True stories of old Houston and Houstonians: historical and personal sketches / by S. O. Young. Page: 104
244 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
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104
TRUE STORIES OF OLD
made a row in every way. Otto and Alex Erichson concluded
that they would relieve the old man of some of his trouble, so
one night they got a couple of rat-tail files and spiked both of
the cannon. The next day when it was discovered what had
been done, there was great indignation, but the sulprits could not
be found, for Otto and Alex took good care not to blow about
what they had done, when they found what a row was being
made. The cannons were taken to Mr. Erichson's shop and he,
not knowing that his own boys had spiked them, charged $20
to get them in shape again. The boys sneaked out and spiked
them again, but the citizens either grew suspicious or for some
other cause, took the guns elsewhere to get them unspiked.
"Now," said Otto, "as bitter as the old man was before the
state seceded, the minute Texas left the Union, he turned around
and became the bitterest man in Texas on the other side. He
called me in the shop and literally rammed me in the army. He
said every man able to shoulder a gun ought to be in the army
fighting for the South. It was funny what a change took place.in
him. He cursed the Yanks as bad as he had cursed the secessionists,
and if he had not have been so old, I am certain he
would have enlisted in the Confederate army himself."
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THE FAMOUS TWIN SISTERS.
HERE is an old story about two fond parents who were
watching the passing of a military company, in the ranks
of which their son was marching.
"Look at that," said, the mother, "our boy is the only one in
the whole company who is keeping step."
This story has recurred to me several times lately and I will
tell you why. Two or three years ago there was a great deal of
talk about the famous "Twin Sisters," two cannon used with such
good results by the Texans at San Jacinto. One report was that
they were buried somewhere near Harrisburg; another was that
they were thrown in Galveston Bay, between the island and Virginia
Point, and another story located them in the National Museum
at Washington. All these stories spoke of the "Twin Sisters"
as iron pieces. Some gentlemen made extensive excavations
near Harrisburg, where they were said to be buried, but
the search was fruitless. Obviously it was impossible to search
Galveston Bay, but the Washington story could be investigated
and I did so, with the result that I am informed by those in authority
that there were no such cannon either in the museum or
anywhere else in Washington.
Aside from the historical interest in the subject I was attracted
to it by the fact that when I was a boy there were two brass
cannon, six-pounders, known as the "Twin Sisters," that stood
for many years on the northwest side of market square. They
were beautiful guns and each bore this inscription, engraved just
in front of the vent:
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Young, Samuel Oliver. True stories of old Houston and Houstonians: historical and personal sketches / by S. O. Young., book, 1913; Galveston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth24646/m1/104/?rotate=270: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.