Abel Morgan
Cooper, Delta County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Star and Wreath Born in North Carolina December 23, 1792. Arrived at Bexar in late December, 1835, as private Thomas Smith in Captain J. O. Blair's Company. Discharged and later enlisted in Captain Ira Westover's Company, Colonel Fannin's Command. Escaped the Goliad Massacre "at which time I was saved for a nurse." Died October 12, 1873. Erected by the State of texas, 1962
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Abel Morgan came to Texas as the revolution was igniting, arriving at Bexar in late 1835 and serving under Colonel Fannin's command. He survived the 1836 Goliad Massacre—the mass execution of surrendered Texian prisoners on Santa Anna's orders—spared, in his own words, "for a nurse." His marker, bearing the Star and Wreath, commemorates one of the few men who lived through one of the darkest days of the Texas Revolution.
Why it matters
The Goliad Massacre, alongside the Alamo, became a rallying cry that steeled Texian resolve, and survivors like Morgan carried firsthand memory of the sacrifices that founded the Republic of Texas.
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Related people
- · Abel Morgan
- · James Fannin
- · Ira Westover
Related events
- · Goliad Massacre
- · Texas Revolution
Themes & tags
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