Dillard Cooper
Llano, 1400 Hickory Street, Llano Street Cemetery, Llano County, Texas
Marker Inscription
South Carolina native Dillard Cooper came to Texas in Jan. 1836 with Capt. John Shackelford’s Red Rovers, landing at Copano Bay and joining Col. James Fannin’s command. Following the Texians’ defeat at the Battle of Coleto Creek on March 20, the wounded Cooper was among many soldiers taken prisoner at Goliad. One week later, Mexican troops shot and killed more than 300 prisoners; Cooper was among a handful who escaped. He and companions spent two weeks traveling at night through enemy lines and abandoned settlements to reach Texian forces at the Brazos River. Cooper lived in Hays and Colorado counties before moving to farm with his stepson Samuel Stoudenmier in Llano and San Saba counties by 1878. Cooper died in 1896. (2008)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
South Carolinian Dillard Cooper reached Texas in January 1836 with Captain Shackelford's Red Rovers and joined Colonel Fannin's command. Captured after the defeat at Coleto Creek, he was among the prisoners held at Goliad when Mexican troops massacred more than 300 men — and one of the few who escaped, traveling two weeks by night through enemy lines to reach Texian forces. Cooper lived out his long life farming in the Texas Hill Country, dying in 1896.
Why it matters
Cooper's survival makes him a living witness to the Goliad Massacre, one of the atrocities that steeled Texian resolve in the fight for independence.
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Related people
- · Dillard Cooper
- · Capt. John Shackelford
- · Col. James Fannin
Related events
- · Battle of Coleto Creek
- · Goliad Massacre
Themes & tags
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