During the night Captains King and Ticknor, with thirty men, crossed the river and fired upon a party of Mexicans -- seemingly non-combatants, local men who thought themselves safe -- encamped on the prairie near the upper Lopez ranch. Eight Mexicans, including Lieutenant Blanco, of Guerra's company, late of Fannin's command, were killed.

At daybreak a sentinel reported enemy bugle calls, and the Texan parties, one under Major Mitchell, and the other under Captain King, were sent to investigate. Neither of these parties contacted the enemy at that time; but in their absence Urrea's advance guard, under Captain Rafael Pretalia, came up and engaged Colonel Ward. Mitchell succeeded in rejoining Ward, but King, who had gone farther and in a different direction, was cut off. Urrea then attacked Ward in the church, but was repulsed with severe loss.

King, whose party numbered but twenty-eight men, had gone down the river to the lower Lopez rancho where he had suffered a repulse on March 12th. He returned from this excursion to find Ward shut up in the Mission, as King himself had been the day before, and the village of Refugio in possession of Urrea's forces.

He was instantly attacked by the enemy's reserve cavalry; but succeeded in escaping to a good position in a wood on the west bank of Mission river, five or six hundred yards below the town. Six of his men, however, became separated from him as this was done. The twenty-two who remained fought desperately until night,