Presidio La Bahia was built in 1749 to protect the nearby Mission Espiritu Santo. During the Texas Revolution of 1836, it was occupied by Col. Fannin and his forces, who renamed the Presidio "Fort Defiance." They abandoned the fort and retreated toward Victoria in March, 1836, shortly after the fall of the Alamo, only to be surrounded and captured by the Mexican army within ten miles.
Sept. 25, 2004stephen@archivist.net