The Red Rovers, commonly referred to as the Alabama Red Rovers, was a military volunteer

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...

organized in

Courtland, Alabama Courtland is a town in Lawrence County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Decatur Metropolitan Area, as well as the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The population was 609 at the 2010 census, down from 769 in 2000. Hi ...

to support the Texas Revolution. Raised by doctor and planter

Jack Shackelford Jack Shackelford (March 20, 1790 – January 22, 1857) was an American doctor, politician and soldier. He raised and led a unit in Courtland, Alabama called the Red Rovers or the Alabama Red Rovers to fight in the Texas Revolution. He was on ...

in November 1835, the unit took its name from the red jeans of their uniforms and was outfitted with equipment from

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

state arsenal. Consisting of some 70 men, nearly half the men in Courtland, the unit remained encamped until December 12 before setting out for

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

by way of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

. After arriving at

Lavaca Bay Lavaca Bay () is a northwestern extension of the Matagorda Bay system found mostly in Calhoun County, Texas, United States. The ports of Port Lavaca and Point Comfort have been established on the bay, and are the main areas of human habitation ...

on January 19, 1836, and being accepted into Texas service on February 3, the Red Rovers were put under command of Colonel

James W. Fannin James Walker Fannin Jr. (1804 or 1805 – March 27, 1836) was an American military figure and slave trader in the Texas Army and leader during the Texas Revolution (1835-1836) against Mexico. After being outnumbered and surrendering to Mexi ...

. They fought in the

Battle of Coleto The Battle of Coleto, also known as the Battle of Coleto Creek, the Battle of the Prairie, and the Batalla del Encinal del Perdido, was fought on March 19–20, 1836, during the Goliad campaign of the Texas Revolution. In February, General Jos ...

on March 19–20, performing well, but the

Texian Texians were Anglo-American residents of Mexican Texas and, later, the Republic of Texas. Today, the term is used to identify early settlers of Texas, especially those who supported the Texas Revolution. Mexican settlers of that era are referr ...

s were overrun and ultimately forced to surrender.

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

president

Antonio López de Santa Anna Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón (; 21 February 1794 – 21 June 1876),Callcott, Wilfred H., "Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez De,''Handbook of Texas Online'' Retrieved 18 April 2017. usually known as Santa Ann ...

had ordered General

José de Urrea José Cosme de Urrea y Elías González (full name) or simply José de Urrea (March 19, 1797 – August 1, 1849) was a Mexican general. He fought under General Antonio López de Santa Anna during the Texas Revolution. Urrea's forces were never ...

to treat the rebels and their supporters as

pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

and to have them executed as such. As a result, the majority of the Red Rovers, including two of Shackelford's sons, were killed in the Goliad massacre on March 27, 1836, along with hundreds of others. Shackelford himself was spared execution since his skills as a doctor could be used to treat Mexican soldiers. He would ultimately be released and return to Alabama, where he was thought dead, and given a hero's welcome. Four of the men, Zachariah S. Brooks, Dillard Cooper, Isaac D. Hamilton, and Wilson Simpson, escaped the slaughter. The four men traveled together at night to avoid capture and eventually found their way to other Texas forces and safety.

References

{{OldWest-stub American filibusters (military)