th a cannon shot. The Mexican leader then hung the red
flag above his camp and ordered the band to play "no quarter." For eight
days, shells came hurtling inside the walls incessantly, dawn to dark,
dark to dawn. Just at sunset on March 3rd, there was a bell. Travis
collected his men and gave them their choice of surrendering and being
shot, or cutting their way out through the besieging line. The
besiegers at this time consisted of 2,500 infantrymen bunched close to
the walls of the Alamo--too close to be shot from above, and 2,500
cavalry and infantry back on the Plaza and encircling the Mission to cut
off all avenue of escape.

Travis drew a line on the ground with his sword.

"Every man who will die with me, come across that line! Who will be
first? March!"

Every man leaped over the line but Bowie, who was ill on a cot bed.

"Boys, move my cot over the line," he said.

At four o'clock next morning, the siege was resumed. The bugle blew a
single blast. With picks, crowbars and ladders, the Mexicans closed in.
The besieged waited breathlessly. The Mexicans placed the ladders and
began scaling. The sharpshooters inside the walls waited till the heads
appeared above the walls--then fired. As the top man fell back, the one
beneath on the ladder stepped in the dead man's place. Then the
Americans clubbed their guns and fought hand to hand. By that, the
Mexicans knew that ammunition was exhausted and the defenders few. The
walls were scaled and battered down first in a far corner of the convent
yard. Behind the chapel door, piles of sand had been stacked. From the
yard, the Texans were driven to the convent, from the convent to the
chapel. Travis fell shot at the breach in the yard wall. Bowie was
bayoneted on the cot where he lay. Crockett was clubbed to death just
outside the chapel door to the left. By nine o'clock, no answering shot
came from the Alamo. The doors were rammed and rushed. Not a Texan
survived. Two women, two children and a couple of slaves were pulled out
of hiding from chancel and stalls. These were sent across to the main
camp. The bodies of the 182 heroes were piled in a pyramid with fagots;
and fired. So ended the Battle of the Alamo, one of the most terrible
defeats and heroic defenses in American history. It is unnecessary to
relate that Sam Houston exacted from the Mexicans on the battlefield of
San Jacinto a terrible punishment for this defeat. Captured and killed,
his toll of defeated Mexi