Texans
In Goliad, Colonel James Fannin commanded the Texan force of nearly 500 trained soldiers and militia. Fannin had chosen to keep his troops at Goliad mainly because it had a fort, from which he believed it would be easier to fight than out in the open. Fannin also believed that by occupying Goliad, he could prevent Mexican commander Antonio López de Santa Anna from drawing supplies from the Gulf of Mexico, but Fannin was called to assist Colonel William Travis at the Alamo. On February 26, 1836, he attempted to march to San Antonio but turned back at the San Antonio River because of the inability to travel with the artillery and arms. Meanwhile, Mexican forces under General José de Urrea were quickly reaching Goliad, and they defeated three Texan forces at the Battle of San Patricio on February 27, the Battle of Agua Dulce on March 2, and the Battle of Refugio on March 12. It is noted in the McTennal (McTennell) family history that one of Fannin's men, a Texian going by the name of Samuel (Sampson) McTennell, was sent from Goliad by Fannin to remove women and children to safety, thereby becoming one of the few of Fannin's troops who escaped the Goliad Massacre.
Read more about this topic: Goliad Campaign
Famous quotes containing the word texans:
“It is very considerably smaller than Australia and British Somaliland put together. As things stand at present there is nothing much the Texans can do about this, and ... they are inclined to shy away from the subject in ordinary conversation, muttering defensively about the size of oranges.”
—Alex Atkinson, British humor writer. repr. In Present Laughter, ed. Alan Coren (1982)