the: gre:at pe:cos viaduct 



This great viaduct, which is 321 feet high and nearly half a mile in length, carries the 

 tracks of the Southern Pacific Railroad over the Pecos River, a short distance above its 

 mouth. 



with the Indians, Franco-Spanish con- 

 tentions, border outlawry, the Mexican- 

 Spanish war, and the final break for in- 

 dependence from Mexican dominion. 



THE STAND AT THE ALAMO 



It was in 1817 that the Texans, then 

 mostly Americans, joined with the Mex- 

 icans, and with a force of only 800 men 

 defeated the 2,500 Spanish troops near 

 San Antonio — a victory which led, in 

 1824, to the final separation from Spain, 

 when Texas became a part of the Repub- 

 lic of Mexico. 



Alost of the struggle for the indepen- 

 dence of Texas took place about San An- 

 tonio, culminating in March, 1836, in the 

 famous stand at the Alamo by a little gar- 

 rison of 188 men under Colonel Travis. 

 This was besieged by 2,000 Mexicans and 

 not taken until after a hard fight of 11 

 days, in which all the Texans were finally 

 killed. 



The struggle at the Alamo was one of 

 the heroic episodes of the world and it 

 roused the patriotism of the Texans to a 

 high pitch. Gen. Sam Houston had ex- 

 pected to relieve the little garrison, but 

 on hearing of its fall he concentrated 

 his forces in other directions and, adding 

 many recruits, prepared for a final con- 

 test. This occurred a few weeks later, 

 when in one swift charge his little army 

 of 783 gained a victory over Santa Ana's 

 ]\Iexican force, twice as many in num- 

 ber, and Texas was free. In this furious 

 battle, which lasted only 15 minutes, the 

 Mexicans lost 630 killed, 208 wounded, 

 and 230 prisoners, while the Texans lost 

 only 8 killed and 25 wounded. 



The battlefield was at San Jacinto, near 

 T-Iouston, and the place is now reserved 

 as a State park. 



After enjoying her independence as a 

 republic for nine years, Texas joined the 



1335 



