Like the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto, the south Texas town of Goliad holds a special place in the state’s history. Founded by the Spanish, Goliad is the third oldest city in Texas. To protect their passage to the Gulf, the Spaniards moved their Mission Espíritu Santo and its royal protector, Presidio La Bahia (Fort of the Bay), to this location in 1749, naming the community Santa Dorotea. Years later the town’s name was changed to Goliad, an anagram of the spoken word Hidalgo (the h is silent in Spanish), in honor of Father Miguel Hidalgo, a priest who became a hero during the Mexican Revolution.
Few towns have their own flag, but Goliad boasts its own historic, if somewhat gruesome, banner. On October 9, 1835, the Texas colonists made a move in their battle for independence. The settlers took over the presidio and raised the “Bloody Arm Flag,” picturing a severed arm holding a sword.
The next year the Texans, led by Colonel James W. Fannin Jr., surrendered at the Battle of Coleto about 9 miles east of town. Approximately 390 soldiers were marched back to the presidio. After a week of imprisonment, all but 20 soldiers (physicians and mechanics) were placed before a firing squad. More than two dozen men escaped during the massacre, but 342 were killed, the largest loss of life during the fight for independence. “Remember Goliad” soon became a cry alongside “Remember the Alamo.”
Today the presidio (above), Mission Espíritu Santo (below), and several other historic sites are restored and make up Goliad State Park. The buildings (and the immediate grounds around the Mission) are off limits to dogs but they’ll still find plenty of area for long walks. Picnicking and camping are available near the Mission.
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