Come and take it

"Come and take it" is a long-standing expression of defiance first recorded in the ancient Greek form molon labe "come and take [them]", a laconic reply supposedly given by the Spartan King Leonidas I in response to the Persian King Xerxes I's demand for the Spartans to surrender their weapons on the eve of the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC.

The British commander, Colonel Fuser, demanded Fort Morris' surrender through a written note to the American rebels.

Though clearly outnumbered (he had only about 200 men plus artillery), Colonel McIntosh's defiant written response to the British demand included the following line: "As to surrendering the fort, receive this laconic reply: COME AND TAKE IT!".

[3] Colonel McIntosh's defiance inspired other American rebels as the Revolutionary War moved to the Carolinas and then north.

The center is located off Fort Morris Road, at the end of the Colonels Island Highway (Georgia Route 38).

In recognition of his valor in defending Fort Morris, McIntosh was awarded a sword by the Georgia Legislature with the words "Come and Take It" engraved on the blade.

[citation needed] In January 1831, Green DeWitt wrote to Ramón Músquiz, the top political official of Bexar, and requested armament for defense of the colony of Gonzales.

That officer, Col. Clark R. Weaver, declined the request and concluded his letter of reply, "In my opinion, I can hold this post.