The Alamo and Goliad

1
The Alamo and Goliad

• Defeat in South Texas
• p. 237 - 241

2
Urrea Sweeps Northward to Refugio

• While the fighting at the Alamo raged, General
  Urrea advanced from Matamoras up through South
  Texas.
• Urrea battled a force of about 30 men under
  Captain Amon B. King at Refugio. Most of the
  Texans were either killed or captured.
• Urrea then battled 100 Texans under Colonel
  William Ward at Refugio and Victoria. Most of the
  Texans were either killed or captured.
• These battles were a severe blow to the Texan
  efforts to halt the Mexican armys drive
  northward.

3
Fannin Delays His Departure

• In February Fannin decided to help Travis at the
  Alamo, but a shortage of wagons caused him to
  return to Goliad.
• Fannin was ordered by Houston to retreat toward
  Victoria.
• Urrea attacked Fannins 300 men when they were
  resting to eat.
• Urrea surrounded the Texans. Fannin assembled his
  soldiers in a square and drove the Mexicans back
  three times.

4
Fannin Delays His Departure

• 7 Texans were killed and 60 were wounded,
  including Colonel Fannin.
• The next morning, Urrea received reinforcements
  and opened fire on the Texans at daybreak.
• After a brief exchange of gunfire, Fannin
  surrendered to Urrea.
• The Battle of Coleto was over.

5
Texans Surrender

• There has been confusion about the terms of
  surrender Texans believed they were prisoners of
  war and would be treated fairly.
• The surrender agreement, in Mexican archives,
  contains no such promise. The document states the
  Texans surrendered unconditionally.
• Fannin and his troops were marched to Goliad,
  where they were imprisoned in the old presidio.

6
Santa Annas Cruel Necessity

• General Urrea wrote to President Santa Anna,
  requesting that the lives of the prisoners be
  spared.
• Santa Anna ordered the immediate execution of the
  Texans because he feared that if he let them go,
  they would join others in the rebellion.
• All the soldiers were marched out into a prairie
  and shot. Colonel Fannin was the last to be shot.
• General Urrea and many Mexican soldiers regretted
  Santa Annas decision.

7
The Lessons of the Alamo and Goliad

• Texans may never have won their independence
  without the Battle of the Alamo.
• The battle cost Santa Anna the lives of
  considerable number of professional solders.
• News of the battle also inspired U.S. citizens to
  aid the Texans in their fight for freedom.
• Santa Anna had hoped that the fall of the Alamo
  would convince the Texans to give up, but it had
  the opposite effect.
• News of the executions at Goliad angered Texans.
  Remember Goliad now joined Remember the Alamo
  as the rallying cries of the Texas soldiers.