Joseph H. Barnard, Dr. J. H. Barnard's Journal: A Composite of Known Versions, ed. SAN ANTONIO John Willingham long has been fascinated with the horrific "Goliad Massacre," which came three weeks after the 1836 Battle of the Alamo and further riled the Texans in their . This galvanized Texians and led to victory in their war for independence. Urrea wrote in his diary that he "wished to elude these orders as far as possible without compromising my personal responsibility." The Goliad Massacre was an event that occurred on March 27, 1836, during the Texas Revolution, in which nearly 500 prisoners of war from the army of the Republic of Texas were killed by the Mexican Army in the town of Goliad, Texas. [5] Johnson's news persuaded Fannin to abandon any further attempt to send relief to the Alamo or to try to secure badly needed supplies waiting at Matagorda; he prepared the Presidio La Baha at Goliad for defense against the advancing Mexican Army. [4] Colonel Fannin received an order from General Sam Houston to retreat to Victoria just a few weeks later. A monument marks the burial site outside. Burr H. Duval's company, was marched toward the upper ford of the San Antonio River on the Bexar road. John C. Duval and the remainder of Fannins men were brought back to Goliad where they were confined in Presidio la Baha for the following week. After Santa Anna learned that a force of Texas rebels was heading toward Matamoros, he sent General Urrea to march north along the coast of Texas to stop them. John Crittenden Duval, Early Times in Texas, or the Adventures of Jack Dobell (Austin: Gammel, 1892; new ed., Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1986). Whether indecisive, stubborn or loyal to the rebels away on missions whom he did not want to abandon, Fannin remained in Goliad until the morning of March 19. Nell White, Goliad in the Texas Revolution (M.A. [14] The 75 soldiers of William Parsons Miller and the Nashville Battalion were captured on March 20 and marched to Goliad on March 23. Also spared were the 75 soldiers of the Miller and Nashville Battalion, who were given white arm bands. And without a moment's hesitation, I plunged into the water. We need your support because we are a non-profit organization that relies upon contributions from our community in order to record and preserve the history of our state. He sent couriers to Ward, but most of them were intercepted by Urrea's cavalry. ", A more difficult situation confronted him on March 20 after James W. Fannin's surrender (see COLETO, BATTLE OF). While the sick and wounded remained in the chapel, the other three groups were escorted on different roads out of town. Until this episode Santa Anna's reputation had been that of a cunning and crafty man, rather than a cruel one. He recalled that on the morning of March 27, 1836, a Mexican officer told the men to get ready for a march. [18] He was taken by Mexican soldiers to the courtyard located in front of the chapel along the north wall, blindfolded, and seated in a chair due to his leg wound received in battle. Nearly 350 rebels were executed in the Goliad Massacre, almost twice as many as were killed at the siege of the Alamo. In Goliad. After the executions, the Texians' bodies were piled and burned. Under President Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna, the Mexican government began to shift away from a federalist model to a more centralized government. The Goliad Campaign was the 1836 Mexican offensive to retake the Texas Gulf Coast during the Texas Revolution. Harbert Davenport and Craig H. Roell, "GOLIAD MASSACRE,", Craig H. Roell, "MILLER, WILLIAM PARSONS,", http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fho62, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qeg02, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fmi30, "Goliad State Park & Historic Site Goliad Area Historic Sites Texas Parks & Wildlife Department", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Goliad_massacre&oldid=1132816542, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2013, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 10 January 2023, at 18:59. In some accounts of the Goliad Massacre, a Mexican woman, Francisca (Francita, Panchita or Pancheta) Alavez, sometimes referred to by other names (Alvarez or Alavesco), rescued about 20 Texian soldiers and became known as "The Angel of Goliad. The next morning, seeing Urrea receive one hundred more men and three more artillery pieces, Fannin agreed to surrender. