Angel of Goliad Organization
By Rudy Alvarez Ramirez – Angel of Goliad Descendant – R.I.P.
Founder of “The Angel of Goliad Descendants Historical Preservation” and current “Angel Of Goliad Society”
In March 2003 my grand-son A.J. Huffman, granddaughter Brandi Smith, and Gloria, my wife, took a vacation to south Texas. We planned the trip to take us to Goliad, Texas. The Crossroads of Texas Living History Association and Presidio la Bahia were staging the 18th Annual Reenactment of the occupation of the fort by Colonel Fannin and the Goliad Massacre during the Texas Revolution.
We saw on the program that there was going to be a Memorial Service and a laying of the wreath ceremony for Fannin and his men. My grandson said:” you know, it would be nice if we, as descendants of the Angel, lay a wreath for her on behalf of all of her descendants”. We talked to Newton M. Warzecha, Director of the Fort, and asked him if we could be put on the Memorial Service program and he said; “it would be an honor to her”. We all placed a wreath on behalf of all of her descendants and agreed that a descendant would place a wreath annually from then on.
I felt compelled that as a direct descendant, we must do more than just lay a wreath. So, I decided that we needed a Historical Preservation. I called as many descendants as I knew and met in Goliad, Texas on March 2004 during the 19th Annual Reenactment of the Goliad Massacre. We formed the Angel of Goliad Descendants Historical Preservation.
Currently, it is called “The Angel of Goliad Society.”
Francisca Alvarez, The Angel of Goliad” has hundreds if not thousands of descendants all over Texas and the United States. The Society is committed to helping preserve her heroic acts during one of the darkest events in the Texas Revolution in 1836, the Goliad Massacre, and to educating the public.
Texas Revolution and The Angel of Goliad
During the Texas Revolution in March of 1836 and after the Alamo, there was the Battle of Coleto Creek between Victoria and Goliad, Texas. Colonel Fannin and his men were involved in a fierce battle with Mexican General Jose Urrea who was one of President Antonio de Santa Anna’s best generals. Fannin’s troops were overwhelmed and outnumbered that when General Urrea offered Fannin a truce to lay down their arms, Fannin thought of his men and they surrendered. General Urrea had told Fannin that they would be taken back to the fort Presidio La Bahia in Goliad and a week or so later, be marched out to Copano Bay and shipped on to New Orleans, as long as they promised never to return.
While they were prisoners at the fort nearly 340 of the men were anxious to go back home but instead, word came down from President Santa Anna that the prisoners were determined to be pirates and as such, should all be shot. Francisca Alvarez, a very religious 20-year-old Mexican governess working for General Urrea’s wife and her children was very upset and begin to save as many of the young prisoners as she could. Some of the officers helped her to hide them and some of the American doctors named her the Angel of Goliad. Unfortunately, General Urrea had moved on to Victoria and Colonel Portilla, commander of the fort, had to follow Santa Anna’s orders. On March 27th, 1836 on a Sunday morning all the men thought they were going to freedom, and their families but instead were all shot.
Every year, at Presidio La Bahia fort a reenactment recreates what happened on March 27th, 1836. Last year’s and this year’s events were canceled because of the pandemic. However, the fort is always open and everyone is invited to visit the museum, and the grounds and get a glimpse of the statue of the Angel of Goliad that stands pleading for Fannin’s men between the fort and Fannin’s monument where he and all his men were buried.
Dan Garza
Historian of The Angel of Goliad Society
www.angelofgoliad.org