The Presidio Nuestra Señora de Loreto de la Bahía, known more commonly as Presidio La Bahía, or simply La Bahía is a
fort
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
constructed by the
Spanish Army
The Spanish Army ( es, Ejército de Tierra, lit=Land Army) is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies — dating back to the late 15th century.
The ...
that became the nucleus of the modern-day city of
Goliad, Texas
Goliad ( ) is a city in Goliad County, Texas, United States. It is known for the 1836 Goliad massacre during the Texas Revolution. It had a population of 1,620 at the 2020 census. Founded on the San Antonio River, it is the county seat of Go ...
, United States. The current location dates to 1747.
During the
Texas Revolution, the presidio was the site of the
Battle of Goliad in October 1835, and the
Goliad massacre in March 1836. It was restored in the 1960s and became a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 1967. While several adjacent historical sites in Goliad are now part of the Texas state parks system, La Bahía is owned by the Catholic Diocese of
Victoria, Texas
Victoria is a small city in South Texas and county seat of Victoria County, Texas. The population was 65,534 as of the 2020 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 as of the 2000 cens ...
but operates as a public museum.
Overview
Founded in 1721 on the ruins of the failed French
Fort Saint Louis, the presidio was moved to a location on the
Guadalupe River in 1726. In 1747, the presidio and its mission were moved to their current location on the
San Antonio River. By 1771, the presidio had been rebuilt in stone and had become "the only Spanish fortress for the entire Gulf Coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande to the Mississippi River".
[Roell (1994), p. 15.] The civilian settlement, later named Goliad, sprang up around the presidio in the late 18th century; the area was one of the three most important in
Spanish Texas
Spanish Texas was one of the interior provinces of the colonial Viceroyalty of New Spain from 1690 until 1821. The term "interior provinces" first appeared in 1712, as an expression meaning "far away" provinces. It was only in 1776 that a lega ...
.
The presidio was captured by insurgents twice during the
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de México, links=no, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from Spain. It was not a single, co ...
, by the
Republican Army of the North in 1813 and by the
Long Expedition in 1821. Each time the insurgents were later defeated by Spanish troops. By the end of 1821, Texas became part of the newly formed
United Mexican States
Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guat ...
. La Bahía was one of the two major garrisons in
Mexican Texas
Mexican Texas is the historiographical name used to refer to the era of Texan history between 1821 and 1836, when it was part of Mexico. Mexico gained independence in 1821 after winning its war against Spain, which began in 1810. Initially, ...
and lay halfway between
San Antonio de Béxar (the political center of Spanish Texas) and
Copano, the then major port in Texas. In October 1835, days after the beginning of the Texas Revolution, a group of
Texian insurgents marched on La Bahía. After a 30-minute battle, the Mexican garrison surrendered and the Texians gained control of the presidio, which they soon renamed Fort Defiance.
During the
siege of the Alamo, Texian commander
William B. Travis several times asked La Bahía commander
James Fannin to bring reinforcements. Although Fannin and his men attempted a relief mission, they abandoned the attempt the following day. After the
fall of the Alamo, General
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...
ordered Fannin to abandon La Bahía. He did so on March 19, 1836, but took a leisurely path. Following the
Battle of Coleto, the La Bahía garrison was captured and imprisoned in the Presidio.
On March 27, 1836, the Texian captives were marched outside the presidio walls and executed, an event known as the
Goliad massacre.
Today, the location is a restored historical site, considered among the most attractive Spanish presidio sites in the United States. Directly adjacent, though technically a separate property, is the
Fannin Memorial Monument commemorating the massacre.
Origins
Spain claimed control over the area now known as
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 ...
, yet in the late 17th century the area between
Mexico
Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...
and
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
, within the domain of
New Spain
New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Am ...
, increasingly became a lesser priority. Taking advantage of Spain's disinterest, France in 1685 authorized
Robert de La Salle to organize a colony in northern New Spain. La Salle intended to put his colony along the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it ...