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! It was, on the whole, that in shooting these prisoners, Mexico was acting within its rights. Henry Stuart Foote, Texas and the Texans (2 vols., Philadelphia: Cowperthwait, 1841; rpt., Austin: Steck, 1935). The exact fate of others captured at Refugio is not known. The Goliad Massacre hardened attitudes toward Santa Anna throughout the United States and inflamed and unified the Texas resistance. Because of the intervention of Francita Alavez (known as the "Angel of Goliad"), 20 more men were spared to act as doctors, interpreters, or workers. On March 22, William Ward and the Georgia Battalion (80 men plus Ward) surrendered after escaping from the Battle of Refugio. In 1936, in celebration of the Texas Centennial, money was appropriated to build a massive pink granite monument, dedicated on June 4, 1938. Several days later, informants revealed Grant's location, and on the morning of March 2, 150 Mexican troops ambushed Grant's men at the Battle of Agua Dulce. [1] Thirty-nine were killed inside the fort under the direction of Captain Carolino Huerta of the Tres Villas battalion, with Colonel Garay saving one, . Fannin's men had agreed upon and reduced to writing the terms upon which they proposed to capitulate. Urrea satisfied his conscience by shooting King and fourteen of his men, while "setting at liberty all who were colonists or Mexicans. The finely bred, West Point-trained officer lingered for days as a 1,400-man army led by Santa Annas chief lieutenant, General Jose de Urrea, closed in on Goliad. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Goliad Massacre, Despite appeals for clemency by General Jos de Urrea, the massacre was carried out by Lt. Although overshadowed by the fall of the Alamo, the Goliad Massacre claimed the lives of twice as many Texas rebels. Determined to punish the rebellious Texans, whom he viewed as pirates who deserved to be executed, Santa Anna mounted a campaign to demonstrate his power by exacting the same kind of retribution upon them that he had visited upon Zacatecas.In command of an army that would eventually grow to perhaps more than 7,000 troops, he began a march . [5] Not long after Fannins company had begun their march to Victoria, they were pursued by an army of Mexican troops led by General Jos de Urrea. Urrea departed Goliad, leaving Colonel Jos Nicols de la Portilla in command. Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. [1] Urrea arrived in Matamoros and worked to secure cooperation from the local inhabitants on January 31, 1836. [11] The Texians were less than one mile (1.6km) from the safety of the tree line of Coleto Creek. When the Mexican general reported to Santa Anna that he was holding the San Patricio prisoners, Santa Anna ordered Urrea to comply with the decree of December 30. Before his execution he made three requests. Amon B. He received land certificates for his service, including a 640-acre Donation specifically for his service under Fannin at Goliad, and a 1,280-acre Bounty for the full term of his enlistment. A decree issued by Santa Anna in December 1835 ordered that all foreigners fighting against the government would be treated as pirates and executed. At around 8 a.m. on Palm Sunday, March 27, 1836, Colonel Portilla had the able bodied of 342 Texians marched out of Fort Defiance into three columns on the Bexar Road, San Patricio Road, and the Victoria Road. [15] After several hours of fighting, the Mexicans had suffered an estimated 200 casualties and the Texians nine killed and about sixty wounded. This is the first page of a list that covers 17 pages. It features an art deco relief sculpture and the names of the men who were killed.[32]. Therefore, the massacre cannot be considered isolated from the events and legislation preceding it. Lightboxes. Instead, the Mexican commanding officer shot Fannin in the face, burned his body with the others and kept the timepiece as a war prize. Refresh the page, check Medium 's. On March 19 he began his retreat, but he and his men were surrounded and forced to surrender at the battle of Coleto. Texas: Graphic Ideas. Massacre: The Goliad Witnesses. Several of the survivors of the massacre were present at the funeral speech, McMahon explained. The dead are suspected illegal immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. At selected spots on each of the three roads, from half to three-fourths of a mile from the presidio, the three groups were halted. DeWitt Clinton Baker, comp., A Texas Scrap-Book (New York: Barnes, 1875; rpt. As he prepared to subdue the Texas colonists Santa Anna was chiefly concerned with the help they expected from the United States. In the fall of 1835 the Texans had made the first Declaration of Independence. Even on the move, Fannins long-delayed retreat advanced at a sluggish pace. Goliad Map. Twenty-eight Texians managed to escape by feigning death and other means. About a week after the Goliad killings, Santa Anna ordered the execution of Miller and his men and the others who had been spared at Goliad, but he rescinded the order the next day. [1] The execution of the Texan soldiers, however horrific, was not without precedent. Enterprise. Harbert Davenport and Craig H. Roell, Viola Fletcher was 7 years old when she witnessed one of worst acts of racial violence the US has ever seen. A two day Battle of Coleto ensued with the Texians holding their own on the first day. Knowing the prisoners' probable fate, General Urrea departed Goliad, leaving command to Colonel Jose Nicolas de la Portilla, and later writing to Santa Anna to ask for clemency for the Texians. [6] In late December, at his behest, the Mexican Congress passed the Tornel Decree, declaring that any foreigners fighting against Mexican troops "will be deemed pirates and dealt with as such, being citizens of no nation presently at war with the Republic and fighting under no recognized flag". They were marched back to Goliad to face the same fate as the rest of Fannin's command.