The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 23, July 1919 - April, 1920 Page: 275
319 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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James W. Fannin, Jr., in the Texas Revolution
(b) The Division of Fannin's Forces
With the arrival of the Mexican forces, the Texans, especially
those in the exposed areas, began to flee towards the east. Linn
tells of his work as alcalde of Victoria, in advising the people of
that locality to seek places of safety."7 The army naturally aided
in this work. On the evening of March 10,"8 because of the per-
sonal appeal of Mr. Ayres of Refugio, Captain King with 28 or 30
men was sent from Goliad to Refugio to aid in bringing off some
families there. King, on reaching Refugio, however, was con-
fronted by the Mexicans and forced into the Mission, from which
'place he, nevertheless, managed to send back to Goliad for aid.
Colonel Ward with 150 men was at once dispatched to King's relief,
leaving on the morning of March 12.3 This was the first of the
unfortunate occurrences which led to Fannin's capture; for if
Fannin's men had not been divided, his retreat would have been
sooner effected, and the men under Ward and King added to
Fannin's force at the Coleto might have saved the day for the
Americans. Again, Urrea would not have learned so definitely of
Fannin's plans, through the captured messages, and woud not have
made such strenuous efforts to destroy Ward, with whom "Fannin
proposed to make himsef invincible."
Yet we cannot blame Fannin either for wishing to furnish pro-
tection to exposed families, or to help his own men in distress;
and if the rest of his retreat could have been accomplished with
haste, even after he learned of the disaster to Ward, he might have
still escaped to Victoria, if he had managed skillfully. The thing
which we can blame Fannin, as well as Ward and King, for was
their slowness to execute any movement they undertook.
Ward reached Refugio on the afternoon of March 12 and re-
lieved King. It was possibly his plan to return on the 14th.40
Bernard tells that King after being relieved straggled off to
8Linn, John J., Reminiscences of Fifty Years in Texas, 247.
'8Ayres' Journal, Lamar Papers.
"Ayres' Journal, Lamar Papers.
Bernard says that Ward left on the morning of March 12, but Brown
(Baker's Texas Scrap Book, 245) and an unknown writer in Foote (II,
248) says that it was on the 13th. Bernard declares that Ward knew of
Houston's order to retreat to Victoria, but this is impossible if Ward
left on the 12th.
"Inferred from the letter in Urrea's Diario, 57.275
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 23, July 1919 - April, 1920, periodical, 1920; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101075/m1/281/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.