Newspaper Page Text
102
Written for Burke’s Weekly.
Song of the Mountain Leaf.
I was born in the Spring,
That merriest time,
When little birds sing
Without reason or rhyme
From morning to night,
And just keep up a riot
Because they’re so happy
They cannot be quiet.
I danced with delight
When I first felt the breeze,
But I trembled with fright
When the wind shook the trees.
Oh, I know you were glad
When first I was seen
Peeping cunningly out,
In my dress of bright green.
For then you knew well
That stern Winter was past,'
And that I came to tell
Spring was coming at last.
All through the bright summer
I frolicked at will;
When my playmate, the breeze, came
I never was still,
Now Autumn is coming—
Already I feel
The tremulous motion
Os age o’er me steal.
But still will I dance
When the Autumn winds sigh,
And I’ll doff, like the dolphin,
Gay colors, to die.
Acoa, Habersham Cos., Ga. E. P. M.
♦♦♦
Written for Burke’s Weekly.
JACK DOBELL;
Or, A Boy’s Adventures in Texas.
A STORY FOR BOYS.
CHAPTER Vl._ Continued.
RNTICIPATING a renew
al of the attack upon us
by the Mexicans, as soon
as daylight should ap
pear, we went to work
ill, (having plenty of en
' tools along with us,) and
ie the next morning avc
)sed a square sufficiently
large to accommodate our whole
force, with a ditch three feet deep, and an
embankment on the outside three feet
high.
During the night three of our men de
serted, and a volley of musketry, half an
hour or so afterwards, gave us intimation
ol the late that was in store for such as
might endeavor to effect an escape in that
way.
A little after sunrise the Mexicans left
their encampment in tho timber and mov
ed towards our entrenchments. From
tho increased length of their lines, it was
apparent to all that they had been largely
reinforced. In fact, as wo subsequently
learned from the Mexicans themselves, a
Jery company, fffs*n Goliad, had effected
a junction with <hem some time during
BUEKE’S weekly.
tho night. They advanced to within
three or four hundred yards of us, and
having planted their artillery upon the
most commanding positions, they opened
fire upon our entrenchments ; but as we
were in the ditches and protected b} r our
embankments, no loss resulted to us from
their cannonading. We were unable to
reply to them, for the reason that all of
the ammunition for our field pieces had
been expended in the fight of the day
previous. So we had nothing' to do but
to “ lie low and keep dark,” until they
should approach near enough to be reach
ed by our small arms.
After a time, finding their artillery had
little or no effect upon our entrenchments,
the firing ceased, and an officer, accom
panied by a dragoon carrying a white
flag, rode up to within a hundred yards
of our lines, and made signs for a parley.
Major Wallace, and one or two other offi
cers, went out to meet him. lie came
with a proposition from General Urrea—
the officer in command of the Mexicans—
to Colonel Fannin, to the effect, that if
he would surrender at discretion, w r e
should be held and treated as prisoners of
war. Col. Fannin sent back a peremp
tory refusal of such terms to Gen. Urrea;
whereupon their artillery opened upon
us again, and they appeared to be making
their dispositions for an attempt to carry
our entrenchments by storm. At the
very moment, however, when we were
anticipating a charge, Urrea himself ac
companied by his staff' and a white flag,
rode up within fifty yards of our lines,
and made signs for another parley.
Col. Fannin, with several of his princi
pal officers, went out to meet him. Urrea
again proposed to him to surrender at
discretion, and insisting upon the useless
ness of further bloodshed, as it was im
possible for us to hold out much longer
with such odds against us—which was
true enough, for although Urrea was not
aware of the fact, we were without am
munition for our field pieces, and without
water for our wounded. lie also pledged
his honor as a gentleman and soldier that
we should bo humanely treated and held
as prisoners of war.
Col. Fannin, however, positively refus
ed to “ surrender at discretion,” and said
to Gen. Urrea, that although the odds
were so much against him, yet he would
fight as long as he had a man left to
shoulder a musket, unless he would grant
him such terms of capitulation as lie
thought he had a right to demand. These
terms wore that a written capitulation
should be drawn up, stating that we sur
rendered ourselves as prisoners of war,
and were to be held as such until libera
ted upon parole, or regularly exchanged,
at the option of the Mexican commander.
There were some minor articles included
in the capitulation, in addition to this,
such as “that our side arms should be
retained,” etc., etc.
After some hesitation, Urrea agreed to
the terms proposed by Col. Fannin, solely
as he said, to save the useless effusion of
blood. lie thereupon came into our lines
with Col. Fannin, accompanied by his
secretary, and the capitulation was drawn
up in English and Spanish, and the Eng
lish copy given to Col. Fannin.
I have always believed that Gen. Urrea
entered into this agreement with Colonel
Fannin in good faith, and that the massa
cre of our men, that occurred some days
afterwards, was by the express orders of
Santa Anna, and against the remon
strances of Gen. Urrea. If Gen. Urrea
had intended acting treacherously to
wards us, the massacre would have taken
place as soon as we had delivered up our
arms, when we were upon an open prairie
and surrounded by 1200 or 1500 cavalry,
so that the escape of a single individual
would have been an utter impossibility,
and, consequently, he could have given to
the world his own version of the affair,
without fear of contradiction.
■
A Dog Story.
The Harrisburg (Pa.) Telegraph tells
the following story : A few days ago, as
several persons were leaving the office of
one of our physician’s, they discovered
on the stairs leading thereto, a dog who
had been severely wounded in one of his
legs, from which, the blood was flowing
freely. Seeing the door open, the dog at
once entered the office,limped to the Doc
tor, and in a most imploring attitude held
up the wounded limb. The physician
took pity on tho animal, and upon ex
amining the wound, found that an artery
had been cut. Carefully laying his dog
ship on the floor, the doctor proceeded to
bandage the wound, which he accomplish
ed as skillfully as if his patient were a
member of the human family. The dog
seemed grateful for the attention shown
him, and after exhibiting his gratitude in
an unmistakable manner, he departed.
What seems most singular is that the
dog had never been at the office before,
and that he was an entire stranger to the
physician. Instinct alone could have
caused him to visit the gentleman refer
red to, in his hour of distress. Although
this statement may scarcely be believed
by some of our readers, we assure them
that it is true in every particular, and the
dog referred to can be seen any day near
the office of the physician.