A new history of Texas for schools : also for general reading and for teachers preparing themselves for examination Page: 205 of 412

ERA OF REVOLUTION.

189

(5.) Account of G(oliad Massacre, by Dr. Barnard, a
physician in the Texas army:
"Sunday, March 27, 1836: At daylight, Colonel Gary, a Mexican
officer, came to our room and called up the doctors. Dr. Shackleford
and myself immediately arose. Dr. Field was at a hospital outside
the fort, where we found Major Miller and his men. Colonel Gary,
who spoke good English, here left us, directing us to go to his head-
quarters (in a peach orchard, three or four hundred yards from the
fort), along with Miller's company, and there wait for him. He was
very serious and grave in countenance, but we took but little notice of
it at the time. Supposing that we were called to visit some sick
or wounded at his quarters, we followed on in the rear of Miller's
men. On arriving at the place, Dr. Shackleford and myself were
called inside the tent, where were two men lying on the ground com-
pletely covered up, so that we could not see their faces, but supposed
them to be patients that we were called to prescribe for. Directly,
a lad came in and addressed us in English. We chatted with him
for some time. He told us his name was MIartinez, and that he had
been educated at Bardstown, Ky.
" Beginning to grow a little impatient because Colonel Gary did not
come, we expressed an intention of returning to the fort until he
would come back; but Martinez said that the directions for us to
wait there were very positive, and that the Colonel would soon be in,
and requested us to be patient a little longer, which was, in fact, all
that could be done. At length we were startled by a volley of fire-
arms which appeared to be in the direction of the fort. Shackleford
inquired, 'What is that ?" Martinez replied that it was some of the
soldiers discharging their guns for the purpose of cleaning them.
" My ears, however, detected yells and shouts in the direction of.
the fort, which, although at some distance from us, I recognized as
the voices of my countrymen. We started, and turning my head in
that direction, I saw, through some partial openings through the trees,
several of the prisoners running at their full speed, and, directly after,
some Mexican soldiers in pursuit of them.
" Colonel G(ary now returned, and, with the utmost distress depicted