Texan schooner Invincible
Encyclopedia
The Texas schooner Invincible was one of the four schooners of the First Texas Navy
Texas Navy
The Texas Navy was the official navy of the Republic of Texas. Two Texas Navies were naval fighting forces. There is a “Third and Honorary” Texas Navy, in which officers are commissioned by the Governor of Texas as Admirals, Commanders and Lieutenants....
(1836–1838). She began her service in January, 1836 and immediately began attacking ships supplying the Mexican army in Texas, including capturing the United States merchant vessel Pocket and later the British ship Eliza Russell. Both of these actions caused diplomatic incidents between the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Invincible was refitted in New York City and barely avoided being seized by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
for violating the neutrality of the United States. She served until she was run aground at Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
on August 27, 1837 while being pursued by two ships of the Mexican Navy
Mexican Navy
The Mexican Navy is the naval branch of the Mexican military responsible for conducting naval operations. Its stated mission is "to use the naval force of the federation for the exterior defense, and to help with internal order". The Navy consists of about 56,000 men and women plus reserves, over...
and was wrecked. During her short career in the service of the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
, she was a raider and flagship of the small navy.
Purchase and commissioning of the Invincible
Originally built to be a slave trader in a BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
shipyard, Invincible was purchased by Texas special agents Thomas F. McKinney and Samuel May Williams in early 1836. After she was refitted in New Orleans, she was sold to the provisional government of Texas at a handsome profit to McKinney and Williams. Invincible was purchased because the rebellious Texan government was disturbed by the appearance of Mexican navy raiders along the gulf
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
coast. Captain Jeremiah Brown was given command of the Invincible on March 12, 1836 in Galveston.
Battle of Brazos Santiago and capture of Pocket
Captain Brown was immediately ordered to defend the Texas coast and seek out and engage the Mexican man-of-war Montezuma. The Invincible cruised south to the mouth of the Rio Grande, where on April 3, 1836, Invincible encountered the 20-gun Man-of-War in an area then-called Brazos Santiago (now called Boca ChicaBoca Chica
Boca Chica is a municipality of the Santo Domingo province in the Dominican Republic. Within the municipality there is one municipal district : La Caleta....
) at the mouth of Laguna Madre
Laguna Madre
The Laguna Madre extends well into Mexico, to the mouth of the Río Soto la Marina in the state of Tamaulipas. It is separated from the Gulf of Mexico on the east by a number of barrier islands, including Barra Los Americanos, Barra Jesús María, and Barra Soto la Marina, and is bounded on the west...
. After an exchange of broadside
Broadside
A broadside is the side of a ship; the battery of cannon on one side of a warship; or their simultaneous fire in naval warfare.-Age of Sail:...
s the Montezuma ran aground on a sandbar, and her crew escaped. Invincible barraged the Mexican cruiser until she was destroyed.
Later that same day, the Invincible sighted and engaged the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
merchant vessel Pocket. Pocket was displaying a signal pennant which indicated that the vessel was transporting cargo to support General Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón , often known as Santa Anna or López de Santa Anna, known as "the Napoleon of the West," was a Mexican political leader, general, and president who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government...
's operation against the rebellious Texans
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. According to the Handbook of Texas Online, "Captain Brown boarded the vessel, examined the cargo and ship's papers, and discovered war contraband, arms, and ammunition that did not appear on the manifest. He also found a detailed map of the Texas coastline and military dispatches in Spanish." In addition, the Texans found that Pocket was carrying high ranking Mexican army officers in violation of the Neutrality Act of 1818. Pocket had been en route from Matamoros to Santa Anna's army in Texas with a contraband cargo of flour, rice, lard, biscuit, and 300 kegs of powder. Based on the accumulated evidence, Brown assigned a prize crew
Prize crew
Prize crew is a term used to indicate a number of crew members of a ship chosen to take over the operations of a captured ship.In the early days of sailing and up into the American Civil War, capturing enemy ships was quite common...
and escorted Pocket to Galveston. Invincible arrived on April 8, and there he learned from captured documents that Santa Anna had plans to capture all Texas ports and to station 1,000 men on Galveston Island
Galveston Island
Galveston Island is a barrier island on the Texas Gulf coast in the United States, about 50 miles southeast of Houston. The entire island, with the exception of Jamaica Beach, is within the city limits of the City of Galveston....
. Thus forewarned, the Texas government quickly fortified the strategically important and most populous Texas' island. The provisions captured aboard the Pocket ultimately were consigned to Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
's army. Texas historian Jim Dan Hill, writing during the Texas Centennial in 1936 credited the Invincible with contributing mightily to Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
's victory at San Jacinto
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day Harris County, Texas, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican forces in a fight that lasted just eighteen...
by depriving the Mexicans of reinforcements that would have been brought by Montezuma and by redirecting Pockets supplies to the Texans just before the battle.
Charges of piracy
Brown immediately left Galveston after disposing of the prize because Invincible was due to be refitted in New Orleans. However, word of the Pockets capture upset certain New Orleans merchants and insurance carriers, whose lobbying forced local federal officials to take action against the Texans under the guise of protecting American shipping in the Gulf of Mexico. On May 1, 1836, the captain and crew of the Invincible were arrested and charged with piracyPiracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
under US laws. However, the charge was not substantiated, and the crew was released.
