On 27 March, 1836, many Texians learned the lessons of trusting the government. On that day 342 men were executed by Mexican soldiers at Goliad. The executions occurred after they had received reassurances from the Mexican commanders that they would be deported. Imagine the outrage that Mexico would raise if hundreds of illegal immigrants were gunned down while awaiting deportation. The amount of outrage would be staggering. This incident outraged Texians across the Republic. It struck fear into the hearts of the colonists, revealing the true intents of Santa Anna and the government of Mexico. This was not his first atrocity. He killed the survivors of Tampico and allowed his soldiers to rape, plunder and kill many of the inhabitants of the Zacatecas region prior to Goliad. The Zacatecans received nicer treatment than the Texians received.

To put it in perspective, there were 183 men at the Alamo, there were 76 people killed at Waco. There were 909 killed at Jonestown Guiana. These reference points help readers understand what occurred. The men were marched out from the compound in three groups, with promises that ships were waiting for them at Copano. The three groups were taken to different locations. Once at the locations, the Mexican troops had them line up with their backs to the Mexicans. The men were commanded to “Kneel”. At that point the Mexican troops, located 3-4 yards away began opening fire with  .75 caliber musket balls. The large caliber balls shattered the bones of the men when they hit. Some of the Texians feigned death and then scrambled away in the smoke from the gunfire.

The bodies were unceremoniously dumped into  nearby drainage ditch. Their bodies provided food for the coyotes and vultures.
The sick and wounded did not escape either. They were taken into the streets outside the Church and bayoneted.

Our fore fathers told us to “Remember Goliad!”. What is it that we need to remember?

1. Do not trust government promises, whether from the Mexican or other government.

2. In war, men cannot be counted on to act honorably or do the right thing.

3. Tyrants do not stop in their desire for power until they have the power over life and death.

4. Centralized power is dangerous to liberty, whether it be in Mexico City or Washington City.

5. People want to forget the atrocities of government all too quickly.

6. Mexico is not a friend of Texas.

7. The cavalry does not always come charging to the rescue just because you are on the right side.

8. Being right does not always mean that you will win. One cannot assume that victory means that God is on your side.

9. Recall that all the Churches had been confiscated from their denominations and turned over to government control. Hence, government control of the churches is one hallmark of tyranny. If you do not think this could happen in America, look in your churches, and whose flag do you see displayed? What regulations must the church abide by regarding what it can and can not preach? Why do many churches fear the IRS more than they fear God? The signs of tyranny and central control are all around us if you open your eyes. The government of Santa Anna had no respect for churches or God’s word.

10. It is always dangerous when the government rounds up large groups of people. When the government does so, they are up to no good.

These are some of the many lessons of Goliad. This Texian remembers Goliad, do you?

Free Texas!

J Murrah

comparing waco to goliad, Culture, davidian massacre, lessons from Goliad, Political Well Being, Santa Anna, the alamo massacre, the dangers of centralized authority, The government and freedom of religion, The government of mexico, the jonestown tragedy, the lessons of goliad regarding churches, What Goliad can teach us today, Why remember Goliad

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!