1836 newspaper TEXAS REVOLUTION Fannin Massacre GOLIAD

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Please visit our EBAY STORE at the link directly below for HUNDREDS of HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS on sale or at auction: /Steve-Goldman-HISTORICAL-NEWSPAPERS_W0QQsspagenameZL2222QQtZkm SEE PHOTO----- COMPLETE ORIGINAL newspaper, the Rhode Island Republican (Newport, RI) dated July 20, 1836. Lots of inside page news on the aftermath of the TEXAS REVOLUTION including the aftremath of the FANNIN MASSACRE at GOLIAD . The Goliad Campaign refers to a series of battles which occurred in 1836 as part of the Texas Revolution , which ultimately led to the Goliad massacre . Troops from the army of Mexico defeated Texan forces in several clashes, and eventually massacred many of their prisoners of war , spreading outrage and resentment among the population of the fledgling Republic of Texas . Fannin's retreat and the Battle of Coleto Texas Col. James Fannin was ordered by General Sam Houston on March 11 , 1836 , to abandon Goliad and retreat to the Guadalupe River near Victoria. However, he had sent most of his carts and horses with Ward to Refugio and had no cavalry. He sent couriers to Ward, but all of them were intercepted by Urrea's cavalry. Fannin hoped to retreat to Victoria, but he hesitated for several days. Urrea, meanwhile, sent cavalry to surround and isolate Goliad. He linked up with several more units of Mexican infantry, bringing the total number of Mexican troops in the area to 1,500. Coleto Creek On March 18 , Urrea's advance scouts were viewing Goliad. Not until the morning of March 19 did Fannin finally begin his retreat from Goliad. Weighted down with cannon and 500 extra guns, Fannin burned his extra supplies in an attempt to lighten the load. The Texians had traveled only six miles (10 km) from their fort when, on March 19 , the Mexican army engaged the Texians on an open prairie. The Texians were less than one mile (1.6 km) from the safety of the tree line of Coleto Creek. That afternoon, Urrea's cavalry encircled the Texians. After several hours of fighting, the Mexicans had suffered an estimated 200 casualties and the Texians nine killed and about sixty wounded. Fighting was halted that day at dark. Fannin could have probably have cut his way to safety, but he refused to abandon the wounded. The next morning, seeing Urrea receive one hundred more men and three more artillery pieces, Fannin agreed to surrender. Fannin met to discuss terms with Colonel Juan José Holzinger (often misspelt as "Holsinger"). Fannin was unaware General Santa Anna had decreed execution for all rebels, but General Urrea negotiated surrender "at the disposal of the Supreme Mexican Government", falsely stating that no prisoner taken on those terms had lost his life. The Massacre The Texans were marched back to Goliad and held as prisoners, each believing that they were going to be set free in a matter of weeks. Knowing the prisoners' probable fate, General Urrea departed Goliad, leaving command to Colonel Jose Nicolas de la Portilla, and later writing to Santa Anna to ask for clemency for the Texians. Urrea wrote in his diary that he "...wished to elude these orders as far as possible without compromising my personal responsibility." On March 26 , 1836 , 19:00, Portilla received orders from Santa Anna in triplicate to execute the prisoners. At around 8 a.m. on Palm Sunday , March 27 , 1836 , Colonel Portilla had the 342 Texians marched out of Fort Defiance into three columns on the Bexar Road, San Patricio Road, and the Victoria Road. Once the columns reached their selected location, the Mexican soldados formed into two ranks on one side of the captives. The Texians were then fired on at point-blank range only a few hundred yards from the fort. The wounded and dying were then clubbed and stabbed. Those who survived the initial volley were run down by the Mexican cavalry. Fannin's men wounded in the Battle of Coleto were shot or bayoneted w they lay. Colonel Fannin was the last to be executed, after seeing his men butcd. Their... read more

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