fiercely until daylight, when only six men, ofwhom Col. Crockett was one, were left alive in the fort. Thesewere surrounded, and, knowing resistance A^as useless, werecompelled to yield. Gen. Castrillon, to whom they surren-dered, was brave but not cruel, and wishing to save the prison-ers, went to Santa Anna to ask for orders. No quarter,* hadbeen the command, but Castrillon hoped that these few might bespared. With steady and
. Our pioneer heroes and their daring deeds . last. Before daybreak, on the sixth, the wholeMexican force assaulted the fortress, Santa Anna battle raged fiercely until daylight, when only six men, ofwhom Col. Crockett was one, were left alive in the fort. Thesewere surrounded, and, knowing resistance A^as useless, werecompelled to yield. Gen. Castrillon, to whom they surren-dered, was brave but not cruel, and wishing to save the prison-ers, went to Santa Anna to ask for orders. No quarter,* hadbeen the command, but Castrillon hoped that these few might bespared. With steady and firm step Col. Crockett followed thehumaner Mexican to his superiors presence, looking fidl andfeailessly into the cruel eye. Your excellency, said Castrillon, here are six prisoners Ihave taken alive; how shall I dispose of theni? Looking at the general fiercely, Santa Anna answered, in aviolent rage: Have I not told you how to disj)Ose of them? Why do youbring them to me? The murderous crew around him wanted no other orders to. 372 COLONEL DAVID CROCKETT. fall upon the defenseless prisoners. Col. Ciockett sprang for-ward like a tiger at the ruffian, but a dozen swords were sheath-ed in his heart. Without a groan, with a frown upon his brow,but a smile on his lips, he died. This is, for us, the end of the story. With that battle, whenthe Texans, crjnng Eemember the Alamo, swept down like ahurricane upon the Mexicans, with their final triumph in thestruggle for independence, and subsequent annexation to theUnited States, we have nothing to do. The sixth of March, 1836,ends the life of an honest man, who served his country as besthe could, who never refused to serve a fellow-creature, and whodied fighting for another people. Each of tlie heroes aronncl thee had fought for his land and his line,But thou ha£t fought for a etran<::;or, in hate of a wrong not thine.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectindiansofnorthamerica, bookyear1887
