Infamy at Goliad

[Craig Tx]

On this day in 1836, which happened to be Palm Sunday, at least 342 Texans were executed by firing squad at Goliad.

The Texans considered these men prisoners of war, whereas General Santa Anna thought them "perfidious foreigners." The Mexican dictator had decreed that all Texans in arms against the Mexican government were to be treated as traitors, not soldiers. The men were led out of town and shot at point- blank range. Those not killed by the first volley were hunted down and killed by gunfire, bayonet, or lance. The bodies were left unburied. The incident, which became known among Anglo-Texans as the Goliad Massacre, joined the Alamo as a rallying cry for Texas independence.

Craig's Note: What this post from the Texas State Historical Association does not tell you is that not all the prisoners were executed.  The doctors among the group were spared to provide medical care for the Mexican troops.  As well as a couple that were saved by one of the officer's wife.  Also a handful managed to escape the executions during the shooting.

Craig

[greyhunter]

Too bad Santa Anna got off w/o being tried and hung for war crimes!

[Craig Tx]

As Sam Houston said when folks were demandin' Santa Anna be hanged, and I'm paraphrasin' You want Santa Anna, I want Texas.

If the Texians would have hanged Santa Anna, there was no way the revolution would have succeeded.  With Santa Anna as prisoner, and issuing orders for his armies to withdraw, and sign the treaty the insure Texas' independence, a much better move.

Besides, it made for plenty of time to prepare for part 2 in the Mexican-American War.  Where he got an even bigger whuppin', after Polk was foolish enough to trust that Santa Anna would keep his word when they allowed him to return to Mexico from exile in Cuba.

Craig