, but poor maps and improper navigation decisions led La Salle's expedition to the west shore of
Matagorda Bay
Matagorda Bay () is a large Gulf of Mexico bay on the Texas coast, lying in Calhoun and Matagorda counties and located approximately northeast of Corpus Christi, east-southeast of San Antonio, south-southwest of Houston, and south-southeas ...
in
Spanish Texas
Spanish Texas was one of the interior provinces of the colonial Viceroyalty of New Spain from 1690 until 1821. The term "interior provinces" first appeared in 1712, as an expression meaning "far away" provinces. It was only in 1776 that a lega ...
.
[Weber (1992), p. 149.] Believing the French colony was a threat to Spanish mining interests and shipping routes, Spanish King
Carlos II's Council of War recommended that "Spain needed swift action 'to remove this thorn which has been thrust into the heart of America. The greater the delay the greater the difficulty of attainment.'"
After several years of searching, in early 1689 a Spanish expedition led by
Alonso de León located the site of
Fort Saint Louis. Several months earlier,
Karankawa Indians had destroyed the fort and killed most of the colonists.
[Chipman (1992), p. 83.] The returning Spaniards burned the fort and buried the French cannons.
[Weber (1992), p. 153.]

Alonso de León recommended that Spanish authorities establish
presidio
A presidio ( en, jail, fortification) was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire around between 16th and 18th centuries in areas in condition of their control or influence. The presidios of Spanish Philippines in particular, were ce ...
s at the
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico.
The length of the Rio ...
, the
Frio River, and the
Guadalupe River. Due to a shortage of funds the Spanish government chose not to establish any presidios.
[Chipman (1992), p. 88.] Consequently, several Spanish missions in
East Texas
East Texas is a broadly defined cultural, geographic, and ecological region in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas that comprises most of 41 counties. It is primarily divided into Northeast and Southeast Texas. Most of the region con ...
struggled from 1691 to 1693, until they failed, leaving Texas again unprotected by Spain.
[Weber (1992), p. 155.]
France during the subsequent decades established a presence in
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...
, causing the Spanish to see their claimed territories threatened with French exploitation and colonization.
[Weber (1992), pp. 159–160.] Spain re-established the East Texas missions in 1716, this time accompanied by a garrisoned presidio.
[Chipman (1992), p. 111.][Chipman (1992), p. 112.] After difficulties with France during the 1719-1720
War of the Quadruple Alliance
The War of the Quadruple Alliance (1718–1720) was caused by Spanish attempts to recover territories in Italy ceded in the 1713 Peace of Utrecht. Largely focused on Sicily, it included minor engagements in North America and Northern Europe as ...
the Spanish determined to increase their military presence in Texas and in 1721 the
Marquis de San Miguel de Aguayo
A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman wi ...
, governor of
Texas and Coahuila, founded Presidio La Bahía on the site of La Salle's former fort.
[Weber (1992), p. 168.] When
Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga (also known as La Bahía) in 1722 was established nearby for the Coco, Karankawa, and Cujane Indians, a military garrison of 99 men were stationed at the Presidio.
[Chipman (1992), p. 126.]
Priests at the nearby mission were unable to find an effective means of enticing the Karankawa into mission life or Catholic teachings. In April 1725 the friars requested that the mission be moved to a more favorable location. The next year both the presidio—retaining the name "Presidio La Bahía"—and Mission Espíritu Santo were relocated inland, along the
Guadalupe River in what is now
Victoria County.
[Roell (1994), p. 11.] The presidio and the mission remained at these sites for the next 23 years.
[Roell (1994), p. 12.]
Establishment on the San Antonio River
In 1747, the Spanish government sent
José de Escandón to inspect the northern frontier of the North American colonies. Escandón assigned La Bahía's captain, Joaquín Prudencio de Orobio y Basterra, to evaluate
South Texas
South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of—and includes—San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 4.96 ...
. On reading Orobio's report, Escandón recommended that La Bahía be moved from its Guadalupe River location to the banks of the
San Antonio River, so that it would be more capable of assisting settlements along the
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico.
The length of the Rio ...
.
[Roell (1994), p. 13.] Both the presidio and the mission likely moved in October 1749. Escandón proposed that 25 Mexican families be relocated near the presidio to form a civilian settlement but was unable to find enough willing settlers.
