Texan schooner San Antonio
Encyclopedia
The Texan schooner San Antonio was a two-masted schooner of the Second Texas Navy
from 1839-1840. She was the sister ship of the San Jacinto
and the San Bernard
. In 1840, San Antonio was part of the Texas Navy flotilla led by Commodore Edwin Ward Moore
which was dispatched to assist Yucatecan rebels that had taken up arms against Mexico
. In February 1842, while re-provisioning in New Orleans, the crew of the San Antonio mutinied and the Lieutenant was killed. This was the only mutiny in the history of the Texas Navy. That fall, the San Antonio sailed for Campeche
and was never heard from again.
s: Invincible
, Brutus
, Independence
, and Liberty
. These ships, under the command of Commodore Charles Hawkins
, helped Texas
win independence by preventing a Mexican
blockade of the Texas coast
, seizing Mexican ships carrying reinforcements and supplies to its army, and sending their cargoes to the Texas volunteer army. Nevertheless, Mexico refused to recognize Texas as an independent country. By the middle of 1837, all of the ships had been lost at sea, run aground, captured, or sold. With no ships to impede a possible invasion by Mexico, Texas was vulnerable to attack.
In 1838, President Mirabeau B. Lamar
responded to this threat by forming a second Texas Navy. Unlike Sam Houston
, Lamar was an ardent supporter of the Texas Navy and saw the urgent need for its continuation. The second Texas Navy was placed under the command of Commodore Edwin Ward Moore
, an Alexandria Academy graduate who was recruited from the United States Navy
. One of the ships of this second navy was the San Antonio along with her sister ships, the San Jacinto and San Bernard.
s at the Schott and Whitney shipyard in Baltimore, Maryland and called Asp, she was one of the smallest of a class of schooners and brigs built specifically for the slave trade between 1820 and 1850. A group of six schooners, including La Amistad
was built in Baltimore around 1836. They were identified as being "[p]urposely built and fitted out for use in the slave trade by the United States Consul General in Havana", and Asp was typical of the class.
Joining the flagship Austin and her sister ship San Bernard, San Antonio set sail for the Yucatan
again on 13 December 1841. The flotilla reached Sisal
on 6 January 1842, but she returned to Galveston on 31 January with dispatches from Commodore Moore. Secretary of War and Marine George Washington Hockley
sent orders to Moore by way of the San Antonio for Moore to return to Galveston immediately with the ships. But San Antonio called first at New Orleans to land the survivors of a shipwreck and to procure supplies for the fleet.
and were placed in jail in New Orleans. Two of the mutinous sailors were returned to the ship and the rest remained in New Orleans, pending extradition.
where San Jacinto had wrecked, and from there to Sisal. Commodore Moore dispatched her to pick up Francis R. Lubbock, a survivor of President Mirabeau B. Lamar
's Santa Fe expedition
, who had escaped his captors and made his way to Yucatan. The ship then rejoined the fleet at New Orleans on 1 July. Moore dispatched the schooner to Yucatán about 1 October 1842 by way of Galveston and Matagorda to attempt to raise funds for the fast-failing Texas fleet. She never reached Campeche, however, but was lost at sea.
refused to extradite most of the sailors accused of mutiny and killing Lieutenant Fuller the previous February. Further, many witnesses had gone down with their ship in October. Nevertheless, Commodore Moore tried those hands who were aboard his flagship in April 1843. Three men were sentenced to lashes, and four others were sentenced to death. They were hanged from the yardarm of the Austin on 26 April 1843. Sergeant Oswald escaped jail in New Orleans and was never brought to justice, and Frederick Shepard, a mutineer who saved his life by testifying against his fellows, was killed in action three weeks later in the Naval Battle of Campeche
.
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....
from 1839-1840. She was the sister ship of the San Jacinto
Texan schooner San Jacinto
The Texan schooner San Jacinto was a two-masted schooner of the Second Texas Navy from 1839-1840. She was the sister ship of the San Antonio and the San Bernard. In 1840, San Jacinto was part of the Texas Navy flotilla led by Commodore Edwin Ward Moore which was dispatched to assist Yucatecan...
and the San Bernard
Texan schooner San Bernard
The Texan schooner San Bernard was a two-masted schooner of the Second Texas Navy from 1839-1840. She was the sister ship of the San Jacinto and the San Antonio. In 1840, San Antonio was part of the Texas Navy flotilla led by Commodore Edwin Ward Moore which was dispatched to assist Yucatecan...
