Memorial to King's Men at Refugio, Texas, (sculpture).

Memorial to King's Men at Refugio, Texas, (sculpture).

Josset, Raoul, 1899-1957, sculptor.

Nelson, Donald, 1907- , architect.

Memorial to King's Men at Refugio, Texas, (sculpture).

Amon B. King's Men, (sculpture).

Installed 1936.

Sculpture: bronze; Upper base: granite; Lower base: concrete aggregate.

Sculpture: approx. H. 6 ft.; Upper base: approx. H. 20 ft. 6 in. x Diam. 9 ft. 8 in.; Lower base: approx. Diam. 20 ft.

(On bronze panels on six sides of base:) (Panel one:) ERECTED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS IN MEMORY OF CAPTAIN AMON B. KING AND OTHER TEXAN SOLDIERS KILLED IN ACTION OR CAPTURED AND AFTERWARDS SLAIN AS A RESULT OF THE FIGHTING AT REFUGIO . MARCH 14 . 15 . 16 .. 1836 (Panels two and three: names of King's men who died at Refugio)

(Panel four:) IN THE EARLY MORNING OF MARCH 14, 1836 . TWENTY EIGHT TEXANS UNDER CAPTAIN AMON B. KING SEPARATED FROM COL. WILLIAM WARD'S COMMAND IN THE MISSION CHURCH . AND LATE THAT DAY IN A WOOD ON THE WEST BANK OF MISSION RIVER A HALF MILE BELOW THE TOWN FOUGHT A DESPERATE BATTLE WITH PART OF GENERAL URREA'S MEXICAN COMMAND . FIVE TEXANS WERE KILLED AND FIVE WOUNDED ONE OF WHOM JOINED COLONEL WARD IN THE CHURCH . THE OTHERS ESCAPED BUT WERE CAPTURED NEXT DAY

(Panel five:) ON MARCH 14 . 1836 . LIEUTENANT COLONEL WILLIAM WARD WITH LESS THAN ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MEN SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED THE CHURCH OF THE REFUGIO MISSION AGAINST FOUR SUCCESSIVE ATTACKS BY GENERAL JOSE URREA'S COMMAND AND MADE HIS ESCAPE FROM THE CHURCH THAT NIGHT AFTER HAVING LOST ONLY THREE MEN WOUNDED . TWO LEFT TO CARE FOR THEM AND A FEW OTHERS AS COURIERS OR WHILE SEPARATED FROM HIS COMMAND

(Panel six:) ON MARCH 16 . 1836 CAPTAIN KING AND FOURTEEN OF HIS MEN WHO HAD BEEN MADE PRISONERS BY GENERAL URREA'S CAVALRY THE DAY BEFORE WERE MARCHED TO THE SLOPE OF THE HILL ON THE GOLIAD ROAD ABOUT ONE MILE FROM THE REFUGIO CHURCH AND SHOT...THEIR BONES WERE LATER BURIED WHERE THEY FELL BY JOHN HYNES A TWELVE YEAR OLD LAD OF REFUGIO WHO HAD BEEN THEIR FRIEND... JAMES MURPHY OF REFUGIO . COLONEL FANNIN'S COURIER KILLED NEARBY ON MARCH 14 . WAS BURIED IN THEIR COMMON GRAVE

A tall fluted, granite shaft surmounted by a nude, kneeling figure holding a sword in his upraised proper right hand. The male figure kneels on his proper left knee and extends his proper right arm over and behind his head, holding a sword. The sword extends point downward along his proper left side. His proper left hand holds a large leaf. The sculpture is mounted on a tall octagonal shaft of polished granite set on an octagonal, concrete aggregate base. Six bronze plaques and bronze wreaths and stars are mounted around the shaft approximately five feet above the base.

History -- United States -- Texas Revolution

Figure male -- Nude

Figure male -- Full length

Object -- Weapon -- Sword

Object -- Foliage

Outdoor Sculpture -- Texas -- Refugio

Administered by City of Refugio, 613 Commerce, Refugio, Texas 78377

Located King's Park, Refugio, Texas

Title supplied by Inventory cataloger.

The sculpture cost $7,000. It was installed by the State of Texas in memory of Captain Amon B. King and 28 of his men who were killed in the fight for Texas independence as they defended the Church of the Refugio Mission on March 14-16, 1936 against Mexican forces under the command of General Jose Urrea. Donald Nelson was the architect. IAS files contain a full transcription of names on base. IAS files contain excerpt from "The History of Refugio County, Texas" The Refugio County History Book Committee of the Texas Extension Homemakers Council of Refugio County; and article from the Refugio County Advantage Press, Feb. 10, 1993, pg. 15.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, Texas survey, 1993.

Refugio County Advantage Press, Feb. 10, 1993, pg. 15.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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