[11]. He was taken by Mexican soldiers to the courtyard in front of the chapel, blindfolded, and seated in a chair. O Massacre de Goliad, situado na cidade de Goliad em 27 de maro de 1836, foi uma revolta de soldados-prisioneiros e seu comandante, James Fannin da Repblica do Texas, pelo exrcito mexicano. Colonel Jos Nicols de la Portilla, under orders from General and President of Mexico, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. About 26 men were retained at Victoria as laborers, but 55 of the prisoners were marched into Goliad on March 25. His diary, edited by Hobart Huson, was published in 1949 and is considered one of the best sources of information for the period. Urrea's force killed 16 men and took 24 prisoners. WILLIAM COKNEK. Urrea wrote in his diary that he "wished to elude these orders as far as possible without compromising my personal responsibility." A man-by-man study of Fannin's command indicates that 342 were executed at Goliad on March 27. The massive number of Texian prisoner-of-war casualties throughout the Goliad Campaign led to Goliad being called a "Massacre" by Texas-American forces and fueled the frenzy of the Runaway Scrape . Time Period: Texas Revolution 1835-36. Pedro (Luis?) On March 19, General Urrea had quickly advanced and surrounded 300 men in the Texian Army on the open prairie, near La Bahia (Goliad). [22], Fannin's retreat and the Battle of Coleto, Harbert Davenport and Craig H. Roell, "GOLIAD CAMPAIGN OF 1836," Handbook of Texas Online, Craig H. Roell, "REFUGIO, BATTLE OF," Handbook of Texas Online, Francisca (Francita, Panchita or Pancheta) Alavez, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Goliad_Campaign&oldid=1075168209, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, est. Later in 1883 while living in El Paso County, he applied for and received an additional donation as a surviving veteran of the Texas Revolution. As soon as they were ordered to halt a half-mile from the fort, however, the Texans realized their fates. Carlos E. Castaeda (Dallas: Turner, 1928; 2d ed., Austin: Graphic Ideas, 1970). His three dying wishes were to be shot in the chest, given a Christian burial and have his watch sent to his family. [5] Johnson and four others escaped in the darkness and rejoined Fannin's command at Goliad, where they said that all the prisoners had been executed. His troops easily defeated Johnson's small force at the Battle of San Patricio on February 26. King and his men had infuriated their enemies by burning local ranchos and shooting eight Mexicans seated around a campfire, and these enemies were clamoring for vengeance. While Texans were fighting the final battle for their independence on April 21, 1836, a survivor of the Goliad Massacre was spending his 21st day on the run. Shackelford, Jack (1790-1857). Her early obsessions included Vikings, the Tudors and the Statue of Liberty. The entire Texian force was killed, except for 28 men who feigned death and escaped. [4], The Mexicans took the Texians back to Goliad, where they were held as prisoners at Fort Defiance (Presidio La Bahia). After wandering on the coastal prairie for several days, the Georgia Battalion reached Victoria, only to find it in the possession of the Mexican army. Urrea, however, urged his commander to be lenient. Victor Marion Rose, History of Victoria (Laredo, 1883; rpt., Victoria, Texas: Book Mart, 1961). Similar Items. The blood of my lieutenant was on my clothes, and around me lay my friends convulsed in their last agony. [13] That night, King led his men in an independent escape attempt. Fannin hoped to retreat to Victoria, but he hesitated for several days. Read More. General Urrea departed Goliad, leaving command to Colonel Jos Nicols de la Portilla. The site of the massacre is now topped by a large monument containing the names of the victims. That afternoon, Urrea's troops surrounded the Texians on an open prairie. [11], On March 19, Urrea had quickly advanced and surrounded 300 men of the Texian Army on the open prairie, near La Bahia (Goliad). In this critical predicament, Fannin and the majority of the men voted to surrender the Texian forces on March 20. Background and events. Surprised by an overwhelming Mexican force, they were chased off and escaped, however 18 of the group were captured and marched back to Goliad. On March 22 William Ward, who with Amon B. The Goliad Massacre occurred March 27, 1836, just three weeks after the battle of the Alamo. The Texians were marched back to Goliad and held as prisoners at Fort Defiance,[17] each believing that they were going to be set free in a matter of weeks. They were among at least 350 men killed in the massacre at Goliad March 27, 1836, just three weeks after the fall of the Alamo.. The outcome was The Goliad massacre, set in the town of Goliad on March 27, 1836, was the killing of Republic of Texas soldier-prisoners and their commander, James Fannin, during the Texas Revolution by the Mexican Army under orders from General and President of Mexico Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. [9] On February 26, 1836, he attempted to march to San Antonio but turned back at the San Antonio River because of the inability to travel with the artillery and arms. Welche Kriterien es vor dem Kaufen die Nici