. In 1840, San Antonio was part of the Texas Navy flotilla led by Commodore Edwin Ward Moore
Edwin Ward Moore
Edwin Ward Moore , was the commodore of the Second Navy for the Republic of Texas.-Early life:...
which was dispatched to assist Yucatecan rebels that had taken up arms against Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. In February 1842, while re-provisioning in New Orleans, the crew of the San Antonio mutinied and the Lieutenant was killed. This was the only mutiny in the history of the Texas Navy. That fall, the San Antonio sailed for Campeche
Campeche
Campeche is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in Southeast Mexico, it is bordered by the states of Yucatán to the north east, Quintana Roo to the east, and Tabasco to the south west...
and was never heard from again.
Background of the Texas Navy
The Texas Navy was officially formed in January 1836, with the purchase of four schoonerSchooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
s: Invincible
Texan schooner Invincible
The Texas schooner Invincible was one of the four schooners of the First Texas Navy . 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...
, Brutus
Texan schooner Brutus
The Texan schooner Brutus was one of the four ships of the First Texas Navy that wreaked havoc on towns along the coast of Mexico, blockaded Mexican ports, and captured ships bound for Mexico with goods and munitions of war during the Texas Revolution.Her final, and most controversial, voyage was...
, Independence
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...
, and 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,...
. These ships, under the command of Commodore Charles Hawkins
Charles Hawkins
Charles Hawkins was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1838 to 1845....
, helped 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...
win independence by preventing a Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
blockade of the Texas coast
Gulf Coast of the United States
The Gulf Coast of the United States, sometimes referred to as the Gulf South, South Coast, or 3rd Coast, comprises the coasts of American states that are on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and are known as the Gulf States...
, seizing Mexican ships carrying reinforcements and supplies to its army, and sending their cargoes to the Texas volunteer army. Nevertheless, Mexico refused to recognize Texas as an independent country. By the middle of 1837, all of the ships had been lost at sea, run aground, captured, or sold. With no ships to impede a possible invasion by Mexico, Texas was vulnerable to attack.
In 1838, President Mirabeau B. Lamar
Mirabeau B. Lamar
Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar was a Texas politician, diplomat and soldier who was a leading Texas political figure during the Texas Republic era. He was the second President of the Republic of Texas, after David G. Burnet and Sam Houston.-Early years:Lamar grew up at Fairfield, his father's...
responded to this threat by forming a second Texas Navy. Unlike 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...
, Lamar was an ardent supporter of the Texas Navy and saw the urgent need for its continuation. The second Texas Navy was placed under the command of Commodore Edwin Ward Moore
Edwin Ward Moore
Edwin Ward Moore , was the commodore of the Second Navy for the Republic of Texas.-Early life:...
, an Alexandria Academy graduate who was recruited from 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...
. One of the ships of this second navy was the San Antonio along with her sister ships, the San Jacinto and San Bernard.
History of the San Antonio
Originally built as one of the Baltimore clipperBaltimore Clipper
Baltimore Clipper is the colloquial name for fast sailing ships built on the south-eastern seaboard of the United States of America, especially at the port of Baltimore, Maryland...
s at the Schott and Whitney shipyard in Baltimore, Maryland and called Asp, she was one of the smallest of a class of schooners and brigs built specifically for the slave trade between 1820 and 1850. A group of six schooners, including La Amistad
La Amistad
La Amistad was a ship notable as the scene of a revolt by African captives being transported from Havana to Puerto Principe, Cuba. It was a 19th-century two-masted schooner built in Spain and owned by a Spaniard living in Cuba...
was built in Baltimore around 1836. They were identified as being "[p]urposely built and fitted out for use in the slave trade by the United States Consul General in Havana", and Asp was typical of the class.
