In a remote DeSoto Parish cemetery a new granite grave marker has been placed to mark the resting place of Louis Moses Rose. The cemetery is locally known as the “Ferguson Cemetery”. Few grave markers remain within the cemetery.
Louis Moses Rose is the only known survivor of The Alamo. It was on March 3, 1836 that Moses Rose climbed the wall of the Alamo, to drop down to the then deserted battlefield, with bodies spread around him, and begin his journey that would eventually lead him to Logansport, La.
The Alamo was under siege by Santa Anna and the outcome was inevitable to all within the Alamo. The 181 men inside the compound fought gallantly, Col. Travis’ belief that the end was near, withdrew his sword and marked a line in the sand. He told the men, “Those wanting to stay and die as heroes and patriots come over to me.” Every man crossed the line, with only one remaining, Louis Moses Rose, decided he was not ready to die. He stated “I came to America to live, not to die.” Col. Travis gave Rose the opportunity to leave, and leave he did.
His long and fateful journey took him through large cactus beds, prickly pear thorns became embedded in his legs which became very sore and painful. As the thorns worked their way deeper into his flesh, it became so painful that he was unable to even bear the pain of removing them.
He very likely crossed into Louisiana on the Logan’s Ferry, where he was befriended by Aaron Ferguson, a farmer who lived north of Logansport (then Logan’s Ferry) about six and one-half miles from town, on Castor Creek. Rose spent the remaining years of his life as an invalid on the Ferguson Farm. Rose died in 1850 and was then buried in the Ferguson Cemetery.
There is much written on Louis Moses Rose, some claim he was a traitor, others that he was a man not ready to die. But, like the Alamo, he will be remembered.
The DeSoto Parish Historical Society has approved Moses Louis Roses’ gravesite as a Historical Site.
