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San Jacintos' Glory
Where the hordes of Santa Anna, flushed with victory, were lying Like a sated tiger, waiting for the passing of the day, Thinking of the Alamo, of Goliad, the slaughtered, dying, Thinking how, refreshed, tomorrow it would leap on other prey; Other prey, ill fed, outnumbered, overborne by its swift spring ing, Struggling, battered, slaughtered, dying, gasping while its blood ran red- Sweet the dreams of Santa Anna, sweet the mocking bird was singing, Sweet the breeze across the prairies, blue the sky arched over- head.
Then across the lazy distance, while awaking, still half sleeping, Came to them the pleasing cadence of a blown fife’s mellow notes ; '”Will You Come to the Bower," drum accompanied, came sweeping, Then the crash, as the Twin Sisters voiced the song from brazen throats! Wide awake! Half unbelieving! They mark Houston's heroes coming ! Houston leading in the center as his forces leave the wood! Then "Remember Goliad !" And then the rifle bullets hum- ming! Then the cry "The Alamo!" and, wide awake, they under- stood!
Then the rushing! The confusion! Falling over one another! Could it be a foe outnumbered five to one would dare attack? Tents came down, and men were struggling in the welter and the smother To get to their stands of rifles, face the foe and drive him back! And the Texans! Discipline and all formation quite forgetting, Every man of them gone berserk, battle-mad each man, as though On his arm alone before that April day's red sun was setting Texas must depend for freedom from the yoke of Mexico.
Up the barricade and over! Shooting! Clubbing! Stabbing! Yelling Their war cries, “The Alamo !" and "Now remember Go. liad!" 'Twas no time for fancy fighting! Time for swift, remorseless felling Of one foe, the rushing forward where more fighting might be had! The foe had them so outnumbered! One down, four or five were waiting ! It was throttle, stab and trample them beneath onrushing feet ; Going forward! Long injustice, murder, had fed full their hating, Given them a debt to pay, and paying off the debt was sweet ! As a swift tornado, stooping, lifts dead leaves and sends them flying, So the fury of the Texans burst on the astonished foe! In short minutes they were flying from their dead and from their dying, In short minutes Texas triumphed o'er the might of Mexico! More than seven hundred heroes! Where has history a story That can match their deeds for valor? What can Freedom's falchion stay? When was any feat of arms that could match San Jacinto's glory? What day has such hallowed memories as our San Jacinto Day?
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