Houston arrived at Gonzales on March 11, 1836, and upon learning of the massacre at the Alamo, he decided to retreat to the Colorado River and ordered all inhabitants to accompany him. This became known as the “Runaway Scrape.”23 Houston fearing another defeat at the hands of the Mexican army, ordered Colonel James W. Fannin to evacuate his forces from Fort Defiance, the presidio in Goliad. Houston ordered Fannin to retreat to Victoria, 30 miles to the east. Victoria, located on the eastern side of the Guadalupe River, provided a natural defensive barrier in case of attack. “The immediate advance of the enemy may be confidently expected,” Houston warned Fannin. “Prompt movements are therefore highly important.”24 Fannin did not feel a sense of urgency when he read Houston’s order on March 14, 1836. Fannin ignored Houston’s order. Fannin finally ordered the retreat on March 19, 1836. Carts weighted down with cannons, artillery and baggage made the retreat slow and laborious. Fannin and his men stopped to rest near the Coleto Creek timber line in the open prairie. It was soon discovered the Mexican army was emerging from the timber line. Fannin ordered his men to form a square with cannons on each corner.25 After a series of attacks, the inability to retreat with wounded and the Mexican army reinforced and re-supplied, Fannin was convicted any further action would be futile.
“After consulting with his officers, a decision was made to seek honorable terms of surrender for the sake of the wounded, and to hope the Mexicans would adhere to them. Fannin's men apparently drafted terms of surrender guaranteeing that they would be considered prisoners of war, that their wounded would be treated, and that they sooner or later would be paroled to the United States. But Urrea could not ratify such an agreement; he was bound by Santa Anna's orders and congressional decree to accept no terms other than unconditional surrender. He made it clear to Fannin in person that he could offer only to intercede on the Texans' behalf with Santa Anna. The extant document of capitulation, signed by Benjamin C. Wallace, Joseph M. Chadwick, and Fannin, shows that the Texas commander surrendered his men "subject to the disposition of the supreme government"; but Fannin apparently did not make this fact clear to his men, since survivors' accounts indicate that the Texans were led to believe they were surrendering honorably as prisoners of war and would be returned to the United States.”26
The Texans were escorted back to Goliad and held prisoner at Fort Defiance, the same Fort from which they had retreated. Texas physicians were made to care for the Mexican wounded to the neglect of their own men. Urrea left Goliad and continued his march to secure Guadalupe Victoria. Urrea wrote to Santa Anna asking for leniency from the decree issued by Santa Anna in December 1835 ordering that all foreigners fighting against the Mexican government would be treated as pirates and executed. In his dispatch, Urrea left the decision of execution to Santa Anna. Santa Anna showed no mercy an ordered the immediate execution of the ‘perfidious foreigners.” He dispatched an aide to Goliad to ensure Lt. Col. Jose Nicolas de la Portilla, who was left in charge while Urrea continued to march, carried-out these monstrous acts. Within hours of Santa Anna’s dispatch, Portilla received a message from General Urrea which said to “treat the prisoners with consideration, and especially their leader, Fannin.” The next morning, Palm Sunday, March 27, 1836, Lt. Col Portilla decided to carry-out the orders of Santa Anna.27
Portilla had over 300 prisoners marched from Fort Defiance on three separate roads under heavy guard. Each group was told a different story as to where they were going. The men were mortally shot point blank, and those that survived were clubbed or knifed. Approximately twenty- eight escaped. Unable to walk, the remaining forty, including Fannin, were left at the fort. Thirty-nine were killed inside the fort. The lone survivor was Colonel Fannin. After seeing his men executed, he was taken in front of the Chapel, blindfolded and seated in a chair. Fannin made three requests: that his personal possessions are sent to his family, to be shot in the heart and not in the face, and to be given a Christian burial. The Mexicans took his belongings, shot him in the face and burned his body along with nearly 350 massacred Texans.28
Fannin’s tactical errors and his disregard of a direct order ultimately caused his surrender to General Jose de Urrea at the Battle of Coleto Creek.
