Louis Napoleon Dembinski/Debicki - Goliad, TX - Citizen Memorials on Waymarking.com

A rectangular block of gray granite is set in the ground of the City Park in Goliad, TX near the monolithic memorial to Col. Fannin and his men who died in the Goliad Massacre on March 27, 1836. Like Col. Fannin , the person whose memory is being honored in this citizen memorial marker also died in that same massacre as an artillery officer. The memorial stone is engraved with the following text:

In honored memory of
Louis Napoleon Dembinski/Debicki
Born April 8, 1807
Polish Freedom Fighter:
"Za Was, I Nasza, Wolnosc" --
"For Your and Our Liberty"
Died March 27, 1836 at Goliad
Fighting for Texas Independence
Remembered by family
Steven & Bronia Rewerts.
1998

The marker states the honored man's name as Louis Napoleon Dembinski/Debicki. This last name is given twice because of variations in how folks in 1830s spelled it. Louis is also often seen as Ludwik Apparently, he often was referred to as Napoleon instead of Luwdik or Louis. Knowing these spelling variations and naming peculiarities helps research his history. One article offered the pronunciation of the last name as "deng-beats-ski."

Louis Napoleon Dembrinski was a soldier in Fannin's Volunteer Artillery. His military record indicates he was a civilian engineer from Goliad who was assigned to various companies of Fannin's army. At one point he was referred to a a Lieutenant in the Artillery units. On March 19th, during heavy fighting against Mexican General Urrea troops who caught the Texas soldiers in the open outside of Goliad. This battle became known as the Battle of Coleto. During this battle, many Texan soldiers were killed or wounded. The next day, March 20th, the Texans surrendered to General Urrea. In the week that followed, Urrea tried to get Santa Anna to be lenient and not kill all prisoners, but on March 27, 1836, Santa Anna sent orders directing General Urrea to massacre all prisioners, which was done. Only a very few Texas soldiers were able to escape. The bodies were stacked and burned. The battle site is now a Texas historical location called Fannin Battleground State Historical Site. It is about halfway between Goliad and Victoria on FM 2506. a few miles south of the intersection with US 59.

Interestingly, other famous Goliad families were involved in the same Volunteer Army. Two Pettus brothers, John F. Pettus and Samuel O. Pettus, were also officers, ranked as Captains, and were both company commanders of infantry companies. Our Lt. Louis Napoleon Dembinski was in one of the artillery companies. John F. Pettus was sent away as a courier before March 19 and was not involved with the Battle of Coleto or the Goliad Massacre. Unfortunately for his brother, Captain Samuel O. Pettus was captured on the 19th and killed in the massacre on the 27th.

The City Park land where these monuments for Fannin and Dembinski are found was donated by an heir of the Pettus family. Also in this City Park area is another marker honoring a Pettus family descendent. At the time of the Texas Revolution, Goliad was small but important in the events leading to the Republic of Texas winning independence from Mexico. As time goes on, it appears that those family units that composed the Goliad society and citizenry were loyal to the cause and sacrificed their all for the greater good. It is fitting that this park have citizen memorials to the individuals from Goliad who gave so much, both then and now, to history of Goliad.

Website with more information on either the memorial or the person(s) it is dedicated to: [Web Link] Location: The City Park in Goliad, TX is at the corner of S. Market Street and E. Franklin Street.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   12/19/2018 WayBetterFinder visited it