History of Goliad, Texas: In early August 1812, during the Mexican War of Independence, Mexican revolutionary Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara and his recruits, called the Republican Army of the North, invaded Texas.[11] In November, the invaders captured Presidio La Bahia.[12] For the next four months, Texas governor Manuel María de Salcedo laid siege to the fort.[13] Unable to win a decisive victory, Salcedo lifted the siege on February 19, 1813, and turned toward San Antonio de Bexar.[14] The rebels controlled the presidio until July or August 1813, when José Joaquín de Arredondo led royalist troops in retaking all of Texas.[15] Henry Perry, a member of the Republican Army of the North, led forces back to Texas in 1817 and attempted to recapture La Bahia. The Mexicans reinforced the presidio with soldiers from San Antonio, and defeated Perrys forces on June 18 near Coleto Creek.[15] The area was invaded again in 1821. The United States and Spain signed the Adams-Onís Treaty, giving all rights to Texas to Spain. On October 4, the 52 members of the Long Expedition captured La Bahia. Four days later, Colonel Ignacio Pérez arrived with troops from Bexar; Long surrendered.[16] By the end of 1821, Mexico had achieved its independence from Spain, and Texas became part of the newly created country.[17] Mexico In 1829, the name of the Mexican Texas village of La Bahía was changed to Goliad, believed to be an anagram of Hidalgo (omitting the silent initial H), in honor of the patriot priest Miguel Hidalgo, the father of Mexicos independence.[18] 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. Texans held the area until March 1836, when their garrison under Colonel James Fannin was defeated at the nearby Battle of Coleto. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, then President of Mexico, ordered that all survivors were to be executed. On Palm Sunday, March 27, 1836, in what was later called the Goliad Massacre, 303 were marched out of the fort to be executed, 39 were executed inside the presidio (20 prisoners were spared because they were either physicians or medical attendants); 342 men were killed and 28 escaped.[19] In 1829, Goliad was the birthplace of the famous Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza, commander against the French Army in the battle of Puebla, now celebrated as Cinco de Mayo on May 5, 1862.[20]
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 13:46:28 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015