“Historian John Henry Brown said; there is abundant evidence to show that Colonel Fannin was under the influence of an overweening ambition for military preferment coupled with such a desire for independent command as to lead him into disorganizing combinations and well-nigh mutinous disregard-for the orders of' the Commander-in- Chief, and however painful to the chronicler of Texian annals may be this part of his duty, these are facts which cannot be suppressed without a willful perversion of the truth of history and injustice to the memory of the 376 men murdered with Fannin.”29
Colonel James Walker Fannin, Jr. was a Mason and a member of Holland Lodge No. 36. Brother Fannin served as Deacon at Holland Lodge’s last meeting in Brazoria before the arrival of the Mexican Army.30 According to the Victoria Advocate, historians have been able to determine that four Masons died at the Battle of Goliad. The article states it is difficult to determine how many men were Masons because most were from southern Lodges whose records were destroyed by northern armies during the Civil War. The only named Masons mentioned in the article are Brother Fannin and John Cross, a British Royal Navy veteran. Brother Cross fought at the Battle of Trafalgar and died fighting at Goliad. He was a member of a Lodge in Nashville, Tennessee.31
The Battle of The Alamo and Massacre at Goliad did nothing but embolden the cause of Texans and garner support from the United States. Santa Anna’s brutal tactics did nothing but unify Texans resolve to gain their independence and defeat the merciless dictator. “Remember the Alamo!,” “Remember Goliad!” would be the rallying cry of the men who would defeat Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. The deaths of the men at the Alamo and Goliad had not been in vain. In fact, all the battles and deaths slowed the Mexican Army and created time for General Houston to retreat, raise a sufficient number of volunteers and train his ill-prepared army. He continued his march toward the Sabine River. “Many of his officers and men, as well as government officials, believed that Houston's strategy was to lead the pursuing Mexicans to the Sabine River, the eastern border of Texas. There, it was known, were camped United States troops under General Pendelton Gaines, with whose help the Texans might turn on their foes and destroy them.”32 On April 16, 1836, after a month of running, Houston learned from two prisoners captured by Erasmus "Deaf” Smith, the famous Texas spy, that Santa Anna had isolated his Army on the west side of the San Jacinto River near Buffalo Bayou. On April 17, 1836, Houston reached a fork in the trails; one trail lead to Harrisburg and the other to the Louisiana border. Much to his troop’s satisfaction, Houston ordered them to turn south to mount an attack on the main Mexican force commanded by Santa Anna.33
General Houston’s “Runaway Scrape” ended at Buffalo Bayou, a few miles southeast of present-day Houston. On the morning of April 19, 1836, Houston and his Army of approximately 700 crossed within half a mile of the mouth of the San Jacinto River. That same morning, in preparation for battle, Houston made notes of his plans to meet Santa Anna on the battlefield. Houston made copies of his notes and sent them to several friends for safekeeping in case he did not survive the battle. Houston would attack a force almost twice his numbers and he wrote:
“This morning, we are in preparation to meet Santa Anna. It is the only chance of saving Texas. From time to time, I have looked for reinforcements in vain. We will only have about 700 men to march with. We go to conquer. It is wisdom growing out of necessity to meet the enemy. Now every consideration enforces it. The troops are in fine spirits and now is the time for action. We shall use our best efforts to fight the enemy to such advantage as will insure victory though the odds are greatly against us. I leave the result in the hands of a wise God and rely upon his providence. My country will do justice to those who serve her. The rights for which we fight will be secure and Texas Free!”34
On the eve of the battle, April 20, 1836, Houston continued to pursue the Mexicans. At Lynch’s ferry, near the junction of Buffalo Bayou and San Jacinto River, Houston’s men captured a boat full of supplies destined for Santa Anna. It was also discovered that Mexican General de Cos had crossed Vince Bayou Bridge some eight miles behind Houston with approximately 500 Mexican reinforcements. Houston sent Erasmus “Deaf” Smith and a group of men to destroy Vince Bayou bridge over which the Mexican Army had crossed, which effectively cut off both armies only avenue of escape. The excessive April rains made Vince Bayou several times wider and deeper than normal. Houston and his troops made camp in a timberline protected by rising ground in preparation for battle; Santa Anna’s camp was just three-fourths of a mile away. That afternoon, while on a scouting mission, Colonel Sidney Sherman and a small detachment of cavalry engaged the Mexican infantry; almost bring about a full scale battle. Two Texans were wounded, one mortally.
On April 21, 1836, the long awaited battle to avenge all deaths of those Texans who had lost their lives to a brutal dictator had come. It is written that the morning was beautiful and bright. At approximately 3:30 PM, Houston deployed his forces while the Mexicans were taking their afternoon siesta. The Twin Sisters were wheeled into position and the whole line, led by Sherman’s men, began the attack, shouting “Remember the Alamo!,” “Remember Goliad!.” The Battle of San Jacinto was over in eighteen minutes. Texas won its independence.