Although Fannin and his men attempted a relief mission, they abandoned the attempt the following day. He did so on March 19, but took a leisurely path. Following the Battle of Coleto , the La Bahia garrison was captured and imprisoned in the presidio.
On March 27 the Texian captives were marched from the presidio and executed, in an event known as the Goliad Massacre. Although Spain claimed control over the area now known as Texas, until the late 17th century the province was largely ignored. Although La Salle intended to locate his colony along the Mississippi River, poor maps and improper navigation decisions led the colonists to instead land near Matagorda Bay in Spanish Texas. The greater the delay the greater the difficulty of attainment.
Several months earlier, Karankawa Indians had destroyed the fort, killing most of the colonists. Due to a shortage of funds, the Spanish government chose not to establish any presidios. In the subsequent decades France established a presence in Louisiana, causing the Spanish to fear that France could become a threat to other Spanish areas. Ninety men were left at the garrison. In April they requested that the mission be moved to a more favorable location.
The following year, both mission and presidio were relocated 26 miles 42 km inland, along the Guadalupe River in what is now Victoria County. Piszena had personally paid for a stone house to be built for himself, and the 50 soldiers in the garrison lived either in a large barracks or in one of 40 temporary wood homes that had been built for those with families.
A chapel had also been built for the presidio. The presidio was fortified with six 8-lb cannon. By the settlement had one of only two schools in Texas. In early August his recruits, calling themselves the Republican Army of the North , invaded Texas. One of the soldiers was captured, however, and revealed details of the ambush.
The invading army turned south to avoid the trap and quickly captured Presidio La Bahia. Salcedo promptly began a siege of the fort. The presidio was reinforced by soldiers from San Antonio, and Perry and his men were defeated on June 18 near Coleto Creek. La Bahia was again the target of invaders in Privacy Policy.
Subscriber Services. Contact Us. Discoveries…America National Parks. ISBN Reviewed by Sheila Acosta , Aug 01, Get Print. Get Digital. Get Both! Be the first reader to comment. Comment Policy: Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language. Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted. By , however, missionary activity ebbed, many of the ranchers left, and the era of prosperity drew to a close. The Presidio was the site of several conflicts over the course of the War for Mexican Independence In , a Mexican force led by Bernardo Gutierrez and August Magee took the fort from the Spanish and held it during the resulting siege.
In , when the Presidio was once again under Spanish control, Lieutenant Henry Perry led 50 men against the fort, but failed to take the Presidio before Spanish reenforcements arrived. Finally, in , James Long and his force of 54 civilians captured the fort, and held it for 24 hours before surrendering. The Texan forces successfully took Fort Goliad from the Mexicans in , but breakdowns in communication and command left them disjointed and weakened throughout the region.
During the winter of , one of the most horrific episodes of the war took place at the old presidio. Colonel James W. Fannin was in control of Fort Goliad at the time and, fearing approaching Mexican forces, decided to retreat with his supplies and men. The Mexicans captured the Texans after a brief battle and took back the Fort Goliad chapel.
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