Goliad Massacre: Victory from Defeat
The Goliad Massacre (27 March 1836) was the execution of 350-400 Texians, of the garrison of Fort Defiance at Goliad, by the Mexican Army under orders from Mexican President and General Antonio López de Santa Anna (1794-1876). General José de Urrea (1797-1849) was commanding the troops who had defeated the forces of Texian Colonel James W. Fannin (1804-1836) at the Battle of Coleto (19-20 March 1836) and was in charge of the prisoners between then and 27 March, but Urrea disagreed with Santa Anna's policy of executing prisoners of war and so left it to his senior staff, chiefly Colonel José Nicolás de las Portilla, to deal with the prisoners.
Prior to this, between 27 February and 14 March, Urrea had sent prisoners of war under guard to Matamoros, refusing to kill them. At Goliad, however, although Urrea ordered Portilla to treat the prisoners well (especially Fannin), Portilla chose to follow Santa Anna's directive and had the Texian prisoners executed. Out of the 350-400, 28 survived by feigning death or managing to escape, others were rescued by Francita Alavez, the "Angel of Goliad," and another 20 were spared because they were considered useful to the cause of the Mexican army as doctors, interpreters, or laborers.
The Goliad Massacre and the Battle of the Alamo would become central to the victory of General Sam Houston (1795-1863) over Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto on 21 April 1836. Rallying his men with the cry, "Remember the Alamo!" and "Remember Goliad!", Houston won the battle in 18 minutes and, in so doing, won the independence of Texas.
Matamoros Expedition & Tornel Decree
Although conflict between Texians and the Mexican government began with the Anahuac Disturbances of 1832 and 1835, the Texas Revolution began with the Battle of Gonzales on 2 October 1835. Between October and December of that year, the Texians won every engagement. On 10 October, the Texians took the Presidio La Bahía near Goliad, renaming it Fort Defiance. Between 4 and 5 November, Texian forces under Philip Dimmitt (1801-1841) took Fort Lipantitlán. Dimmitt had earlier proposed a strike against the Mexican port of Matamoros. Now that he had Lipantitlán, however, he no longer felt that taking Matamoros was necessary. By December, he had changed his mind, encouraging others to take part in the attack, and various plans for a Matamoros Expedition were exchanged among the Texian command. James Grant (1793-1836) and Frank W. Johnson (1799-1884) were to lead the expedition, but differences within the command structure led to Colonel Fannin also being appointed to command.
After Mexican General Martín Perfecto de Cos (1800-1854) surrendered the Alamo after the Siege of Béxar (12 October to 11 December 1835) and left the region, many Texians believed the war was over and went home. Many others, however, did not. Volunteers were still stationed at the Alamo in San Antonio de Béxar, at Fort Defiance in Goliad, at Lipantitlán, and elsewhere. Grant and Johnson recruited men from these posts, taking 200 from the garrison at the Alamo and others from Goliad.
Sam Houston rejected the Matamoros Expedition as costly and unnecessary, arguing that Santa Anna would no doubt return to take Texas, and all available troops should be deployed to defend the positions won since October 1835. In early February 1836, Houston convinced many of the men under Grant and Johnson to abandon the Matamoros campaign, which they did. They then fell under Colonel Fannin's command, and he marched them from Refugio back to Fort Defiance at Goliad. Grant and Johnson were still determined to go on to Matamoros.
Santa Anna had heard of the Matamoros Expedition, however, and sent General José de Urrea to stop it. Prior to sending Urrea out, Santa Anna had secured from the Mexican Congress the Tornel Decree of 30 December 1835, which defined anyone who had taken up arms against Mexico a "land pirate" to be executed without due process of law. Santa Anna then issued this directive to his officers – including Urrea – ordering them to take no prisoners.
Urrea defeated Johnson's command at the Battle of San Patricio on 27 February 1836, and Grant was killed at the Battle of Agua Dulce on 2 March, ending the Matamoros enterprise. All that plan had accomplished was to bring General Urrea to Texas, and, so far, he had won both engagements and recruited more men. This is not to say Urrea would not have marched on Texas without the Matamoros Expedition, but that was the immediate catalyst. He now marched on toward Goliad, where, as he had been informed, a large Texian army was garrisoned at Fort Defiance.
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⇒ Goliad Massacre: Victory from Defeat
