Carlos de la Garza (Texas)

Carlos de la Garza (1807–1882) was a rancher in Goliad, Victoria and Refugio counties in Texas whose participation in the Battle of Coleto was instrumental in the surrender of James Fannin and the Texian forces.

Early life
He was born at Presidio La Bahía, Goliad County, Texas, to Antonio de la Garza, a Mexican soldier stationed at the presidio. Antonio also established a ranch in the area. Like his father, Carlos enlisted in the Mexican army and later joined his father in ranching. In 1835, he married a woman named Tomasito from Rio Bravo.

Texas Revolution
Along the Gulf Coast in what are now the counties of Goliad, Refugio, San Patricio and Victoria, Tejano involvement in events of the Texas revolution were partially influenced by the empresario colonization contracts. Over the objections of Mexican rancheros (ranch owners) in the area without legal titles, Irish immigrants James Power and James Hewetson were granted an empresario colonization contract in 1828 (and amended in 1831) to settle four hundred Irish families on secularized land once belonging to Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mission and Nuestra Señora de Loreto de la Bahía. When Power and Hewetson failed to settle the required number of families, local Mexican ranchers were issued titles. During the events of the Battle of Goliad, rancheros such as Garza offered fleeing Goliad residents food and shelter on their lands.

Mexican residents of the area feared land speculation by the empresarios and felt threatened by the influx of the Anglo settlers taking over what they believed were their lands. Garza had friends among the Irish settlers and received one of the later land titles. Nevertheless, many in the area wanted retaliation for Goliad and organized the centralist Victoriana Guardes with Garza as their leader. They served as scouts for José de Urrea at the Battle of Coleto and ran guerilla tactics against Fannin. The Texian surrender at Coleto Creek led to the Goliad massacre of prisoners. Garza successfully pleaded on behalf of his Anglo neighbors who fought with Fannin in the skirmish, and their lives were spared by the Mexican troops.

Later life and death
Although he sided with Mexico in the Texas Revolution, Garza was in favor of the 1845 Annexation of Texas. The Carlos Rancho survived an 1845 legal attempt by Louisiana resident Thomas Taylor Williamson to seize the land from Garza.

Garza died in 1852 and is buried at his ranch.