12
TEXAS STATE l.iIBRARY
forthwith retreat & make for Victoria-They left the Mission in one hour after receiving the dispatch (12 or 1 oclk at night)-Nothing occurred in the retreat until they reached Victoria on the 21 _March; found it in possession of the Mexicans the same they had fought at the l\Iission, who had got to Victoria first a head and in consequence made towards Dimits Landing at the mouth of the Lavaca-Before reaching Dimits they halted in the eving of the 22nd. in a little island of trees to Kill a beef & refresh themselves. Suddenly they were surrounded by the ~Iexicans--Urea who commanded, advanced accompanied by an American who had been taken prisoner; when they got in speaking distance this prisoner called to \Vard & said that Genl. Urea who was with him bade, him to say to Co.I. \Vard that he desired a personal interview. Vv ard accordingly went to the prisoner who was one of \Vards own men, (his name was \Velsh) & met Genl. Urea. Welsh when he first hailed Ward told him the object of Urea's wish to see him which was to say to him that if he \Vard would not fire upon them, but surrender without battle, he & his men should be shipped from Capano to New Orleans, or be re- tained & treated as prisoners until an exchange should be effected- On hearing this Ward went & met Urea, who renewed the proposi- tion in person which the prisoner, intrepeter, had first made. \Vard made no reply, but said [he] must have some thing to deliberate; He accor[din]gly returned to his men & told the proposition which TTrea had made & which they had all already hei:rrd from \Velsh; A council was called; they all determined to surrender because of their want of ammunition; except Ward (& Tickner) who insisted on fighting and selling their lives at as high a prise as possible; he told when when [sic] they were on the eve of surrendering '' boys, said he, I · have no faith in the Mexicans, and if evil betide you in this measure my conscince will be clear, you cannot say I did it-He addressed them in a speech & thought it possible at night to force the lines of the enemy and make their escape. Capt. Tickner also opposed sur- render & urged the Course of Col. Vv- They marched out !!ave up arms & C, and were put under guard as prisoners of war-And next day marched to Victoria, thence to La- hahia whiel1 they reached on the 26th ~larch. On arriving there, they found Col Fannin & his men all prisoners-\Vard had been informed of Fannin 's surrender by Urea who metioned the fact as an addi- tional inducement for ·ward to do the same-
MASSACRE OF GOLIAD
On the very next day 27th l\Iareh about sunrise, they were all ordered out to be shot. (A few only being spared as Surgeons and Carpcntrrs whose services the en<'my needed)
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