Texas History - 1836 Goliad Massacre with Unseen Footage and Images of Artifacts in 360 Degrees

The massacre of Goliad: the Texas Historical Commission production. The calendar turned to 1836 and with it came bitter north winds and driving rain. The foul weather brought up foreboding reversal of the fortunes of the young Texian revolution. A much larger Mexican Army threatened to wipe out the gains the Texians had achieved in 1835. The crushing blow came at the fall of the Alamo with all of its defenders. Upon hearing the news at Gonzales Sam Houston wept. And while Houston was shattered he could still read a map and what it revealed was ominous. Two main roads entered Texas from the Mexican interior. At San Antonio the Alamo blocked the Western approach. At Goliad the Presidio la Bahía which its garrison had renamed Fort Defiance jammed the southern. Now the Mexican commander Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana could outflank Goliad with General Jose de Urrea's forces and cut off the Presidio. In command of Fort Defiance was Colonel James Fannin who had attended West Point and was just 32 years old. Houston dispatched orders to Fannin outlining a retreat from Goliad and to rendezvous with the rest of the Texian forces in Victoria. On the morning of March 19th Fannin and the Goliad garrison belatedly abandoned Fort Defiance. And even then they traveled at a snail's pace. Fannin insisted on hauling heavy cannon pulled by slow-moving oxen and inexplicably he stopped in an open field at midday to rest. In short order they saw Urrea's cavalry galloping after them. To make matters worse their ammunition wagon broke down and the rebels had no choice but to form a square formation around the stricken wagon to stand their ground in the open during the subsequent battle of Coleto Creek the Texians fought bravely throughout the afternoon and into the evening. But dawn revealed that Urrea had received reinforcements. Now armed with a Howitzer Mexican artillerymen could stand beyond rifle range and blast the rebel square to red ruin. If the Texians broke formation and ran for cover Urrea's Lancers stood ready to ride them down. Realizing the hopelessness of the situation Fannin who was severely wounded surrendered. Urrea marched the defeated Texians back to the Presidio la Bahia. Few of the prisoners would have now had the heart to call it Fort Defiance. For a week Mexican soldiers held Fannin's men in close confinement inside the Presidio's small chapel. Then on Palm Sunday March 27 1836 Mexican soldiers in compliance with Santa Ana's direct order led between 425 and 445 Texian prisoners out of the fort in three groups. They' were in high spirits enjoying the fresh air for the first time in an entire week. They also believed that they were traveling to the coast board ships bound for the United States. Yet when the prisoners had marched about a mile from the Presidio their guards halted the columns and opened fire at point-blank range. Soldados finished off those not immediately dispatched by musket fire with bayonets lances and butcher knives. Though 28 men escaped some 342 others fell victim to Santa Ana's malice. In the beginning of what Texans now recall as the Goliad Massacre. Back at the Presidio the 40 wounded prisoners including Fannin were about to meet the same fate. The Mexican soldiers marched Fannin to a chair. As a final request Fannin asked that his personal possessions including a watch be sent to his family that the firing party aim for his heart and that his body received the Christian burial. Soldados pocketed his belongings and promptly shot him in the face tossing his body on a common funeral pyre. Fannin and his men joined Alamo defenders as martyrs who sacrifice called out for vengeance. On April 21st 1836 Sam Houston's ragged soldiers answered that appeal on the bloody field of San Jacinto. True Texan soldiers shouted your vengeful battle cry, "Remember the Alamo" but they also thundered, "Remember Goliad." And so should we all

Channel: Texas Historical Commission

Views: 358,679

Keywords: Goliad, Texas, 1836, massacre, Presidio La Bahia, Colonel, James, Fannin, Battle, Coleto Creek, Texians, independence, antonio lopez de santa anna, history, Fort Defiance, epaulettes, General Jose Urrea, March 27, Goliad Massacre, Remember Goliad, 360, degree, video

Id: G_5r6HCW_DE

Length: 5min 52sec (352 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 05 2017