In Goliad is the "Presidio La Bahia", it is designated as a National Historic Landmark and recognised as the world's finest example of a Spanish frontier fort. The history of the Presidio dates back to the early 1700s and was originally built by the Spanish to counter the encroachment of the French into the Spanish Province of Texas.
The Presidio was the site of the first Declaration of Texas Independence and the original chapel built initially for use by soldiers of the garrison is still in use today.
Unfortunately the Presidio is also the sight of the "darkest day in Texas history" being the location where Colonel James Fannin and 341 of his men were executed following their surrender after the battle of Coleto. This event occurred only weeks after the loss of the Alamo in San Antonio. The following description is provided by wikipedia.
The Mexicans took the Texans back to Goliad, where they were held as prisoners at Fort Defiance (Presidio La Bahia). The Texans thought they would likely be set free in a few weeks. General Urrea departed Goliad, leaving command to Colonel José Nicolás de la Portilla. Urrea wrote to Santa Anna to ask for clemency for the Texians. Under a decree passed by the Mexican Congress on December 30 of the previous year, armed foreigners taken in combat were to be treated as pirates and executed. Urrea wrote in his diary that he "...wished to elude these orders as far as possible without compromising my personal responsibility." Santa Anna responded to this entreaty by repeatedly ordering Urrea to comply with the law and execute the prisoners. He also had a similar order sent directly to the "Officer Commanding the Post of Goliad". This order was received by Portilla on March 26, who decided it was his duty to comply despite receiving a countermanding order from Urrea later that same day.[1][5]
The next day, Palm Sunday, March 27, 1836, Colonel Portilla had the 303 Texians marched out of Fort Defiance into three columns on the Bexar Road, San Patricio Road, and the Victoria Road, between two rows of Mexican soldiers; they were shot point-blank, and any survivors were clubbed and knifed to death.[1]
Forty Texians were unable to walk. Thirty nine were killed inside the fort, under the direction of Captain Carolino Huerta of the Tres Villas battalion, with Colonel Garay saving one. Colonel Fannin was the last to be executed, after seeing his men executed. Age 32, he was taken by Mexican soldiers to the courtyard in front of the chapel, blindfolded, and seated in a chair (due to his leg wound from the battle). He made three requests: he asked for his personal possessions to be sent to his family, to be shot in his heart and not his face, and to be given a Christian burial. The soldiers took his belongings, shot him in the face, and burned his body along with the other Texians who died that day.[6]
The entire Texian force was killed, except for 28 men who feigned death and escaped. Among these was Herman Ehrenberg, who later wrote an account of the massacre.[citation needed]
Fortunately, due to the intervention of the "Angel of Goliad" (Francita Alavez) and the courageous effort of Colonel Francisco Garay, 20 more men were held and spared as doctors, interpreters, or workers,[7] including Dr. Jack Shackelford.
Also spared were the 75 soldiers of William Parsons Miller and the Nashville Battalion, who had surrendered while still unarmed. They were later marched to Matamoros.[8]
Spared men were given white arm bands, and while wearing them could walk about freely. They were advised not to take off the arm band, since Mexican troops were hunting for those few who had escaped from Coleto, Victoria, and the massacre itself.
Below is a shot of the memorial to and grave site of Fannin and his men. It is a short walk from the the Presidio.
In the opposite direction to the Fannin Memorial and about half a mile away is the fully restored Mission Espiritu Santo (now a part of a national park).
The mission is overlooked and protected by the Presidio. The following link provides much better photos and a complete history.
Cheers Ross and Bev
