Untitled - the Digital Library of Georgia

590 GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS
Santa Anna, were, in the absence of General Urrea, massacred in cold
blood.
Four men to assist in the hospital and four surgeons, in addition to
the women, received exemption from the bloody edict of death, besides
which some few of the men who were fired upon afterwards escaped;
but the rest were inhumanly butchered. Some two weeks before he
was captured and put to death, Fannin wrote to a friend in the United
States: "I have about four hundred and twenty men here, and if I
can get provisions tomorrow or next day, I can maintain myself against
any force. I will never give up the ship."
Henderson Yoakum, the pioneer historian of Texas, gives the fright
ful details of the tragedy at Goliad as follows.* Says he: '"The
Texans now raised a white flag, which was promptly answered by the
enemy. Major "Wallace and Captain Chadwick went out, and in a
short time returned and reported that General Urrea would treat only
with the commanding officer. Colonel Fannin, though lame, went out.
assuring his men that he would make none other than an honorable
capitulation. He returned in a short time and communicated the terms
of agreement which he had made with Urrea. They were in substance
as follows: 1. That the Texans should be received and treated as
prisoners of war, according to the uses of the most civilized nations.
2. That private property should be respected and restored, but the
side-arms of the officers should be given up. 3. That the men should
be sent to Copano and thence, in eight days, to the United States, or
so soon thereafter as vessels could be secured to take them. 4. That
the officers should be paroled and returned to the United States, in like
manner. General Urrea immediately sent Holzinger and other officers
to announce the agreement. It was reduced to writing in both English
and Spanish languages, read over two or three times,, signed, and the
writings exchanged, ' in the most formal and solemn manner.' The
Texans immediately piled arms, and such of. 1 them as were able to
march were hurried off to Goliad, where they arrived at sundown on
the same day (the 20th). The wounded, among whom was Colonel
Fannin, did not reach the place till the 22nd. At Goliad the pris
oners were crowded into the old church, with no other food than a
scanty pittance of beef, without bread or salt. Colonel Fannin was
placed under the care of Colonel Holzinger, a German engineer in
the Mexican service. So soon as Fannin learned how badly his men
were treated, he wrote to General Urrea, stating the facts, and remind
ing him of the terms of capitulation.
"On the 23rd, Colonel Fannin and Colonel Holzinger proceeded to
Copano to ascertain if a vessel could be procured to convey the Texans
to the United States; but the vessel which they expected to obtain had
already left port. They did not return until the 26th. On the 23rd,
Major Miller, with eighty Texan volunteers, who had just landed at
Copano, were taken prisoners and brought into Goliad by Colonel Vara.
Again, on the 25th, Colonel Ward and his men, captured by Urrea,
were brought in. The evening of the 26th passed off pleasantly enough.
*"History of Texas, 1685 to 1845," by Henderson' Yoakum; embodied in
"Wooten 'a '' Comprehensive History of Texas,'' "Vol. I, pp. 254-260, Dallas, 1898.