<P> The arrival of the Mexican reinforcements prompted Travis to send three men, including Davy Crockett, to find Fannin's force, which he still believed to be en route . The scouts discovered a large group of Texians camped 20 miles (32 km) from the Alamo . Lindley's research indicates that up to 50 of these men had come from Goliad after Fannin's aborted rescue mission . The others had left Gonzales several days earlier . Just before daylight on March 4, part of the Texian force broke through Mexican lines and entered the Alamo . Mexican soldiers drove a second group across the prairie . </P> <P> On March 4, the day after his reinforcements arrived, Santa Anna proposed an assault on the Alamo . Many of his senior officers recommended that they wait for two 12 - pounder cannons anticipated to arrive on March 7 . That evening, a local woman, likely Bowie's cousin - in - law Juana Navarro Alsbury, approached Santa Anna to negotiate a surrender for the Alamo defenders . According to many historians, this visit probably increased Santa Anna's impatience; as historian Timothy Todish noted, "there would have been little glory in a bloodless victory". The following morning, Santa Anna announced to his staff that the assault would take place early on March 6 . Santa Anna arranged for troops from Béxar to be excused from the front lines so that they would not be forced to fight their own families . </P> <P> Legend holds that at some point on March 5, Travis gathered his men and explained that an attack was imminent, and that they were greatly outnumbered by the Mexican Army . He supposedly drew a line in the ground and asked those willing to die for the Texian cause to cross and stand alongside him; only one man (Moses Rose) was said to have declined . Most scholars disregard this tale as there is no primary source evidence to support it (the story only surfaced decades after the battle in a third - hand account). However, Travis apparently did, at some point prior to the final assault, assemble the men for a conference to inform them of the dire situation and giving them the chance to either escape or stay and die for the cause . Susannah Dickinson recalled Travis announcing that any men who wished to escape should let it be known and step out of ranks . </P> <P> The last Texian verified to have left the Alamo was James Allen, a courier who carried personal messages from Travis and several of the other men on March 5 . </P>

During the texas war for independence this man was the commander in charge of defending the alamo