The Line

The evening before the fall of the Alamo on the morning of March, 6 1836, Colonel William Barret Travis called the 186 men of his command together for one final time to apprise them of their situation. With no reinforcements coming to their aid in time, and surrender out of the question, their only recourse was to fight or run. With his sword, he drew a line in the earth and, after a stirring and powerful speech, bade each to measure the strength of his own convictions and courage and thereby choose to take that ultimate step--to live or die for freedom: "Those prepared to give their lives in Freedom's cause, come over to me." All, save one, crossed the line and marched into eternal glory. On loan from Clyde and Carol Siebman, the lawyers of Siebman Forrest and Barbara White Boyd www.siebman.com/the-line