San Antonio, March 5, 1836

There are some things we know about San Antonio on March 5, 1836. It was cold. Very cold. Just a few weeks earlier, it had snowed on Santa Anna's army as it marched up from Mexico.

Inside the Alamo, a small band of Texians were hold up, waiting. The main body of Santa Anna's army had arrived several days earlier and were steadily gaining reinforcements. The men and women inside the Alamo were cut off from aid and were expecting a general attack. They had been under constant bombardment for twelve days. No one had been injured by the Mexican artillery to this point.

William Barrett Travis called a meeting, probably in the afternoon and told everyone assembled that he expected an attack and that the garrison would be put to the sword. He told his command that anyone who wanted to leave could drop over the wall and take their chances. History tells us that one man, Louis "Moses" Rose chose to leave and deserted that evening.

Travis had approximately 200 fighters inside the walls. Historians have tried to put a number on the men inside the walls and even today can't decide on a firm number. The last one I saw set the number at 195. The number is of little concern. Travis also housed a number of non-combatants; women, children, and slaves. The fighters had no doubt about their fate, because Santa Anna had raised the flag that meant no prisoners would be taken. He considered them pirates, rebels, traitors to Mexico.

History tells us that shortly after dark, the Mexican artillery fell silent. Popular legend has it that Crockett played his fiddle from the rampart, buoying the spirits of the men inside. Fires were lit and the men gathered in small groups, contemplating the morning. As the evening progressed it got quieter inside the mission and the men fell asleep.

The weather continued to be bitterly cold.