Hootin' Anni's Day Trippin' : Goliad

Showing posts with label Goliad. Show all posts

§ Independence Trail [Part III]

The reason behind our day trip to Victoria and areas nearby was to find and walk the battleground which was a pivotal part of the Texas Revolution. I have read and am reading novels on the subject, and I told Bud one day we should go up north and see the area first hand. Of course the landscaping has changed considerably from the early 1800s, but all in all, a person can still get a live picture conjured up after seeing the area in real time. Two particular areas I've recently read about are many mentions of James Walker Fannin's surrender near Coleto Creek. and the massacre of his 300 plus troops near Goliad, Texas.¹ I wanted to see for myself. This area we visited on March 2nd [Texas Independence Day], was a near-ghost-town of Fannin, Texas. Coleto Creek area also has some history connected. Fannin Texas, at the time open prairie, was on the Coleto Creek [today it's been dammed and there is now a Coleto Creek Reservoir and Campground]. A battle took place here on March 19th and March 20th, instigating a surrender of Colonel Fannin and his men. They were marched to Goliad Texas by Santa Ana's army and executed. After walking the battleground in 2017 it was an 'awakening' experience. Some exhibits and a monument stand in memory of surrender and of the massacre...

Battleground Entrance

Exhibit A

Pictograph [Colonel Fannin, injured in Blue]

Mexican Soldier & Monument [exhibit house & pavilion in background]

One of a Few Copper exhibits showing battle weapons, etc.

The Battleground seen from Exhibit House

An Historical Synopsis in Exhibit House

One of the Few who survived the Goliad Massacre

Texians Armed at Coleto Creek Battle
["Texians" is not a typo...-...definition HERE]

Etched at the San Jacinto Monument in Houston

The Texas Flag of Today!

¹ [besides the Alamo in San Antonio, Washington on the Brazos [part I, II and III] where the declaration of Independence was drafted, signed, and ratified, to the last, winning battle for Texas's Independence - San Jacinto Battle near Houston which we visited years ago before becoming Texas citizens ourselves]

DAY TRIP - part one
DAY TRIP - part two

§ The Mission....

Before leaving our first stop at the presidio in Goliad, Texas, I took photos of the birthplace of General Ignacio Zaragoza. Zaragoza - a Texas/Mexican hero who defeated the French in 1862. The Battle of Puebla took place on 5 May 1862, near the city of Puebla during the French intervention in Mexico. The Mexican victory, of this particular battle, is celebrated yearly...its celebration is regional in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is celebrated as El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (English: The Day of the Battle of Puebla). There is some limited recognition of the holiday in other parts of the country [Old Mexico] although this holiday remains very popular in the United States where it is celebrated yearly as Cinco de Mayo.

Just down the highway a short distance from the presidio and Fannin Memorial area we stopped to visit the La Bahia Mission [also known as Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zuñiga] Considered today to be one of the most successful missions in Texas, converting many to the Christian faith, La Bahia Mission is a 'resurrected' mission from the 1700's original that went to decay. By rebuilding the mission, excavation allowed for many artifacts to be found, and original stone to be used in refurbishing the mission as you see it today. Tho rebuilt and not the 'first' mission on site, the mission received a listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

While Bud and Erik perused more of the artifacts and read the description of just about everything...I hightailed it out to the nature trail to view the San Antonio River. Last Spring the river flooded and did a lot of damage to the grounds, so, most of the river trail was still closed to the public. But the park warden pointed out which trail was still safe for me to walk! Taking only a few photos of birds [cardinal, bluebirds and thrasher and vultures soaring silently high above] here are some photos of what else I saw along the trail:

When we met back at the parking lot, we decided to stop for lunch before heading to the old town and the courthouse. We knew the courthouse would be closed for the holiday so there really wasn't much hurry. Besides the threat of rain kinda put a damper on the afternoon. We also wanted to make a stop at Refugio, Texas before heading home, and we had made reservations for dinner at a restaurant in Corpus for that night...

The Hanging Tree in front of the courthouse, the courthouse and part of old town Goliad

§ Goliad Texas - The 2nd Alamo

GOLIAD [pronounced GO lee add]
BAHIA [pronounced bah EE ah in Spanish, meaning BAY]

Texas Flag History
"I would rather cut off my right arm, than live under tyranny"

- - -

While Erik was visiting during his teaching holiday break, we took him to Goliad, Texas. This little town is known in Texas Lore as the "Second Alamo". The area is only part of the Texas Independence Trail. Here, on October 9, 1835, in the early days of the Texas Revolution, a group of Texans* attacked the presidio in the Battle of Goliad. The Mexican garrison quickly surrendered, leaving the Texans in control of the fort. The first declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas was signed here on December 20, 1835

In obedience to Santa Anna's orders [the 8th president of Old Mexico], on this day in 1836 [March 27th] Urrea [Santa Anna's chief lieutenant] ordered his men to open fire on Fannin and his soldiers, along with about 100 other captured Texans. More than 400 men were executed that day at Goliad. The Goliad Massacre, set in the town of Goliad, was the killing of Republic of Texas prisoners of war and their commander, James Fannin, during the Texas Revolution by the Mexican Army. Words echoed through the area: "Remember Goliad" as were stated about the Alamo! Texas, under Samuel Houston finally won their independence just less than a short month later, at San Jacinto. The decisive battle would earn Texas its independence. Houston concluded his impassioned speech with the rallying cry: “Remember the Alamo! The Alamo! The Alamo!” His men thundered a reply with an addendum: “Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!”

Within the town of Goliad, there is a state park, a mission, and an historic courthouse to entice history buffs...

The State Historical Park was our first stop:

Fannin Memorial:

[the curator of the museum stated the canon at the Fannin Memorial is an original from the fort's grounds]

Next stop: Goliad's La Bahia Presidio [originally founded in the early 1700s]

Note: The church [as seen in these photos/with the crosses] within the compound is still in use for Sunday Services!!!

From the many gun turrets of the fort walls, the view of the surrounding area is vast and open. From the tree tops you can see the Mission and the historic courthouse spires, which we also visited. Photos of the mission and a stop at the courthouse photos will be in an upcoming post...