qid zu untersuchen gibt! [30] Explore the restored Mission Espritu Santo and surrounding grounds. Fannin, however, lacked the same urgency as the orders he received on March 14, 1836. No one stirred. When the Mexican and Texan commissioners seeking surrender terms failed to agree, Urrea shortened the conference by dealing directly with Fannin and proposing written terms, under which the Texans should give up their arms and become prisoners of war "at the disposal of the Supreme Mexican Government." [1] The massacre galvanized citizens further to the cause of independence, and outraged Texians joined cries of Remember the Alamo! with Remember Goliad! as they charged across the field of battle at San Jacinto. Remember Goliad!. The Texians thought they would likely be set free in a few weeks. After capturing one of Fannin's messengers, who was carrying dispatches that told of the commander's plan to wait at Goliad and retreat after King and Ward returned, Urrea ordered the execution of 30 prisoners who he decided were mercenaries. Abel Morgan, An Account of the Battle of Goliad and Fanning's Massacre (Paducah, Kentucky?, 1847?). Published by the Texas State Historical Association. The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry. [27] Spared men were given white arm bands and, while wearing them, could walk about freely. [14] Fannin met to discuss terms with Colonel Juan Jos Holzinger ("Holsinger"). [8] Fannin had chosen to keep his troops at Goliad mainly because it had a fort, from which he believed it would be easier to fight than out in the open. Nearly one month later, word reached La Bahia (Goliad) that General Lopez de Santa Anna had been defeated and surrendered. [2] As part of his preparations for marching on Texas, in late December 1835 Santa . "The Mexican Side of the Texas Revolution". Please improve this article by adding a reference. At the Goliad Massacre, Santa Anna ordered the execution of Col. James Fannin and almost 350 of . [6], On March 2, at the Battle of Agua Dulce, Grant was killed, as were about 20 other men under his command. [26] Also spared were the 75 soldiers of Miller and the Nashville Battalion. The authenticity of the gravesite was further verified by historians Clarence R. Wharton and Harbert Davenport. Morales has long put her heart into the community that raised her. Only then were they made aware that Colonel Fannin and his men had already surrendered following the Battle of Coleto. He linked up with several more units of Mexican infantry, bringing the total number of Mexican troops in the area to 1,500. The Texas cause was dependent on the material aid and sympathy of the United States. In Goliad, Colonel James Fannin commanded the Texan force of nearly 500 trained soldiers and militia. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}283851N 972259W / 28.6476N 97.3830W / 28.6476; -97.3830. The common grave remained unmarked until about 1858, when a Goliad merchant, George von Dohlen, placed a pile of rocks on what was believed to be the site. According to a Goliad Chamber of Commerce publication, "Goliad's history began at the Presidio La Bahia. Urrea, in compliance with his promise, wrote to Santa Anna from Guadalupe Victoria, informing him that Fannin and his men were prisoners of war "at the disposal of the Supreme Mexican Government" and recommending clemency; but he reported nothing in his letter of the terms that Fannin and his men had drafted for their surrender. Amon B. He ordered the immediate execution of the perfidious foreigners and dispatched an aide to Goliad to ensure that Lieutenant Colonel Jose Nicolas de la Portilla, who had been left in charge at Goliad while Urrea continued his march through southern Texas, carried out his brutal directive. The THC has been the state agency for historic preservation for more than 60 years. All Rights Reserved. . One survivor of the massacre, a young German named H. Von Ehrenberg, wrote an account of the murders on December 3, 1853. The two sides clashed and fought until dark with Urrea's soldiers suffering heavy casualties,[12] when Colonel Ward received word from Fannin to rendezvous at Victoria. Gammel & Co., 1892; Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1986), XV. [11] On March 13, King was surrounded by elements of the Mexican army and sent out a plea for help to Fannin, who sent Lieutenant-Colonel William Ward and the Georgia Battalion to reinforce him. Many were killed or captured. From the viewpoint of the Mexican Army, Santa Annas command was justified by a law of December 30, 1835, stipulating that any foreigners caught in the act of taking up arms against Mexico were to be considered pirates and summarily executed. One week later, under the orders of Mexican General Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna, the Texians were marched outside the fort and shot. They were advised not to take off the arm band, since Mexican troops were hunting for those few who had escaped from Coleto, Victoria, and the massacre itself. Date: March 27, 1836. The set of casualties included commander James Fannin. Among those killed were commanders Colonel James Fannin (of the Coleto battle) and Lieutenant Colonel William Ward (of the Refugio battle). Texan sources specify the number of prisoners as 407, exclusive of Miller's men. They are going to shoot us! and at the same instant [John] heard the clicking of musket locks all along the Mexican line.