On March 5, Colonel Travis assembled his defenders to speak to them. He apologized to them for not being able to get help and explained that to stay would mean certain death. He gave each of them a chance to leave the Alamo with honor and take their chances at getting through the enemy lines to safety. With that, he used his sword to draw a line in the dirt and asked those who were willing to die for their country's freedom to cross the line. Colonel Bowie, bedridden, requested that his cot be carried across the line.

All others crossed the line except one, Louis "Moses" Rose, a Frenchman who had served in Napoleon's Army during the fighting in Russia. He had fought for lost causes before. It was a very sad moment for Moses that night of March 5, as he looked back at his former comrades, knowing they were all about to die. He dropped his belongings over the wall, then he, himself, disappeared into the darkness. He spoke Spanish fluently and was able to make his way past Santa Anna's soldiers. In doing so, he provided the world with one of the few eyewitness accounts of activities inside the Alamo, including the story of the line in the sand. The story of the line in the dirt was first told by Moses Rose to the Zuber family of Grimes County. The Zubers provided Rose a place to recuperate following his escape from the Alamo.

In the early hours of Sunday, March 6, 1836, Santa Anna ordered his entire army to surround the Alamo. This took several hours to accomplish.

Just before dawn, he gave the order to attack. The first attack failed under the intense fire of the defenders. The attacking line fell back with heavy losses. Again, an attack was ordered, again it failed with heavy losses. This failure was followed by several minutes of relative peace as Santa Anna addressed his commanders.

After the order for the third assault, the ladder bearers reached the walls of the Alamo and infantry began to top the walls. The fighting was vicious, but the Mexican army began to fill the courtyard of the Alamo. Defenders fired and usually didn't have time to reload, so the musket was used as a club. Others used knives and swords. Within an hour, most of the hostility had ended as most of the defenders were dead.

In the midst of the battle, sixteen-year-old Galba Fuqua entered the Chapel to deliver a message to Susanna Dickinson, wife of Lieutenent Almaron Dickinson. His jaw had been so badly broken in the fighting that Mrs. Dickinson could not understand what he was trying to say to her. He finally turned and re-entered the fighting. He died within the hour with the other defenders. Had Galba Fuqua lived only three days longer, he would have turned seventeen years of age.

Colonel Travis' body was found near the west wall. He died of a gunshot to the head. Around him were many dead enemy soldiers who had fallen to his musket, pistol and sword.

Near the east wall of the chapel was found the body of Davy Crockett. He had been mutilated, but like Travis, he was surrounded by dead enemy soldiers.

James Bowie, too sick to stand and fight, was mutilated in his bed. He took several enemy soldiers with him.

Following the battle, the noncombatants were brought out into the courtyard. Susanna Dickinson and her fifteen-month old daughter, Angelina, were among them. Her husband, Lieutenant Almeron Dickinson, died in the attack. There were three Hispanic women and one of Travis' slaves, Joe.

In spite of the hatred leveled against Santa Anna, he had a partially redeeming quality about him; he adored children! He offered to adopt the child of Mrs. Dickinson, but understandably, she declined.

The three Hispanic women were set free as was Joe.

In a cruel twist of fate, exactly three weeks later, Charles Jennings, brother of the Alamo's oldest defender, Gordon Jennings, would be among those massacred at Goliad.

The remains of the Alamo Defenders are located in the San Fernando Cathedral, near the Alamo at 115 Main Plaza in San Antonio.