Presidio La Bahia - Goliad, Texas - © 2013 - Trina Deconcini

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Volume 21, Number 20 ~ Monday, May 20, 2013 (No. 961) Featured Article

Presidio La Bahia - Goliad, Texas

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Prior to the Texas Revolution, the Mexican government maintained two major garrisons within Texas. The first, and better known, was the Alamo, at San Antonio de Bexar. The lesser known, but as important to Texas’ history, was the “Presidio Nuestra Señora de Loreto de la Bahía” (more commonly known as “Presidio La Bahia,” or simply “La Bahia”), near present day Goliad, on the San Antonio River. La Bahia was built by the Spanish Army in 1721 on the ruins of the former (French) Fort Saint Louis. The presidio was moved to a location on the Guadalupe River in 1726, and, in 1747, the fort and its mission were moved to their current location. By the late 18th century, by then rebuilt in stone, La Bahia remained as the only Spanish fort along the Gulf Coast. Goliad developed next to La Bahia in the late 18th century. Spain claimed control over the area now known as Texas, but pretty well ignored it until the late 17th century. In an attempt to take advantage of Spain's disinterest, in 1685 France authorized Robert de La Salle to organize a colony in the area between New Spain and Florida. 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 Texas. Believing the French colony was a threat to Spanish mines and shipping routes, Spanish King Carlos II's Council of War recommended that Spain needed “to remove this thorn which has been thrust into the heart of America.” Five years later, after considerable searching, a Spanish expedition finally located the site of Fort Saint Louis in early 1689 -- members of the local Karankawa tribe had destroyed the fort, killing most of the colonists. The Spanish expedition burned the remains of the French fort and buried the French cannons.

TIBA’s Texas Law Reporter - Vol. 21, No. 20 - May 20, 2013 - Page 1 Although it was recommended that presidios be established along the Rio Grande, Frio River, and the Guadalupe River, none were built, due to scarcity of funds. Over the next several years, several Spanish missions were built in Texas, but there were no presidios, and, by 1693, the Spanish had no presence in Texas. During the next 20 years, the French established a presence in Louisiana. This caused the Spanish to fear that France could become a threat to other Spanish areas. In 1716, Spain began reestablishing missions and presidios in Texas. After a war with France in 1719-1720, Spain became began to increase its military presence in Texas. In 1721, the Marquis de San Miguel de Aguayo, governor of Texas and Coahuila, founded Presidio La Bahia on the site of the former French fort. He also established a mission for the Coco, Karankawa, and Cujane Indians. The priests at the mission were unable to find an effective means to convince the Karankawa to submit to mission life or Catholic teachings, and, in 1726, both mission and presidio were relocated 26 miles inland, along the Guadalupe River in what is now Victoria County. For the next 23 years the mission and presidio remained in this location. Then, in 1749, the presidio and the mission were moved to its location on the San Antonio River. In February 1750, the new presidio was placed under the command of Captain Manuel Ramírez de la Piszena. A chapel was built, and Piszena built a stone house for himself. Within 20 years, France was no longer a threat to Spain's North American interests. All of the presidios were abandoned except La Bahia, which was rebuilt in stone. La Bahia was now in the center of several major trade and military routes. Mexico declared independence from Spain in 1810. The presidio was captured by insurgents twice during the War of Independence, in 1813, and again in 1821. Each time, however, the insurgents were later defeated by Spanish troops. After a civil war lasting eleven years, the Treaty of Córdoba, which recognized Mexican independence, was signed in August 1821. By the end of 1821 Texas became

TIBA’s Texas Law Reporter - Vol. 21, No. 20 - May 20, 2013 - Page 2 part of the newly formed United Mexican States. La Bahia which lay halfway between San Antonio de Béxar and Copano, the major port in Texas, was, once again, one of the two major garrisons in Mexican Texas. Within days of the opening of the Texas Revolution in October 1835, members of the Texian militia in Matagorda marched towards La Bahia, intent on seizing Mexican General Martín Perfecto de Cos. With other settlers joining them along the way, the number of volunteers grew to approximately 125 men. Several men who lived near Goliad joined the march and reported that Cos had already departed La Bahia for San Antonio. They also reported that Colonel Juan López Sandoval commanded only 50 men, far fewer than the number necessary to defend the entire perimeter of the presidio. The march continued and, in the pre-dawn hours of October 10, the Texians attacked the presidio. Mexican soldiers opened fire, hitting Samuel McCulloch, a freed slave, in the shoulder. Texians returned fire for approximately 30 min. During a pause in the fighting, a Texian spokesperson yelled out that the Texians would “massacre everyone of you, unless you come out immediately and surrender . . ..” After a 30-minute battle, the Mexican garrison surrendered and the Texians gained control of the presidio. At some time after the battle, Colonel James Fannin became the commander of the troops at La Bahia. He renamed the presidio “Fort Defiance.” During the siege of the Alamo, Col. William Travis asked La Bahia commander James Fannin to bring reinforcements to San Antonio. Although Fannin and his men attempted a relief mission, they soon abandoned the attempt. After the Alamo fell, Sam Houston ordered Fannin to abandon La Bahia. He did so on March 19, but did not march his troops with any haste. Fannin’s garrison was captured, returned to 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. In the 1960s, local philanthropist Kathryn O'Connor donated $1 million to restore the presidio. Construction took place between 1963 and 1968, with the building being essentially rebuilt from the ground up to

TIBA’s Texas Law Reporter - Vol. 21, No. 20 - May 20, 2013 - Page 3 look exactly as it had originally. Today, La Bahia is the best-preserved Spanish presidio in the United States.

TIBA’s Texas Law Reporter - Vol. 21, No. 20 - May 20, 2013 - Page 4