"Colonel Travis The Line" maquette Bronze Sculpture by James Muir Bronze Sculptor | Allegorical Sculpture & Monuments in Bronze

“’To the people of Texas and all Americans in the world—Fellow citizens and compatriots—I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna—I have sustained a continual bombardment and cannonade for 24 hours and have not lost a man—The enemy has demanded a surrender of discretion, otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword if the fort is taken—I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, and our flag still waves proudly from the walls. I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of liberty, of patriotism and everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch—The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily and will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible and die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor and that of his country—Victory or Death.”

William Barret Travis
24 February 1836

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 the hopelessness of their situation. With no reinforcements coming to their aid and surrender out of the question, their only recourse was to fight or to 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 to die for freedom.

“Those prepared to give their lives in Freedom’s cause, come over to me.”
William Barret Travis

All, save one, crossed the line and marched into eternal glory. “The Line” commemorates the victory in this great defeat.

For us today, even now the foe is strong and preparing for the final assault. The “Dequello” bugle call for “no quarter or mercy to be given” has sounded. To each of us comes a time when we must draw our own line and, reaching into the depth of our being, bring forth the courage to take that step of commitment—to live or to die for our beliefs—perhaps, as Colonel Travis and the 185 men of the Alamo, even for Liberty itself. Thus, it remains for each of us to make our own decision to either run and hide or to take our own step across the line of commitment to Liberty.