Kay Bailey Hutchison: “I want to mention that today, March 2, is Texas Independence Day. I want to prolong a tradition that was started by my…”

“I want to mention that today, March 2, is Texas Independence Day. I want to prolong a tradition that was started by my good friend and colleague, the late Senator John Tower, by reading the letter that Colonel William Barret Travis sent from the Alamo during the time that he was holding that fort. Yesterday, when I was debating with Senator Simon on his side for the balanced budget amendment, Senator Simon had said that one of the reasons there were so many heroes at the Alamo is because there was no back door. I wanted to set the record straight and say there really was a back door at the Alamo, and it was a voluntary line drawn in the sand by Colonel Travis. Colonel Travis said to the men at the Alamo that if they wanted to cross the line and fight for the independence of Texas, they could do it. If they did not, they could leave. One hundred eighty-four men walked across the line, or were carried on their stretchers, which was every man in the Alamo at the time. Those brave 184 men held the Alamo for 13 days. They allowed Sam Houston, the general who was assembling forces at the San Jacinto River, to have the time that he needed to do that in order to win the battle of San Jacinto and thereby win independence for Texas.”