It would be interesting to know the exact relationship between whatever financial conglomerate was bankrolling the war and the state of Georgia, from whence Fannin for one was hired.
In November of ’35, in the Macon area one William Ward, exact age unknown, raised and equipped, at his own expense, a force of 120 volunteer, grown to 220 men by the time it reached Texas. This Georgia Battalion of Permanent Volunteers were the men armed with rifles from the Georgia State Arsenal.
Upon their arrival in Texas, Fannin took command and this force landed at Copano Bay in early February to join the forces then assembling at Refugio for the Matamoras Expedition. In Fannin’s possession were a further 625 muskets and a considerable quantity of lead and powder. Shortly thereafter, with the collapse of the Matamoras Expedition, the various militias assembling at Refugio moved to fortify Goliad.
The messenger from Amos King, pinned down by de la Garza’s men inside the church at Refugio, arrived on March 12th. At that time Fannin’s available strength was around 400 men, most of his transport had been committed to King’s rescue/salvage mission. In response to King’s call for help, Fannin dispatched about one-third of his force, 120 men of Ward’s Georgia Battalion, to go and assist King.
Delayed by heavy rains, these men left Goliad at 3am on March 13th for the 27 mile forced march to Refugio, arriving there just twelve hours later and scattering de la Garza’s force.
Ward and King remained at Refugio that night, their combined force totaling about 150 men, not far off what had been available to Travis at the Alamo. What they didn’t know was that same night Urrea had begun a forced march of his own towards Refugio, backed by 1,500 Mexican soldados.
Birdwatcher
