Goliad massacre: Texan prisoners under James Fannin shot at Presidio La Bahía
- When
- 1836
- Where
- Presidio La Bahía; Goliad
- Episodes
- 2
The Goliad massacre occurred on March 27, 1836, when Mexican troops executed Texian prisoners near Presidio La Bahía. Following the Battle of Coleto, Colonel James Fannin's forces were captured. Despite requests for clemency, a decree treating armed foreigners as pirates led to their execution. The event resulted in significant casualties, traditionally cited as 342, though sources vary between 400 and 445.
Episodes
- Execution of Texian Prisoners
Texian prisoners under Colonel Fannin were executed by Mexican troops at Goliad on March 27, 1836.
- Discovery of Remains
General Rusk found the victims' remains in June 1836 and ordered a formal military funeral.
Background and detail
Background. The Texas Revolution began in October 1835. By March 1836, a political convention declared independence. Colonel James Fannin, commissioned in December 1835, led Texian forces. After the Battle of Coleto, his men were captured. A decree passed by the Mexican Congress in December 1835 mandated that armed foreigners be treated as pirates and executed, setting the stage for the massacre.
Execution. On March 27, 1836, Palm Sunday, Colonel Portilla ordered the execution of prisoners. Fannin's men were marched from Fort Defiance in three columns. They were shot, clubbed, or knifed to death between rows of Mexican soldiers. The exact number of victims is disputed, with sources citing between 400 and 445 prisoners, though legacy conventions often state 342.
Aftermath. General Rusk discovered the remains in June 1836 and ordered a formal military funeral. The event was later memorialized in literature, such as a poem by Charles Drake Ferris in 1837. The massacre remains a significant event in the Texas Revolution, distinct from the Alamo siege.
People involved
- James Walker Fannin · Colonel in the Texian Army
- Colonel Portilla · Mexican officer who ordered the execution
- Antonio López de Santa Anna · Mexican President who pushed for the execution decree
- General Rusk · Discovered remains and ordered funeral
Sources
- Goliad massacre Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-31
- James Fannin Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-28
- Presidio La Bahía Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-31
- Texas Revolution Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-05
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.