The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Volume V

PAPEns OF i\ImAnEAu Bt:oNAPARTE LaJ11An

97

with canister and grape again meeting the . [faded] town we went [ ?] through all with only a few cuts [ ?] with splinters . . . [faded] and portions of Rock hy falling into our faces at every dis- charge [? J of the cannon the Heserve left at camp was commanded by Col Sublett and Capt Roberts during the storming of the walls were Reinforced by l50 men from camp and other parts of the country the cannonading of the Alamo by Capt Roberts to draw the attention of the enemy did not have the desired affect the first 2 days we suffered very much for provisions and water being to much ingage<l to get it we did get some beef & Bread we had none for a week previous, all the water Running through town was commanded by the enimys guns we bought 2 buckets full of milk which [was] brout through the fire this we had to guard til each subscriber got his portion . . [faded and illegible] during the first day we had 4 men shot one of them died afterwards on the morning of the 5 Oct. [ ?] still warm and doubtfull we Rendered usless some of their cannon by shooting them away from them. there were a great manay kild frequently puting across their guns 6 Oct. [ ?] this day a young man by the name of [faded] from Mi was shot without [faded] Died instantly Several wounded whose names I do not Recolect I never have been a . . . [faded] on 3d day of the Battle we_ kept our pos1t10ns. this day several were wounded & Col .Milam fell Dead Shot through the Brains with a Rifle while walking about encouraging his men. covered over with the Dust from plastered walls this loss of him put a considerable damper on the army we buried him in a dich frome which he was taken on the 12th Dec after the surrender and Returned for with this illustrious man we are determined Revenge the Death Col [ ?] Johnson took the command during this day and at night we took some new positions to which the enemy . . . [faded] and Receded a little they already had sustained great loss we every minute expected their Reenforcements on our breastworks [ ?] 8th we sustained little or no injury the morning of the 9th we asertained they we1·e . . . [faded] this morning it apeared we were to be sweap of by a general charge by the Cavilry infantry and lancers play- ing more music than I ever heard they were in a great stir Sallying and charging this day a black flag hung on their main Breastworks Several wounded to day among which was capt Peacock who afterwards died they are the most expeditious shooters I ever saw but-our boys were all sharp shoters. and their Rife! told well we continued to progress on them with axes crobars mat axes & cutting through walls of houses 3 or 4 feet thick and ·taking posesion of them some time finding articles that were some service to us particular some powder we- very much needed and com bread or the wounded in the eve their cavilry massed across the River and fired on our camps at a distance of 300 yards and Retreated with out doing any very great injury fired on only twice and a six pounder by Capt Parrot we had one man by the name of Graham wounded in the act of spiking n c111mon with the face of calmne:,;s [ n we continued to approximate (lll them from our first position about ~W yarcls we were ro,·erNl with dirt grting through walls and what they shot down more \Ve shot only when we thought it would take effect owing to scnrceity of powdrr we som times had conversation with the :\lexicnns being in joining houses during the

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