KEN BRIDGES The month of March 1836 began with high hopes and idealism for Texas forces trying to free themselves from Mexico, but a string of military disasters pushed the Texas army to the edge of collapse. In the midst of these losses, one of the darkest incidents of the war occurred as more than 400 prisoners were executed at Goliad. The Texas Revolution began in November 1835 after long-simmering disputes with Mexico exploded into open warfare. Events in Texas were part of a series of uprisings and rebellions that spread across Mexico, which had the effect of eroding the forces still loyal to the government. The commander of the Mexican Army, Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, declared in December that any foreign prisoners taken would be immediately executed. Santa Anna was president of Mexico 11 times in its turbulent early history, willing to overthrow elected governments and subvert Mexican law whenever it suited him.