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Texas
Historic Tree
THE CART
WAR OAK
Hanging
Tree
Goliad,
Texas
Page 2
A brief history of the situation
that led to the tree's macabre employment
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Page
1
Indianola
in the late 1850s was a thriving port and since most immigrants arrived
without wagons, they hired men to haul their belongings inland. Many
Anglo teamsters objected to their Mexican competition - particularly
to their lower fees.
The massacre of Fannin and his men wasn't yet in the distant past
and ill will toward Mexicans ran high. People didn't differentiate
between an army of impressed soldiers and native-born men trying to
make a living.
Goliad
was a town the Mexican cartmen passed through and it was in this vicinity
many were attacked, robbed and murdered. Soon they started bypassing
the town, but that only helped fuel the violence. The "cartcutters"
increased their attacks in the countryside was less likely. The authorities
in Goliad did nothing, but after a particularly brutal period of bloodletting
the people had had enough.
One incident occurred near Seguin
as early as 1855, although the period usually given is from July to
December of 1857.
Complaints had been received by the Mexican Consulate in Washington
and it had all the ingredients of an international incident-in-the-making.
Texas Governor Pease requested funds from the legislature to
send the state militia as escorts for the Mexican teamsters and this
was done. It diffused the situation, but not before the citizens of
Goliad had removed much of the bad element.
A short distance from this tree is Goliad's
Baptist Oak.
© John Troesser
August 2001
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