Monument to those massacred at Goliad. By P6150, CC BY-SA 3.0, [source]
March 27th, 1836 Massacre at Goliad
Defeat The Alamo had fallen and the new commander of the Texas army, Sam Houston, was consolidating his forces. He ordered the men stationed in Goliad under Colonel Fannin to retreat to join the main force at Gonzalez. Fannin delayed. He knew the Mexican army, under General Urrea, was in the area, but he had sent a number of his men to evacuate civilians in Refugio, and decided to wait for their return. Unbeknownst to Fannin, the men were captured by Urrea and many were killed, captured, or executed. On March 19th, the two forces engaged in the Battle of Coleto. At first, the Texans held their own, but the Mexicans were heavily reinforced and the Texans surrendered on March 20th. They were marched back to the Presidio La Bahia, their former fort, which had now become their prison.
Presidio la Bahia, better known as Goliad. By Chuckter, CC BY-SA 4.0, [source]
Massacre The Texans thought they would be released back to the United States in a few weeks, but it was not to be. Though General Urrea fought to get clemency for the men, the Mexican Congress had declared that any foreigners who took up arms against Mexico would be treated as pirates and executed. Urrea wrote to Santa Anna asking for the men to be treated as prisoners of war. He was ordered to execute them instead. Perhaps suspecting that Urrea was unwilling to carry out the order, Santa Anna also sent a letter to the “Officer Commanding the Post of Goliad,” José Nicolás de la Portilla, who Urrea had left in charge. Despite a conflicting order from Urrea, on March 27th, Portilla ordered the Texans marched out in three groups in different directions. The men were then shot at point blank range and survivors were hunted down and killed. Another 40 or so men unable to march were killed within the Presidio, including Colonel Fannin after he had seen the deaths of his men. Between 400 and 450 men were killed in the massacre.
Survivors 28 men played dead and were later able to escape to the main Texan army. About another 20 were spared to work as orderlies, interpreters, and skilled labor thanks to the pleas of the “Angel of Goliad,” Francita Alavez.
The massacre cemented the ideas of Mexican cruelty in the minds of the Anglo-Texans and the people of the United States. More volunteers would come from the US to help fight what they saw as Mexican tyranny and perfidy. When the Texas army entered the Battle of San Jacinto a month later they would shout “Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!”