After some delays, the schooner Invincible returned to Galveston where she was ordered to Anahuac
Anahuac, Texas
Anahuac is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population of the city was 2,210 at the 2000 census. Anahuac is the seat of Chambers County and is situated in East Texas.- History :...
where she was supposed to transport the captive Santa Anna to Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
as part of the Treaty of Velasco. On June 5, 1836, General Thomas Jefferson Green
Thomas Jefferson Green
Thomas Jefferson Green was an American politician who served in the legislatures of three different U.S. states and also of Texas, which was not yet a state....
arrived in Anahuac with American volunteers aboard a Texas contract vessel, Ocean. The Ocean prevented the Invincible from getting underway, and Santa Anna was again detained and after an abortive escape attempt was clapped in irons. Thus relieved of his prisoner, Captain Brown sailed south to defend the Texas coast.
On July 4, 1836, the Invincible went to assist another Texas naval vessel, Brutus, which was blockade
Blockade
A blockade is an effort to cut off food, supplies, war material or communications from a particular area by force, either in part or totally. A blockade should not be confused with an embargo or sanctions, which are legal barriers to trade, and is distinct from a siege in that a blockade is usually...
d inside the port of Matagorda
Matagorda Bay
Matagorda Bay is a large estuary bay on the Texas coast, lying in Calhoun and Matagorda counties and located approximately northeast of Corpus Christi, southeast of San Antonio, southwest of Houston, and southeast of Austin. It is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by Matagorda Peninsula and...
by the Mexican cruiser Vencedor del Alamo (English:"Victor of the Alamo
Battle of the Alamo
The Battle of the Alamo was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna launched an assault on the Alamo Mission near San Antonio de Béxar . All but two of the Texian defenders were killed...
"). After the Invincible approached the blockading vessel, the Vencedor withdrew without firing a shot. Invincible nevertheless chased her as far as Veracruz.
Repairs in New York: one step ahead of the bailiff and the U.S. Navy
On August 4, 1836, the Invincible sailed for New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
for repairs. Captain Brown and his crew intended to have the ship repaired and re-supplied before returning to Texas in early 1837. The ship's officers and crew soon learned that there were no funds to pay for the services and repairs rendered or for their personal expenses for meals and laundry, and New York authorities impounded the vessel in January, 1837. The crew considered abandoning ship and returning to Texas by land. But fate intervened in the form of Samuel Swartwout
Samuel Swartwout
Samuel Swartwout was an American soldier, merchant, speculator, and politician...
, the U.S. collector for the Port of New York City (and a noted Texas benefactor). Swartwout helped settle the crew’s debts and save the ship from being sold at auction, like her sister ship Liberty
Texan schooner Liberty
The Texas schooner Liberty was one of the four schooners of the First Texas Navy . She served in the Texas Navy for only about 6 months, capturing the Mexican brig Pelicano loaded with weapons for their army in Texas. Later that year, she sailed to New Orleans accompanying the wounded Sam Houston,...
.
When all the bills were settled, the Invincible departed New York with great haste, just ahead of a pursuing United States Navy vessel with orders to arrest the crew and detain the vessel for violating the neutrality of the United States.
New captain and final battle
Captain Brown returned his ship to Galveston on March 14, 1837. That month he was relieved of duty by order of the new president, Sam Houston, and Invincible was placed under the command of Commodore H. L. Thompson. Houston was skeptical of the need for Texas to have a strong navy fearing aggressive naval action would lead to international incidents.
Texan schooner Independence
The Texan schooner Independence was one of the four schooners of the First Texas Navy . In 1836, Charles Hawkins, a veteran of the United States and Mexican navies, visited Texas Governor Henry Smith, seeking a commission in the new Texas Navy...
surrendered to the Mexican warships Vencedor del Álamo and Libertador. Captain Thompson was accompanied on this voyage by Samuel Rhoads Fisher
Samuel Rhoads Fisher
Samuel Rhoads Fisher was the secretary of the Navy of the Republic of Texas.He was born in Pennsylvania on December 31, 1794 and settled in Texas in 1830 with his wife and four children as a member of Austin's Third Colony. He represented Matagorda Municipality in the Convention of 1836 at...
, Texas's Secretary of the Navy, as he set out from Galveston in June, 1837 to harass Mexican shipping and raid coastal towns. Invincible captured several prize vessels including the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
merchantman Eliza Russell which caused a serious diplomatic challenge as Texas was seeking British recognition. Texas Minister J. Pinckney Henderson eventually smoothed over the contretemps but the Texas government had to pay British claims totaling about $4,000. As a result of this embarrassment, both Captain Thompson and Secretary Fisher were suspended by President Houston. Fisher later resigned, and Thompson died before a naval investigation could formally start.
On August 26, 1837, Invincible escorted Brutus into Galveston harbor. Brutus had a Mexican prize vessel, Obispo, in tow. Invincible anchored in the channel overnight and the next day she was assailed by Vencedor del Alamo and Libertador. Brutus cleared for action and attempted to assist Invincible but she ran aground on a sandbar at the entrance to the harbor. Invincible was left alone to engage the two Mexican cruisers. After a prolonged engagement, the Invincible attempted to flee from the battle, but due to the shallow tide, snagged her rudder on the harbor bar and ran aground. She was then quickly pounded to pieces by the breakers until her hull completely disappeared.
With the wreck of the schooners Invincible and Brutus, the First Texas Navy was at an end. The wreck site may have been discovered in 1995 by the National Undersea Marine Agency, founded by Clive Cussler
Clive Cussler
Clive Eric Cussler is an American adventure novelist and marine archaeologist. His thriller novels, many featuring the character Dirk Pitt, have reached The New York Times fiction best-seller list more than seventeen times...
.