Sept 24 1836 to Oct 24 1836 - PTR, Vol. 9

ican army came up. In the morning, Capt. IGng, igno- rant of their augmented force, took a position down the river for the purpose of drawing out his antago- nist. But they rushed out in such numbers, that his retreat to the mission was cut off; and after fighting desperately, he and his men were at length compelled to surrender as prisoners of wa1·, twenty-eight of whom were barbarously put to death. Colonel \Yard fled to the church and defended himself throughout the day, at the expense of about three hundred of the yellow- skins, as named by the Te:xians, with some of their copper colored brethren, who fell victims to the brav- ery and skill of the assailed. In the night, the little besieged band withd1·ew from the church, leaving the horns of the altar, for the open country, and after passing the San Antonio river, entered an extensive prairie on their way toward the Guadaloupc. After four days of fasting and e:xcessive fatigue, they were compelled to surrender to the same who had already given terms of capitulation to Fanning, which were now shown to Ward, with assurance that he and bis soldiers should come within the terms of those stipu- lations. They were marched back to Goliad to share with their comrades tl1e miserable fate which there awaited them, except twenty whom the Mexicans detained for the building of boats, to enable them to cro;;s the rivers in their march. These few found little difficulty in breaking away from their captors after

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