Goliad

[Birdwatcher]

Surely one of the grimmer reenactments around; the occasion of the Fannin Massacre, wherein Mexican troops under order of Santa Anna executed in cold blood at least 342 unarmed American and Texian prisoners. Legal under Mexican law, but really sealing the fate of the conflict as outrage and revulsion againt the executions spread through the United States and the West.

For a pretty good description of this event see....
http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qeg02

Three repetions of staged battles on Saturday (~250 reenactors, 5 cannon) the last terminating with the capture of the entire Texian force and their confinement in the chapel at La Bahia (actually in a walled-in space in front of the chapel in the reenactment).

I have no photos of the battles, and missed the last battle and confinement on account of running home to get the photographer (my wife). We did return that night and I did get to be shot as a prisoner the next day....

Anyways, photos of the reenactor camp, within the reconstructed walls of the presidio compound....

Birdwatcher

 

[Birdwatcher]

The mounted reenactors always impress me the most, so much work going into those impressions. There were a few mounted on the Texian side in the battle reenactment, but this is the next morning, representing the 3/27/1836, and these horsemen are waiting to accompany the prisoners who will emerge from that gate..

Starting the escort, about a mile to the site. The guys in the red hunting frocks are Alabama Red Rovers, one of the American volunteer militia groups in Texas at that time....

...in the actual events, one line of soldiery merely joined the one on the other side and the whole then opening up on the Texians. But for the reenactment they were lined up at one side of a small field by the San Antonio River (behind the trees and brush), the many spectators watching from behind a fence.

Aftermath, a few designated (younger) guys made a break for the trees, pursued by the horsemen....

Birdwatcher

 

[Birdwatcher]

Afterwards a quick scramble by those who could hang around to take part in two brief ceremonies; one at the burial site of the collected remains, the other at the statue of the Angel of Goliad... http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fal53

We had all just hurried back from getting shot, and were switching out flints and such to minimize misfires; which ain't that bad in a battle reenactment but which can be real noticeable in a battle. I'm the guy wearing the grey (sumac dye) linen rag and brown (pecan dye) pants switching out the flint in his fowler. IIRC the lady in grey was an author writing a book wanting to see routine maintenance tasks ....

Besses, mostly Indian, are by far the most common reenactor weapon around here....

Birdwatcher

 

[Birdwatcher]

Waiting in the shade for the events to begin (sun is already getting pretty strong down here. The night before it had been so calm a candle flame would burn steadily even in the open, but about 3am a strong front had blown through, still windy enough at midday that my broad brimmed slouch hat would have gone sailing.

Gear hurriedly thrown on after getting back from the massacre, just a shooting bag and cheap horn (bought at Friendship), paper cartridges and priming flask in bag.
Vent pick and pan brush hanging from strap of bag. Linen shirt and wool vest from Chas Townsend, cotton drop front plants from Crazy Crow (machine sewn seams I know ). The pecan dye came out so pale on account of I was using old dried out husks swept up off a roadway.

New brogans from Fall Creek Sutlery...

Rehearsing the drill real quick...

Birdwatcher

 

[ny griz]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :bow: Great story and pics.Thank you.Griz

 

[Birdwatcher]

You're very welcome Sir, I figure folks up there'd be interestest to see what reenacting down here looks like.

Anyhoo....

Leaving the presidio, following the flags borne IIRC by descendants of the Fannin Massacre victims....

Given the solemnity and visibility of the occasion we were trying to look somewhat squared-away. Point of interest the guy next to me in the blue coat made that .45 Southern Mountain Rifle himself, twenty years back.

You might note that some of the guns lack ramrods, local rules were no ramrods on the field during battle reenactments. Turns out for the volleys they encouraged ramrods to increase volume. To compensate we double-charged; I was firing 140 grains of FFFg.

The folks moving to the Fannin Monument for the memorial service, this monument marking the spot where the charred remains were collected and buried two months after the massacre...

The speeches ran a bit long, here we are off to the side waiting for our cue....

Birdwatcher

 

[Birdwatcher]

The Angel of Goliad is among the more pleasant sort of things to commemorate, Francisca Alvarez, who intervented to save the lives of several Texians prior to the massacre....
http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/goliadangel.htm

We were to fire a second volley at a brief memorial service with her descendants at her statue. Actually there were a number of Mexicans/Tejanos saving American/Texian prisoners at that time, including one Irish guy from the Refugio colony who was captured on two separate occasions and who was saved twice, by the same Tejano neighbor. The following year when the rescuer was about to be lynched as a spy, the whole Irish community turned out armed to support him, saving his life in return.

Anyhoo....

Final set of photos.....

Were were marched in column to her nearbye statue, here we are all watching the feet of the guy in front, trying to get in step. The sergeant called cadence well, but did drive me into a sotol like the one in the background marching in, drawing blood , them leaves being painfully sharp.

A look at the heavy cotton hunting frocks that are general among reenactors down here, might be a reenactorism.

Lined up by the statue, "at ease" in the modern way, not the period posture....

Saluting during the presentation of the flag....

...and the volley...

....leaving the ceremony...

...and the last pic of the series, route step back to the presidio grounds....

Birdwatcher

 

[Mark Black]

Very nice pictures!! Thanks for sharing! Even despite the gravity of the event being depicted, it still looks like a lot of fun!