[7], Dodging the first round of fire and avoiding a close encounter with the end of a bayonet, John C. Duval was subsequently able to reach the San Antonio River without being struck by the barrage of bullets that followed. Goliad. He was captured at Goliad; however, his life was spared so that he could treat the wounded Mexicans there and at San Antonio. He freed more than 20 others who he determined to be Mexicans or colonists, so he would not be hindered by taking prisoners along on his advance on Fannin's force. [16] Fannin was unaware General Santa Anna had decreed execution for all rebels. Colonists in Texas, primarily immigrants from the United States, revolted in October 1835 and by the end of the year had expelled all Mexican troops from their province. The Mexican soldiers at La Bahia returned to the funeral pyres and gathered up any visible remains of the Texians and re-burned any evidence of the bodies. Jack Shackelford, commander of the Red Rovers under James W. Fannin at Goliad, was a survivor and chronicler of the battle of Coleto and the Goliad Massacre. Find the perfect massacre of able stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. As Palm Sunday dawned on March 27, the prisoners were divided into quarters. 342 men were executed at Goliad. [10] Jay A. Stout, Massacre at Goliad, Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2008, p. 212. The next month and a half was ultimately spent traveling on foot as he battled the harsh Texas frontier. Charles Adams Gulick, Jr., Harriet Smither, et al., eds., The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar (6 vols., Austin: Texas State Library, 192027; rpt., Austin: Pemberton Press, 1968). On the other hand, Maj. Juan Jos Holsinger, one of the Mexican commissioners, lulled their suspicions by entering the Texan lines with the greeting, "Well, gentlemen! High Schools in Dallas, TX Map of Dallas, TX . [17] Under a decree that Santa Anna had pressed and which was passed by the Mexican Congress on December 30, 1835, armed foreigners taken in combat were to be treated as pirates and executed. Among these was Herman Ehrenberg, who later wrote an account of the massacre; William Lockhart Hunter survived despite being bayoneted and clubbed with a musket. Had Fannin's and Miller's men been dumped on the wharves at New Orleans penniless, homesick, humiliated, and distressed, and each with his separate tale of Texas mismanagement and incompetence, Texas prestige in the United States would most likely have fallen, along with sources of help. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) Meantime, on March 23, evidently doubting Urrea's willingness to serve as executioner, Santa Anna sent a direct order to the "Officer Commanding the Post of Goliad" to execute the prisoners in his hands. The Goliad massacre was an event of the Texas Revolution that occurred on March 27, 1836, following the Battle of Refugio and the Battle of Coleto; 425-445 prisoners of war from the Texian Army of the Republic of Texas were executed by the Mexican Army in the town of Goliad, Texas .The men surrendered under the belief they would be set free One company, badly led, broke ranks at the beginning of Mexa's action, and half its number, together with wounded men from other companies, were captured by Santa Anna's forces the next day. Only twenty-eight escaped the firing squads, and twenty more were spared as physicians, orderlies, interpreters, or mechanics largely because of the entreaties of a "high bred beauty" whom the Texans called the "Angel of Goliad" (see ALAVEZ, FRANCITA), and the brave and kindly intervention of Col. Francisco Garay. Articles from the Texas General Land Office Save Texas History Program, Official Account for the Texas General Land Office | Follow Commissioner George P. Bush on Twitter at @georgepbush. [4] At 3:00a.m. on February 27, Urrea's advance patrol surprised Johnson and about 45 men, initiating the Battle of San Patricio. This may have been correct. The TSHA makes every effort to conform to the principles of fair use and to comply with copyright law. Because of the intervention of Francita Alavez (known as the "Angel of Goliad"), 20 more men, including Shackelford,[20] were spared to act as doctors, interpreters, or workers. The largest group, including what remained of Ward's Georgia Battalion and Capt. Angeli Wright awright@vicad.com A Bible opened up to Psalm 22 is nailed to the tree. Matthew Ellenberger, "HORTON, ALBERT CLINTON,". Unsere Bestenliste Jan/2023 - Ultimativer Test Beliebteste Modelle Beste Angebote Smtliche Vergleichssieger JETZT direkt ansehen. They were kept separate from the other prisoners, as they had been unarmed and surrendered without a fight. Massacre: The Goliad Witnesses Hardcover - June 13, 2014 by Michelle M. Haas (Compiler) 2 ratings Hardcover $44.95 3 Used from $58.13 11 New from $44.95 Sandwiched like a middle child between the fall of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto, Goliad never gets the attention it deserves in the canon of Texas history.
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