If Urrea gave him that guarantee, however, he did not have the power to do so. Believing they were on missions to gather wood, drive cattle or even sail to safety in New Orleans, the rebels joked and swapped stories. On March 27, 1836, over three hundred rebellious Texan prisoners, most of them captured a few days before while battling the Mexican army, were executed by Mexican forces. The Mexicans took the Texians back to Goliad, where they were held as prisoners at Fort Defiance (Presidio La Bahia). In February, Mexican General Jose de Urrea led a branch of the Mexican army up the Gulf Coast of Mexican Texas toward Goliad, where a large contingent of soldiers from the Texian Army were garrisoned under Colonel James W. Fannin.. James Fannin's withdrawal from this place was marked by a series poor decisions. Urrea wrote in his diary that he "... wished to elude these orders as far as possible without compromising my personal responsibility." The brothers served under Col. James Walker Fannin, and were captured. The piece describes the escape of Dillard Cooper and three companions from the Goliad Massacre in 1836 according to Darden’s interview with Cooper in Columbus. As Palm Sunday dawned on March 27, the prisoners were divided into quarters. Reenactment of Fannin’s Execution at Goliad Presidio. With the rebels at the Alamo and Goliad dead, Santa Anna felt confident enough to divide his force, which in turn allowed Sam Houston to defeat him. "The New Georgia Encyclopedia. James Fannin was executed separately, he stayed near the church and before they killed him all he asked for was a Christian burial, to be shot in the chest, and to have his watch delivered to his family. … The Goliad Massacre marked an ugly moment in the history of the Texas Revolution. They thought they were to be deported, but Santa Anna had other plans. On March 19, Fannin finally left Goliad, at the head of a long train of men and supplies. San Jacinto. ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/the-goliad-massacre-2136250. Elvis Presley. On March 26, 1836, 19:00, Santa Anna ordered Portilla to execute the prison… Fannin, however, lacked the same urgency as the orders he received on March 14, 1836. With his regiment of about 400 men, Fannin surrendered at the Battle of Coleto after being surrounded by the Mexican forces, and were taken back to Goliad. Twenty-eight men escape; 20 more are spared, being deemed useful to the Mexican Army. Goliad Massacre-Index | Independence-Index . The Georgian came to prominence in the Texas Revolution and is primarily known as the embattled commander of the Presidio de la Bahía at Goliad renamed Fort Defiance, and made famous by the Goliad Massacre. Simultaneously, Mexican president Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna led a larger force into the Texas interior, where on March 6th, his troops won the Battle of the Alamo. Fannin and his officers decided to return to Goliad, unaware of the massacre that would fall upon Travis and company — which included a sickly James Bowie, with whom Fannin had successfully taken Mission de Concepción a few months earlier. Appeals from Travis at the Alamo (via James Bonham) prompted Fannin to launch a relief march of over 300 men and four pieces of artillery on 25 February 1836. Burr H. Duval was killed, but his brother escaped the Palm Sunday massacre. Though not as salient as the battle of the Alamo, the massacre immeasurably garnered support for the cause against Mexico both within Texas and in the United States, thus contributing greatly to the Texan victory at the battle of San Jacinto and … answer choices . James W. Fannin had planned, but then aborted, an action against Matamoros, and a large number of Texans remained under his command in Goliad. Nearly 350 rebels were executed in the Goliad Massacre, almost twice as many as were killed at the siege of the Alamo. On April 21, less than a month later, General Sam Houston engaged Santa Anna at the decisive Battle of San Jacinto. Eleven biographies on some of the prominent participants of the campaign, including James Fannin, Santa Anna, and José de Urrea. Goliad Massacre. Topic: Massacre at Goliad (1836) 1. Who are the key people and groups involved in the event? Santa Anna, however, had no desire for such mercy. The Republic of Texas - The Texas Revolution The Goliad Massacre. This engagement is known as the Battle of Coleto, as it was fought near Coleto Creek. The park betrays the site where Col Fannin, enroute to the Alamo, was captured after a defensive fight against Santa Anna's cavalry, and led back to Goliad where all 400 Texian troops were executed.