[Roell (1994), p. 14.]
In February 1750, the new presidio was under the command of Captain Manuel Ramírez de la Piszena. Piszena had personally paid for a stone house to be built for himself, and the 50 soldiers in the garrison lived either in a large barracks or in one of 40 temporary wood homes that had been built for those with families. A chapel had also been built for the presidio. The presidio was fortified with six 8-lb cannon. Soldiers alternated guard duty at the presidio and the mission; others were assigned to guard the presidio horses or to protect supply trains coming from the Rio Grande or
San Antonio de Béxar from attacks by
Lipan Apache
Lipan Apache are a band of Apache, a Southern Athabaskan Indigenous people, who have lived in the Southwest and Southern Plains for centuries. At the time of European and African contact, they lived in New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, ...
raiding parties.
[
]
With the conclusion of the Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754– ...
in 1767, France ceded Louisiana, and French claims to Texas, to Spain. With France no longer a threat to Spain's North American interests, the Spanish monarchy commissioned the Marquis de Rubí to inspect all of the presidios on the northern frontier of New Spain and make recommendations for the future.[Chipman (1992), p. 173.] Rubí recommended that several presidios be closed, but that La Bahía be kept and rebuilt in stone. La Bahía was soon ""the only Spanish fortress for the entire Gulf Coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande to the Mississippi River".[ The presidio now sat at the heart of several major trade and military routes. It quickly became one of the three most important areas in Texas, alongside Béxar and Nacogdoches.][ A civil settlement, now known as Goliad soon developed near the presidio. By 1804, the settlement had one of only two schools in Texas.][Roell (1994), p. 19.]
Mexican independence
The Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de México, links=no, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from Spain. It was not a single, co ...
began in 1810 at the instigation of Miguel Hidalgo
Don Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla y Gallaga Mandarte Villaseñor (8 May 1753 – 30 July 1811), more commonly known as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla or Miguel Hidalgo (), was a Catholic priest, leader of the Mexican W ...
. At the end of November, Texas governor Manuel María de Salcedo
Manuel María de Salcedo y Quiroga, (1776 in Málaga, Spain – executed, April 3, 1813), was a governor of Spanish Texas from 1808 until his execution in 1813. Salcedo gained leadership experience helping his father Juan Manuel de Salcedo ...
received notice that Hidalgo and his confederates Ignacio Allende
Ignacio José de Allende y Unzaga (, , ; January 21, 1769 – June 26, 1811), commonly known as Ignacio Allende, was a captain of the Spanish Army in New Spain who came to sympathize with the Mexican independence movement. He attended the secre ...
and Juan Aldama were expected to invade Texas, and that Salcedo was expected to capture them. On January 2, 1812, Salcedo summoned troops throughout Texas to Béxar, leaving La Bahía with a minimal force. Mexican revolutionary Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara
José Bernardo Maximiliano Gutiérrez de Lara (August 20, 1774 – May 13, 1841) was an advocate and organizer of Mexican independence and the first constitutional governor of the state of Tamaulipas, and a native of Revilla, today Ciudad Guerr ...
had been in the United States organizing support for the revolution. In early August 1812, his recruits under the name, the Republican Army of the North, invaded Texas. In November, Salcedo led Spanish Army forces to the Guadalupe River to ambush the Republican Army of the North. One of the soldiers was captured, however, and revealed details of the ambush. The invading army turned south to avoid the trap and quickly captured Presidio La Bahía. Salcedo promptly began a siege of the fort. The siege lasted four months, with occasional skirmishes.[Roell (1994), p. 20.]
Unable to win a decisive victory, Salcedo lifted the siege on February 19, 1813 and turned towards San Antonio de Béxar. The rebels remained in control of the presidio until July or August 1813, when José Joaquín de Arredondo led royalist troops in retaking all of Texas.[Roell (1994), p. 21.] A member of the Republican Army of the North, Henry Perry, led forces back to Texas in 1817 and attempted to recapture La Bahía. The presidio was reinforced by soldiers from San Antonio, and Perry and his men were defeated on June 18 near Coleto Creek.[
La Bahía was again the target of invaders in 1821. After the United States and Spain signed the Adams-Onís Treaty, giving all rights to Texas to Spain, many Americans were angry. On October 4, 1821, the 52 members of the Long Expedition captured La Bahía. Four days later, Colonel Ignacio Pérez arrived with troops from Béxar; Long surrendered.][Roell (1994), p. 23.] By the end of 1821, Mexico had achieved independence from Spain, and Texas became part of the newly created country.
