Battle of Coleta & the Goliad Massacre
Like the Alamo, Presidio La Bahia was an old mission in Goliad that had been converted into a
military outpost. There were approximately 300 Texas soldiers stationed at the mission. After the
defeat at the Alamo, General Sam Houston sent word of the fall of the Alamo and orders to Colonel
James Fannin to immediately evacuate his forces to the town of Victoria due of advances made by
the Mexican army of approximately 1400 men toward Goliad. Because Fannin had two units of
soldiers out on a mission, the was hesitant to comply with Houston's orders. Eventually news
reached Fannin that both units of men had been captured. On March 19, 1836, eight days after
Houston's orders, Fannin finally ordered the evacuation. The retreat was a slow-moving process due
to the number of carts and supplies they were taking with them and that afternoon they came face to
face with the Mexican Army.
A smaller unit of the main army had come
upon Fannin's forces and fighting ensued.
Fannin has his men use the carts to form
a square with cannons in each of the
corners creating a make-shift fort and his
man managed to hold off the Mexican
army throughout the night, but with the
arrival of the main Mexican army,
Fannon's forces had no other choice but
to surrender to General Jose de Urrea of
the Mexican forces that defeated Fannin.
The captured Texas forces were sent
back to Goliad where they expected to be
deported to New Orleans.
A 1835 decree issued by Santa Anna
refused to recognize the fighters as a real
army, but rather pirates and should be
executed. General Urrea plead for
leniency for the prisoners. Santa Anna
however had no interest in leniency and
ordered the immediate execution of the
captured Texas forces. On March 27,
1836 the Texas forces were marched a
half mile out form the fort where they
were shot. Fannin was the last, requested
to not be shot in the head, that his watch
be sent to his family, and he be given a
Christian burial. None of these requests
were honored.