Texas Now Magazine March 2015 | Page 24

REFUGIO AMON KING AND THE BATTLE OF REFUGIO AMON KING AND THE BATTLE OF REFUGIO The date is March 12, 1836 and fortifications at the old Presidio La Bahía had been improved. Col. James Fannin and his men renamed it Fort Defiance and over the next three days The Battle of Refugio would be fought. Amon Butler King and his 28 American volunteers along with Lieutenant Colonel William Ward and his approximately 120 Americans would fight a bloody battle to the end against Mexican General José Urrea and 1,500 Centralista soldiers! This battle, a part of the Goliad Campaign of the Texas Revolution, resulted in a Mexican victory splintering Texan resistance. On March 10th, Fannin ordered William C. Francis on area patrol and sent Amon King with a small force and wagons to collect families located in the path of the Mexican Army and escort them back to Goliad. March 11th was spent gathering families and loading carts for the return trip. However, on the 12th, King confronted the opposition forces which proved to be greater than imagined. The Article Sponsored By The Refugio County Chamber Of Commerce And It’s Members 24 Get Your History On At TexasNOWmag.com