Texas Revolution
Battle of Goliad
By 1835, La Bahía was one of two major garrisons within Mexican Texas
Mexican Texas is the historiographical name used to refer to the era of Texan history between 1821 and 1836, when it was part of Mexico. Mexico gained independence in 1821 after winning its war against Spain, which began in 1810. Initially, ...
, alongside the Alamo
The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San An ...
at Béxar.[Scott (2003), p. 19.] Béxar was the political center of Texas, and La Bahía lay halfway between it and the major Texas port of Copano.[Scott (2003), p. 18.] Within days of the opening of the Texas Revolution in October 1835, members of the Texian militia in Matagorda decided to march on La Bahía to kidnap Mexican General Martín Perfecto de Cos
Martín Perfecto de Cos (1800–1 October 1854) was a Mexican Army general and politician during the mid-19th century. Born in Veracruz, the son of an attorney, he became an army cadet at the age of 20, a lieutenant in 1821, and a brigadier gene ...
.[Hardin (1994), p. 14.] Other Texas settlers flocked to the march, bringing the number of Texian volunteers to approximately 125 men. Although the Texians learned that Cos had already departed La Bahía to travel to Béxar, they continued their march.[Hardin (1994), p. 15.] Several of the Tejanos who lived near Goliad joined the Texian force, reporting that Colonel Juan López Sandoval commanded only 50 men, far fewer than the number necessary to defend the entire perimeter of the presidio.[Scott (2000), p. 19.][Hardin (1994), p. 16.]
In the pre-dawn hours of October 10, 1835, the Texians attacked the presidio.[ The Texians quickly hacked through a door on the north wall of the fortress and ran to the interior courtyard. Hearing the commotion, the Mexican soldiers had lined the walls to defend the fort.][Scott (2000), p. 20.] The Mexican soldiers opened fire, hitting Samuel McCulloch, a freed slave, in the shoulder.[ Texians returned fire for approximately 30 minutes. During a pause in the fighting, a Texian spokesperson yelled out that the Texians would "massacre everyone of you, unless you come out immediately and surrender."][Hardin (1994), p. 17.] The Mexican garrison immediately surrendered.[
Over the next several days, more Texian settlers joined the group at La Bahía. Stephen F. Austin, the commander-in-chief of the newly formed ]Texian Army
The Texian Army, also known as the Revolutionary Army and Army of the People, was the Ground warfare, land warfare branch of the Texians, Texian Texas Military Forces, armed forces during the Texas Revolution. It spontaneously formed from the Te ...
, ordered that 100 men remain at La Bahía, under the command of Philip Dimmitt, while the rest should join the Texian Army in marching on Cos's troops in Béxar.[ Texian troops confiscated the provisions they found at the fort. Although they found 300 muskets, most of them were broken and unable to be repaired.][ The food, clothing, blankets, and other provisions were valued at $10,000.][ For the next three months, the provisions were parcelled out among companies in the Texian Army.] The Texians also gained control of several cannon.[Scott (2000), p. 21.]
Battle of the Alamo support
At some point, Colonel James Fannin became the commander of the troops at La Bahía. He renamed the presidio Fort Defiance. In February 1836, 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 ...
led a large force of Mexican Army troops into Texas to quell the revolution. Santa Anna and part of his force entered Béxar on February 23 and initiated a siege of the Alamo. Alamo commander William B. Travis immediately sent a courier to Fannin, asking him to provide reinforcements to the Alamo.[Nofi (1992), p. 78.] At first unable to make up his mind, Fannin finally decided to ride to the relief of the Alamo.[ Historian Robert Scott suggests that the trip was initiated after Fannin's objections were overridden by his officers.][Scott (2000), p. 99.]
