Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/190

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170

TEXAN INDEPENDENCE.

ulation, if any were actually granted by General Urrea, were ignored by the commander-in-chief, General Santa Anna; and on Sunday, March 27th, the prisoners, who had been sent to Goliad, were marched out of the fort and shot.^[1]

Santa Anna in a letter of May 23, 1836, to the executive of Texas denies that the Mexican force hoisted a flag of truce, or that its commander gave any assurance of quarter by accepting a capitulation. Urrea in his report to Santa Anna declared that he had refused to grant terms of capitulation, as indeed he was prevented from doing by the law of December 30, 1835. According to Lieutenant-Colonel Holzinger, who was present at Fannin's surrender, Urrca gave no warrant that the prisoners' lives would be spared; but his commissioners assured Fannin that the Mexican government had in no instance taken the life of a prisoner that appealed to its clemency.^[2] Fannin was not satisfied with the assurance, but concluded to surrender and trust to the generosity of the Mexican government.^[3] Urrea seems to have promised that he would ask mercy for them. Holzinger blames Urrea for want of frankness in his reports to Santa Anna in not informing him that he had promised clemency to the prisoners. On the other side, Ramon Martinez de Caro, Santa Anna's military secretary, says that Urrea strongly recommended merciful deal-

take them. The officers should be paroled and returned to the United States in like manner. Id., 249-50.

↑ During the execution 27 of the prisoners broke away from their guards and escaped. Reports disagree as to the number executed. Foote makes it 330, and the Texas Almanac for 1860 has 385, giving the names of the victims. Col Alcérreca superintended the execution. Rivera, Hist. Jalapa, iii. 284.
↑ Bustamante, Hist. Invasion, MS., i. 7-8, claims that Mexico should not be blamed for acts which often occur in war when men lose reason. He pleads that during the 10 years' war many Texans fell prisoners and were kept in forts and not treated as criminals. When Canales, with 300 Texans, invaded Mexico and capitulated, they were amenable to the death penalty and yet were liberated. He gives other instances of mercy to Texan prisoners.
↑ Fannin's words were: Well, I have no water; my wounded need attendance. I particularly recommend these unfortunates to you. I will surrender at the discretion of the Mexican government.' Urrea, Camp. de Tejas, 128-33.

[1] During the execution 27 of the prisoners broke away from their guards and escaped. Reports disagree as to the number executed. Foote makes it 330, and the Texas Almanac for 1860 has 385, giving the names of the victims. Col Alcérreca superintended the execution. Rivera, Hist. Jalapa, iii. 284.

[2] Bustamante, Hist. Invasion, MS., i. 7-8, claims that Mexico should not be blamed for acts which often occur in war when men lose reason. He pleads that during the 10 years' war many Texans fell prisoners and were kept in forts and not treated as criminals. When Canales, with 300 Texans, invaded Mexico and capitulated, they were amenable to the death penalty and yet were liberated. He gives other instances of mercy to Texan prisoners.

[3] Fannin's words were: Well, I have no water; my wounded need attendance. I particularly recommend these unfortunates to you. I will surrender at the discretion of the Mexican government.' Urrea, Camp. de Tejas, 128-33.

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