Posted on 03/27/2018 11:14:04 AM PDT by iowamark
On this day in 1836, the Goliad Massacre takes place. Most of you have heard “Remember the Alamo!” Did you know that “Remember Goliad!” was another battle cry used by Texans?
The events at Goliad occurred just two short weeks after Texans were defeated at the Alamo.
Colonel James Fannin was then at Goliad, building reinforcements around the presidio there. When the Alamo fell, Fannin received orders from Sam Houston to withdraw. But Fannin was in a bit of a bind. Against orders, he had sent some of his soldiers to help with other expeditions. He awaited their return, and he seemed oblivious to the danger that was so quickly approaching him: Mexican General Jose de Urrea was marching toward his position with 1,000 men.
Fannin did eventually attempt a retreat, but he procrastinated too long—with fatal results.
As Fannin’s men attempted a go, they were met by Urrea and his men. A two-day battle ensued. The Texans took losses, but held their own on the first day. And to their credit, they did not attempt to escape in the middle of the night, when they could have, because they did not want to leave their wounded behind. But the next day, Mexican reinforcements arrived and the Texans were overwhelmed. Fannin surrendered on March 20, on the condition that his men be treated as prisoners of war.
Now Urrea was the one with a problem. He was not authorized to agree to such terms. The Mexican Congress had passed a law requiring that captured Texans be treated like pirates—i.e. they were to be shot. Fannin and his men were marched back to Goliad. Accounts vary, but apparently many of them thought that they would be treated honorably like prisoners of war.
Urrea wrote Mexican General Santa Anna, asking for clemency, but he apparently failed to mention that he’d agreed to Fannin’s terms. Santa Anna wrote back with an order that the Texans be executed. Not trusting Urrea to comply, he then ordered Col. José Nicolás de la Portilla to perform the execution.
Finally, on Palm Sunday, March 27, those Texans who could walk were marched out of Goliad. They were told various stories about where they were going. Less than a mile out, the guards stopped the captives and began firing at close range. Those who were too wounded to march were executed, separately, behind the presidio. Roughly 340 men were massacred that day. A little less than 30 men escaped. A few, such as doctors, were spared because of the services that they could provide.
Fannin was among the last to be shot. He had just a few requests: He did not want to be shot in the face, he wanted his personal belongings to be sent to his family, and he wanted a Christian burial. He was denied every one of these requests.
The Alamo and Goliad were dark days for the Texan effort. But the Battle of San Jacinto was just around the corner! Texans were mere weeks away from earning their independence.
Primary Sources:
Well, the Mexicans were surely not very honorable in this fight.
MS-13 material. Maybe the originals.
Democrats would have cheered these killings, saying those Americans in Texas should not have had guns in the first place, and that they deserved this
The character of the mexican uncivilized culture hasn’t changed much, has it.
This is why We never surrender!
Should have started the wall right after San Jacinto.
I don’t recall Texan or American troops ordering the mass execution of Mexican prisoners at any point.
Heck, we paid the Braceros ... their government kept the money. The Mexican government is why Mexico has problems. Mexico could have had everything West of the Mississippi and south of Canada but with the same folks in charge in Mexico City it would still be a (much larger) mess.
So in summation, it’s okay with me that we sent Santa Anna back to be an incompetent tyrant over Mexico rather than do Mexico a favor and sting him up from some tree after San Jacinto as he deserved.
The Democrats would have tried to disarm Christians in Spain for the Muslim invaders.
And yet Santa Anna lived to a ripe old age, even after San Jacinto.
IIRC, an elderly Santa Anna tried to meddle in the Caste War and was saved from execution by the U.S. Counsel to the Yucatan.
George P. Bush wants to change the Alamo exhibits to reflect the Mexican side of the story.
He sold us another piece of Mexico with the Gasdsen Purchase in 1853.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadsden_Purchase
The History channel has an excellent series on now called The Men who made the America-Frontiermen.
George P. Bush wants to change the Alamo exhibits to reflect the Mexican side of the story.
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Where did you see that?
The Mexican side is already represented. Most in the Alamo were Mexican citizens anyway.
I believe all of us recognize these rebels were trattors
> Well, the Mexicans were surely not very honorable in this fight.
When were Mexicans ever honorable?
During the Mexican-American War, 1846-1846, the Mexican Troops used hollow point copper bullets with the hollow being filled with copper sulfate, i.e., poison bullets. These bullets had been outlawed by international treaty for over a century at that time. Virtually all wounds resulted in death by copper poisoning.
If Sam Houston had shot Santa Anna he would hailed as the Geo. Washington of Mexico. SA was a thorn in the side of Mexico for decades after Texas left.
Always remember that. When you invite people in who you don't 'force' to assimilate, there is always the chance they become the conquerors.
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