of the Bee Hunter.--Kate of Nacogdoches.--Assault on the
Citadel.--Crockett a Prisoner.--His Death.

The fortress of Alamo is just outside of the town of Bexar, on the San
Antonio River. The town is about one hundred and forty miles from the
coast, and contained, at that time, about twelve hundred inhabitants.
Nearly all were Mexicans, though there were a few American families. In
the year 1718, the Spanish Government had established a military
outpost here; and in the year 1721, a few emigrants from Spain
commenced a flourishing settlement at this spot. Its site is beautiful,
the air salubrious, the soil highly fertile, and the water of crystal
purity.

The town of Bexar subsequently received the name of San Antonio. On the
tenth of December, 1835, the Texans captured the town and citadel from
the Mexicans. These Texan Rangers were rude men, who had but little
regard for the refinements or humanities of civilization. When Crockett
with his companions arrived, Colonel Bowie, of Louisiana, one of the
most desperate of Western adventurers, was in the fortress. The
celebrated bowie-knife was named after this man. There was but a feeble
garrison, and it was threatened with an attack by an overwhelming force
of Mexicans under Santa Anna. Colonel Travis was in command. He was
very glad to receive even so small a reinforcement. The fame of Colonel
Crockett, as one of the bravest of men, had already reached his ears.

"While we were conversing," writes Crockett, "Colonel Bowie had
occasion to draw his famous knife, and I wish I may be shot if the bare
sight of it wasn't enough to give a man of a squeamish stomach the
colic. He saw I was admiring it, and said he, 'Colonel, you might
tickle a fellow's ribs a long time with this little instrument before
you'd make make him laugh.'"

According to Crockett's account, many shameful orgies took place in the
little garrison. They were evidently in considerable trepidation, for a
large force was gathering against them, and they could not look for any
considerable reinforcements from any quarter. Rumors were continually
reaching them of the formidable preparations Santa Anna was making to
attack the place. Scouts ere long brought in the tidings that Santa
Anna, President of the Mexican Republic, at the head of sixteen hundred
soldiers, and accompanied by several of his ablest generals, was within
six miles of Bexar. It was said that he was doing everything in his
power to enlist t