Texans underestimated the importance of these Mexicans of Goliad, and the resentment in their hearts due to having had to leave their homes. Unlike the Mexican citizenry of San Patricio and Victoria, who came, for the most part, of good ranchero stock, the Badeños, as they called the people of Goliad, were descendants of the presidial soldiers stationed at La Bahía through the years, and were not too highly regarded by their countrymen, or by anyone else. They were indolent and none too honest, but they were expert horsemen -- among the world's best -- knew every acre of the Goliad region and for a hundred miles around; and, contrary to the prevalent belief of the Texans, were anything but cowardly when convinced of the advantages of being brave. Their leader, Carlos de la Garza, had dignity and force of character, and courage and intelligence, as well. They had abandoned Goliad at his bidding, and it was to his rancho on the San Antonio that they had gone. He and his men were "everywhere" after General Urrea came.

7.   FANNIN'S MEN

It was a remarkable body of soldiers in the making which gathered at Goliad under Colonel Fannin in February, 1836. Almost half of those who escaped from the massacre achieved, afterward, commissions in the Texan Army, or rose to other important place. There were promotions in similar ratio for those spared at Victoria, and among the men who escaped capture through having separated from Colonel Ward. Many of the other survivors failed to achieve like promotion only because they died young.

Colonel Reuben M. Potter, who met at Matamoros some sixteen or more prisoners from the command of Johnson and Grant, wrote that:

The followers of Johnson and Grant, if the survivors may be accepted as a fair sample, were, I think, above the average of the men who composed the volunteer forces of Texas from abroad . . . Some were gentlemen, none of the lowest filibuster type, and in their case we see fine material for soldiership.