Our Lady of Loreto

This is the chapel of Our Lady of Loreto, in The Presidio, the fort in Goliad that Fannin called Fort Defiance.

Like the Alamo, Fort Defiance was the scene of several major battles in the War of Texas Independence. After the Alamo was lost, Sam Houston ordered James Fannin to abandon the Presidio. Fannin did so, but he and his men were captured by the Mexicans, and Santa Ana ordered them all shot. Fannin and his 400 men were gunned down and burned, in what came to be known as the Goliad Massacre. At the Battle of San Jacinto, in which Santa Ana was captured, the Texians battle cry was "Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!"

The declaration of independence from Mexico was signed on the altar of this church.

I had totally missed this bit of history...I am very glad I went to Goliad last Sunday!

There are burials from an earlier attempt at independence...inside the church and around the outside of the walls. There is a ghost in there who slams the door.

I have more pictures...but I can only tell so much at a time.