Goliad in Goliad County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
A Pitiful Site
Photographed By James Hulse, October 23, 2023
1. A Pitiful Site Marker
The Texan victory at the Battle of San Jacinto led to the withdrawal of the Mexican army from Texas. At the end of May 1836, General Thomas Rusk reoccupied Victoria and Goliad. The Centralist soldiers had only partially burned the bodies of Fannin's men, and grisly reminders of the massacre lay scattered about. Rusk ordered the bones and unburned remains collected and buried. On June 3, 1836, Rusk assembled his command and conducted a funeral ceremony for their fallen comrades. One hundred years later, the State of Texas built a monument to Fannin's men. Known as the Fannin Memorial Monument, it was completed and dedicated in 1938. It is managed by Goliad County.
Captions
Lower Left: D.B. Hardeman, great grand-son of Massacre survivor J.H. Barnard, speaking at the 1938 dedication of the Fannin Memorial Monument.
Market House Museum Collection
Upper Right: Fannin Memorial Monument
TxDOT
Erected by Presidio la Bahía State Historic Site.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Churches & Religion • Forts and Castles • War, Texas Independence. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1836.
Location. 28°
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A Strategic Location (here, next to this marker); Welcome to the Ignacio Zaragoza Birthplace / Bienvenido a la Casa Natal de Ignacio Zaragoza (a few steps from this marker); General Ignacio Zaragoza (within shouting distance of this marker); Presidio La Bahía (within shouting distance of this marker); Presidio la Bahia del Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga (within shouting distance of this marker); Replica of Texas Independence Flagpole (within shouting distance of this marker); Manuel Becerra (within shouting distance of this marker); Nine Flags Over Goliad (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Goliad.
More about this marker. The markers are located on the grounds of the Presidio la Bahía State Historic Site which requires a small entrance fee to access.
Also see . . .
1. Presidio la Bahía State Historic Site. Texas Historical Commission website entry:
The Presidio, established in 1749 on this site during the Spanish colonial period, was crucial to the development of Texas. Witnessing filibustering expeditions(Submitted on October 27, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)and playing a role in the Mexican war for independence from Spain, the Presidio was the site of the Goliad Massacre on Palm Sunday, March 1836. It played host to one of the bloodiest chapters in Texas' quest for independence from Mexico after the shocking Texian defeat at the Battle of Coleto Creek. The massacre prompted the rallying cry, "Remember Goliad" heard at the Battle of San Jacinto.Photographed By James Hulse, October 23, 20232. The view of the Fannin Memorial Monument behind the marker
2. Goliad Massacre. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) website entry:
The impact of the Goliad Massacre was crucial. Until this episode Santa Anna's reputation had been that of a cunning and crafty man, rather than a cruel one. When the Goliad prisoners were taken, Texas had no other army in the field, and the newly constituted ad interim government seemed incapable of forming one. The Texas cause was dependent on the material aid and sympathy of the United States. Had Fannin's and Miller's men been dumped on the wharves at New Orleans penniless, homesick, humiliated, and distressed, and each with his separate tale of Texas mismanagement and incompetence, Texas prestige in the United States would most likely have fallen, along with sources of help. But Portilla's volleys at Goliad, together with the fall of the Alamo, branded both Santa Anna and the Mexican people with a reputation for cruelty and aroused(Submitted on October 27, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)the fury of the people of Texas, the United States, and even Great Britain and France, thus considerably promoting the success of the Texas Revolution.Photographed By James Hulse, October 23, 20233. Closeup of the Fannin Memorial Monument
Photographed By James Hulse, October 23, 2023
4. The Fannin Memorial Monument grounds
Credits. This page was last revised on March 3, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 27, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 74 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 27, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
