Refugio Timely Remarks and Refugio County News (Refugio, Tex.), Vol. 7, No. 8, Ed. 1 Friday, December 14, 1934 Page: 62 of 78
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Refugio County Newspaper Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Dennis M. O’Connor Public Library.
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age 56
THE REFUGIO TIMELY REMARKS CENTENNIAL EDITION
December 14, 1934
rongs suffered at the hands of the
exans (and Lopez was probably on
and to tell of the outrage he had
ust sustained). At any rate, Urrea
ays:
“I at once decided to lay seige to
t and to fatigue the enemy all that
ay and night in order to surprise
hem at dawn the following day. But
he pitiful stories which the civilians
f the place related about the thefts
nd abuses they had suffered at the
ands of the enemy excited the indig-
ation of the officers and troops of
y division and decided me to take
dvantage of the opportunity afforded
y the coming out of a party of eight
en to get water at a creek situated
bout a gunshot from their fortifica-
tion to order a group of infantry and
another of cavalry to start a skirm-
ish, hoping to draw out the rest of
the enemy from their entrenchment.
The 80 men retreated immediately to
the fort. The officers and troops
manifested a great desire to attack
the enemy; and, wishing to take ad-
vantage of their enthusiasm, I im-
mediately ordered a column of in-
fantry to make the charge.”
Urrea accordingly placed his artil-
ery in position, formed his infantry
in two storming divisions, one being
n assaulting line, protected on the
lanks by the cavalry, and directed
t the uninclosed part of the mission
he other division was drawn up in
olumn formation and brought un-
stentatiously to the cemetery wall,
t about 8 o’clock a. ,m. the order to
harge was given, the line directed
gainst the uninclosed side marching
riskly to the attack and opening a
’teady fire on the mission when in
usket range. The artillery began a
ombardment of the mission, smash-
ng in the door of the church. Mean-
hile the column approached the
ailed side stealthily—“slowly and
ilently, intending to draw up unper-
:eived and spring upon their prey
rom the yard at the moment he was
ard pressed by their companions, and
holly occupied by the attack from
hat quarter.”
The Texans did as ordered and re-
erved their fire until the assailants
ere within 10 paces of the walls,
hen the order to fire was given and
murderous volley was discharged
to the oncoming ranks.
A Texan in the battle says: “At the
irst discharge of rifles from the build-
g many Mexicans bit the dust. This
roduced some confusion in the Mex-
an ranks and one or two parties re-
lated, but others recovered and
ade a rush towards the building. A
econd discharge from within, not less
atal than the first, cut down the fore-
ost ranks and put the survivors to
ight.
Meantime, the contest had com-
enced on the side of the yard. The
exican column had pressed forward
s soon as the firing commenced on
he other quarters; at something less
an 100 yards they received the
ire of the little band until then con-
ealed behind the wall. Several of the
ont ranks fell, almost in a body, as
any, perhaps, from the panic as by
e bullets; the remaining ranks fell
ack a few yards, but a further re-
eat was stopped by the efforts of
few brave officers.
The column now deployed and de-
chments from the two wings ad-
anced to attack the yard in flank
hile the center once more moved
rward to the attack in front. Ward
nd his little brothers (as he now
lied them, for they were all strip-
ngs in appearances, mostly under
e age of 18), stood undaunted, pour-
g quick and deadly volleys upon the
ont, regardless of the threatened at-
ick upon their flank which they left
tQ the care of their companions with-
in the church; and these, having now
driven the first assailants beyond the
reach of their rifles, were at full
leisure to attend to the attack on
that quarter, and the flankers, now
falling rapidly from their oblique fire
and unr-estrained by the presence of
any superior officer, fled like fright-
ened deer beyond the reach of danger.
The contest was more obstinate in
front, where several officers made a
desperate effort to lead their men to
the charge; many had fallen within a
few yards of the wall, but every at-
tempt to reach it proved ineffectual
and these men, finding that they were
maintaining the contest alone, while
their companions had retreated out of
danger, turned back with the rest.
General Urrea in his diary gives
his version of the assault:.
“Our advance was so successful
that the infantry arrived within 10
paces of the cemetary without a
single man being wounded. The
enemy, coming out of its lethargy,
opened up a lively fire upon our men.
The troops, being mostly recruits
from Yucatan, stopped spellbound the
moment their first impetus was
spent, and all efforts to force them
to advance were unavailing, for the
greater part of their native officers,
who a moment before had been so
eager, disappeared at the critical
moment. These men were, as a rule,
unable to understand Spanish except
in a few cases, and the other officers,
not being able to speak their language,
were handicapped in giving the com-
mands. The infantry took refuge in a
house and corral situated about 15
paces from the church. I ordered a
part of the cavalry to dismount in
order to encourage the former by
their example. Not succeeding in
making them advance, and the dis-
mounted cavalry being insufficient to
take the position of the enemy, the
moments were becoming precious, for
at that very moment another party
coming from Copano (Captain King)
was threatening my rear guard. I,
therefore, ordered a retreat. This op-
eration was not carried out with the
order that might have been expected
from better disciplined troops. In the
meantime our cannon had been moved
forward within 20 paces of the cem
etery, but my brave dragoons removed
it in order to continue harassing the
enemy from a distance where the
enemy fire could cause us no dam-
age. Not one of the enemy dared
show his face.”
The lookouts on the mission walls
could see King’s company clash with
the enemy which barred their return
into the mission. King took up a
strong position in a woods on the
south side of the river below the mis-
sion which the river made inacessible
Urrea ordered Colonel Gabriel Nunez
with part of the reserve cavalry to
dislodge the little band of Texans.
King met the attack with vigor and
repulsed it with considerable loss to
his assailants. Urrea then ordered
Colonel Garay with 60 infantry to dis-
lodge them. The Texans held their
position until nightfall, but lost 11
men, who were killed, and seven
wounded, who fell as prisoners into
Urrea’s hands and were promptly
butchered. The remnant of the val-
iant band escaped and tried to make
their way around the Mexican lines
to Goliad, but became lost in the night
on the lonely prairie. Morning found
them only a short distance from Re-
fugio on the Malone ranch. The
straggling band of heroes were soon
apprehended by Mexican irregulars
under Carlos de la Garza. The next
day King and his men were shot on
the road to Goliad by orders of Gen-
eral Urrea.
According to General Urrea only
The family of Mr. and Mrs. Holmes Heard when many of Re-
fugio’s prominent business men were stili too young to vote. They
are:
Standing, left to right: Mrs. C. F. Baumgartner and Will J.
Heard.
Seated, left to right: “Long Tom” Heard, Mrs. Holmes Heard,
Miss Mary Heard and Holmes Heard, who is holding J. C. Heard,
city secretary, on his lap.
Refugio’s Oldest Grocery
And Market
Greets one of our great state’s oldest towns on the
observance of the Hundredth Anniversary of its
wounding.
The Sanitary Market has the distinction of being
the oldest grocery and market in Refugio. The
quality of our merchandise, combined with cour-
teous, careful service, has enabled us to endure, the
same as Refugio’s hardy citizenship and wonderful
resources have kept the old town going for 100
years.
The Sanitary Market
Frank Keller, Manager W. H. Borglund, Owner
From An Old Album
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Jones, J. L. Refugio Timely Remarks and Refugio County News (Refugio, Tex.), Vol. 7, No. 8, Ed. 1 Friday, December 14, 1934, newspaper, December 14, 1934; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1098094/m1/62/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dennis M. O’Connor Public Library.