Show LEF SURVIVOR OF FAMOUS FIGHT Veteran t tf f Battle of San Jacinto Honored Hon ored by Texas Legislature With Gold Watch The celebration of the seventy fourth anniversary of ot the b battle tUe of ot ofSan ofSan San Jacinto which took pl place ce all aU allOver allover over Texas was an event of ot special Significance cance to Alphonso Steele of ot Mexia that state He is the sole survivor sur sur- Ivor of the tho little army of Texans who who commanded by Gen Sam Houstin Houston Hous Hous- ton tin met and crushed completely the overwhelming force ot of Mexican soldiers sol diers upon that battlefield Mr Steele was the recipient of signal signal signal sig sig- nal honors at the hands of the legisla ture Ho ITo was vot voted d a handsome gold goldmedal goldmedal goldmedal medal by the state which was presented presented pre pre- seated him by a committee of legisla legisla- tors A large painting of f Mr Steele was also purchased by act of ot legislature legislature legisla- legisla ture and will be hung In the Texas hall of fame at the state capitol Mr Steele has in in his possession the I original muster roll of General Houston's Houstons Houstons Houston's Houstons Houston's Hous Hous- tons ton's army He has used this roll on I several occasions to disprove claims of or persons that they were in the famous famous famous fa fa- fa- fa battle Mr Steele gives an Interesting description description description de de- de- de of the battle of ot San Jacinto which took place on that day He lie says After dinner on April 21 Santa Anna who was close upon us received about five hundred additional troops under command of General Generl Cos Coso We I received orders to prepare for battle We advanced upon the Mexicans Inthe in inthe In Inthe the following order Houston with the artillery in the center the cavalry cavalry cay cay- alry airy on the right and Colonel Cherman Cherman Cherman Cher Cher- man with his troops on our left The Mexicans had thrown up breastworks out of their baggage about one hundred yards south of a abelt abelt abelt belt of ot timber There they had sta eta t d- d r dr di I Shot One of the Mexicans Dead their artillery Santa Annas Anna's right wing was placed in a thick grove When we got up pretty close General Houston sent word to Colonel l Sherman to attack this position We were ordered to move forward and hold our fire until orders were given When we got within sixty or seventy yards ards we were ordered to fire Then all discipline as far as Shermans Sherman's troops were concerned was wasat wasat wasat at an end We were all firing as rapidly rapidly rapidly rap rap- idly as we could and as soon as we fired Ored every man reloaded as quickly as possible and the man who first got his gun reloaded moved on not waiting waiting waiting wait wait- ing for orders I rushed into the timber timber timber tim tim- ber and fired again When the second volley was poured into nto them in that timber they broke and ran I I was running on a little in front of our men when I was shot down Dave Rusk was standing by me when I was shot He told some of ot the men mento mento mento to stay with me me but I told him No take them on While I was sitting there one of ot our men who had been lying down behind behind be be- hind me came up and asked me if It I Iwas Iwas Iwas was wounded ded I told him I was and he offered to stay siy with me me which offer offer of of- fer I accepted He went after some water and while he was gone I got up to see If It I could walk I had lost so much blood that I was very weak and could not go far Car I sat down by a littie little little lit lit- tle tie sapling and the man who had gone after water soon returned Just Justas as he handed me the water a couple of or Mexicans came running toward usI us i I suppose they had hidden In the grass gross while our men were passing I They were within twenty steps of us before they saw us They quickly threw up their hands and began to tell teU us something in tn Spanish but hut we could not understand what they said I told the man who was with me to shoot one of the Mexicans He r replied lIed that he couldn't do It as they wanted to surrender I said sald- I I I dont don't want any more prisoners hand me your gun and I wil shoot one of them He handed me the the gun and I shot ono one or of the Mexicans dead The other one ran off My companion then got gol gota gola a horse and carried me out of the belt I of timber Mr Steele has Mexia Tex TeL I for tor many years no Tic has descend i I f |