On the morning of February 26, 1836, he set out with 320 men, 4 cannon, and several supply wagons for the march from Goliad to the Alamo.[ The Goliad garrison had no horses to move the wagons and artillery and were forced to rely on oxen.][Todish ''et al.'' (1998), p. 44.] Barely into their journey, one of the wagons broke down, and the expedition stopped for repairs.[Edmondson (2000), p. 324.] The group then took six hours to cross the waist-deep water of the San Antonio River. By the time they reached the other side it was dark, and the men camped along the river. The cold front reached Goliad that evening, and the poorly-dressed soldiers were "quickly chilled and miserable" in the driving rain.[Scott (2000), p. 100.] On awakening, Fannin realized that all of the Texian oxen had wandered off, and that his men had neglected to pack food for the journey.[Edmondson (2000), p. 328.] It took most of the day for the men to round up the oxen; after two days of travel, Fannin's men had not even ventured from their fort.[Nofi (1992), p. 95.]
In a letter to Acting Governor James Robinson, Fannin said that his officers approached him to ask that the rescue trip be cancelled, as they had received word that General Urrea's army was marching towards Goliad.[ The officers and men in the expedition claimed that Fannin decided on his own to abort the mission. Several of the men agreed with the decision, with Dr. Barnard writing in his journal, "With but three or four hundred men, mostly on foot, with but a limited supply of provisions, to march a distance of nearly one-hundred miles through uninhabited country for the purpose of relieving a fortress beleaguered by five-thousand men was madness!"][Scott (2000), p. 101.]
Goliad massacre
After learning of the fall of the Alamo, General Sam Houston
Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...
ordered Fannin and his men to abandon La Bahía and fall back to Victoria. They began the retreat on March 19, 1836, carrying with them nine pieces of artillery but little food or water. Fannin showed no signs of haste, and on the banks of Coleto Creek Mexican General José de Urrea and his men attacked. Although the Texians initially repulsed the attacks, they soon ran out of water and Fannin surrendered.[
The Texians were escorted back to La Bahía, arriving by March 22, 1836. Although Urrea requested that Santa Anna treat the prisoners with clemency, on March 27, 1836, the men were marched from the fort and executed by Mexican soldiers, in an event known as the Goliad massacre.][
]
Restoration
In the 1960s, local philanthropist Kathryn O'Connor donated $1 million to restore the presidio. Construction took place between 1963 and 1968, under the oversight of architect Raiford Stripling. The building was essentially rebuilt from the ground up to look exactly as it had originally.[Mason (1974), p. 78.] In his ''Spanish Missions of Texas'', Herbert Malloy Mason remarked that the presidio was one of "the finest examples of
Spanish ecclesiastical building on the North American continent".[Mason (1974), p. 71.]
Gallery
Image:La Bahia Presidio Chapel, South on U.S. Route 183, Goliad (Goliad County, Texas).jpg, The Presidio chapel as it looked in 1936
Image:Presidio la Bahia Chapel.JPG, Presidio chapel
Image:Presidio la Bahia Turret.JPG, Defensive turret along the walls of the fort
Image:Presidio la Bahia Gate.JPG, Gate leading from the chapel courtyard to the fortress courtyard
Image:Fannin Monument Goliad Wiki (1 of 1).jpg, Goliad Massacre Monument
See also
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Goliad County, Texas
* Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Goliad County
* Presidio San Luis de las Amarillas
Footnotes
References
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Further reading
*
External links
*
*
Nuestra Señora de Loreto Presidio - Handbook of Texas Online
article about the restoration while it was in progress
{{DEFAULTSORT:Presidio La Bahia
Colonial forts in Texas
Spanish Texas
Spanish forts in the United States
Museums in Goliad County, Texas
Military and war museums in Texas
Buildings and structures in Goliad County, Texas
Government buildings completed in 1749
Infrastructure completed in 1749
1749 in New Spain
Forts on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas
National Historic Landmarks in Texas
1721 establishments in New Spain
1720s establishments in Texas
18th century in Texas
Historic American Buildings Survey in Texas
National Register of Historic Places in Goliad County, Texas