Georgians rallied at Macon on Nov. 22, 1835 in support of the valiant struggle for Texas independence, and at the end of the evening 32 volunteers stepped forward to form the nucleus of the famed and ill-fated Georgia Battalion.
Despite the crude communications of the times, southerners managed to stay abreast of the exciting events in Mexico’s northernmost province. Since several Georgians played major parts in the distant drama, residents of the Peach State had more than a passing interest in the outcome.
Early Georgian immigrants to Texas included wealthy planter Jared Groce, firebrand “Three-Legged” Willie Williamson and the Jack brothers, William and Patrick. Among the well-known latecomers were publisher Mirabeau Lamar, future president of the Lone Star Republic, and Col. James B. Fannin, whose mistakes would cost so many lives.
At the mass meeting in Macon, a recent West Point graduate brought the cheering crowd to its feet by announcing he would resign his commission in order to settle accounts with Santa Anna. Col. William Ward took the floor to second the motion that the freedom fighters needed much more than moral support.
Trembling with impassioned conviction, Ward called for the creation of an infantry company to fight alongside the heroic Texans. Nearly three dozen men enlisted on the spot, and the audience contributed $3,000 toward their expenses.
Within days Ward wound up with a whole battalion. After dividing the 120 raw recruits, most in their teens, into three companies, he accepted a generous gift of guns and ammunition from the state arsenal. With the blessing and best wishes of family and friends, the Georgians set off for the faraway front.
Stops at Mobile and New Orleans practically doubled the size of the expedition. Ward had to dig deep into his own pocket to rent four schooners for the last leg of the journey.
Their own Jim Fannin was waiting at Velasco to welcome the volunteers, when they landed Christmas week 1835. On behalf of the embattled rebels, he praised their self-sacrificing solidarity, advised them not to be distracted by political squabbles and stressed the need for military discipline.
Although Fannin lacked combat experience, the trusting Georgians did not question his qualifications. Content to serve under the popular leader, Ward willingly relinquished command.
By February 1836, Fannin controlled the largest single Texan army in the field. In addition to the Georgia Battalion, the Alabama Red Rovers, San Antonio Greys and two Kentucky contingents were all subject to his orders.
No complaints were heard when Fannin picked the old presidio at Goliad for a fortress and spent days repairing the ancient walls. Everyone presumed the colonel knew what he was doing.
But doubt and confusion swept the camp after Fannin flatly refused to reinforce the Alamo garrison. Pressure from the troops finally forced a belated march to San Antonio, but trouble with the carts and oxen gave Fannin a convenient excuse for canceling the mission of mercy.
Years later a bitter survivor challenged the notion that the majority backed the tragic decision. “From where Fannin derived his conclusion that the volunteers were not inclined to rescue the lives of their brothers in the Alamo was not told to us, and without taking the vote of the army, everything went back to Goliad.”
Nevertheless, no one made a move to replace Fannin. Ward, his logical successor, had been sent on a wild-goose chase to Refugio, where he fell into enemy hands. Though most had begun to doubt the colonel’s competency, they still stuck by him.
But the worst was yet to come. After the fall of the Alamo, Fannin ignored a direct order from Gen. Sam Houston to retreat east. He procrastinated six precious days before pulling out of Goliad and then stubbornly insisted on carrying nine heavy cannon and 500 extra muskets which slowed the caravan to a crawl.
As a result, the column was soon surrounded by the pursuing Mexicans. Although the Americans suffered comparatively light casualties in the ensuing battle, Fannin prematurely threw in the towel. Making his last mistake, he naively accepted the bogus terms of surrender.
How Jim Fannin could believe after the butchery at the Alamo that his soldiers would be released unharmed remains a mystery. As per Santa Anna’s personal decree, 390 helpless prisoners were slaughtered on the morning of Mar. 27, 1836.
Of the 29 captives that miraculously escaped the mass execution, only a lucky handful hailed from Georgia. But along with the amazing reprieve went the heartbreaking duty of telling loved ones their menfolk were never coming home.
Barnes & Noble is holding book-signings for “Murder Most Texan” at three Houston-area stores the weekend of Nov. 21-23. Dates, times and details available at barteehaile.com. Come on by and meet Bartee in person!