On patrol and carrying dispatches
On 26 June 1840, the San Antonio sailed from Galveston with the rest of the flotilla under the command of Commodore Edwin W. Moore. After a two month cruise, San Antonio returned to Galveston with James Treat, who had unsuccessfully sought diplomatic recognition for Texas from the Mexican government. For the rest of 1840, San Antonio patrolled Texas waters, conducting surveying and cartographic operations and suppressing smuggling.Joining the flagship Austin and her sister ship San Bernard, San Antonio set sail for the Yucatan
Yucatán
Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....
again on 13 December 1841. The flotilla reached Sisal
Sisal
Sisal is an agave that yields a stiff fibre traditionally used in making twine, rope and also dartboards. The term may refer either to the plant or the fibre, depending on context...
on 6 January 1842, but she returned to Galveston on 31 January with dispatches from Commodore Moore. Secretary of War and Marine George Washington Hockley
George Washington Hockley
George Washington Hockley was a Texas revolutionary who served as Secretary of War for the Republic of Texas.Hockley was a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
sent orders to Moore by way of the San Antonio for Moore to return to Galveston immediately with the ships. But San Antonio called first at New Orleans to land the survivors of a shipwreck and to procure supplies for the fleet.
Mutiny
On 11 February 1842, with the principal officers of the schooner on shore, a number of seamen demanded to be allowed to go ashore. The Officer of the Watch, Lieutenant Charles Fuller ordered the marine guard to protect the ship against a violent outbreak, only to have the sergeant of marines, Seymour Oswald, turn on him with a tomahawk. In the melee that followed, Fuller was shot to death and his body beaten with muskets and cutlasses. The mutineers then escaped from the ship, but were soon apprehended by the United States revenue cutter JacksonUSRC Jackson (1832)
The United States Revenue Cutter Jackson was one of 13 cutters of the Morris-Taney Class to be launched. Named after Secretaries of the Treasury and Presidents of the United States, these cutters were the backbone of the Service for more than a decade...
and were placed in jail in New Orleans. Two of the mutinous sailors were returned to the ship and the rest remained in New Orleans, pending extradition.
Final voyages
From New Orleans the San Antonio sailed for the Cayos ArcasCayos Arcas
The Cayos Arcas is a chain of three tiny sand cays and an accompanying reef system in the Gulf of Mexico. It is located approximately 130 kilometers from the mainland, west of Campeche. Their aggregate land area is 22.8 hectares...
where San Jacinto had wrecked, and from there to Sisal. Commodore Moore dispatched her to pick up Francis R. Lubbock, a survivor of President Mirabeau B. Lamar
Mirabeau B. Lamar
Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar was a Texas politician, diplomat and soldier who was a leading Texas political figure during the Texas Republic era. He was the second President of the Republic of Texas, after David G. Burnet and Sam Houston.-Early years:Lamar grew up at Fairfield, his father's...
's Santa Fe expedition
Texas Santa Fe Expedition
The Texas Santa Fe Expedition was a commercial and military expedition to secure the Republic of Texas's claims to parts of Northern New Mexico for Texas in 1841. The expedition was unofficially initiated by the then President of Texas, Mirabeau B. Lamar, in an attempt to gain control over the...
, who had escaped his captors and made his way to Yucatan. The ship then rejoined the fleet at New Orleans on 1 July. Moore dispatched the schooner to Yucatán about 1 October 1842 by way of Galveston and Matagorda to attempt to raise funds for the fast-failing Texas fleet. She never reached Campeche, however, but was lost at sea.
Fate of the Mutineers
The state of LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
refused to extradite most of the sailors accused of mutiny and killing Lieutenant Fuller the previous February. Further, many witnesses had gone down with their ship in October. Nevertheless, Commodore Moore tried those hands who were aboard his flagship in April 1843. Three men were sentenced to lashes, and four others were sentenced to death. They were hanged from the yardarm of the Austin on 26 April 1843. Sergeant Oswald escaped jail in New Orleans and was never brought to justice, and Frederick Shepard, a mutineer who saved his life by testifying against his fellows, was killed in action three weeks later in the Naval Battle of Campeche
Naval Battle of Campeche
The Naval Battle of Campeche took place on April 30, 1843 and May 16, 1843. The battle featured the most advanced warships of its day, including the Mexican steamer Guadalupe and the equally formidable Moctezuma which engaged a squadron of vessels from the Republic of Yucatan and the Republic of...
.
Commanders of the Vessel
The San Antonio was commanded by:- Lt. Francis B. Wright, November 1839—January 1840
- Lt. James O'Shaunessy, January—February 1840
- Lt. Alexander Moore, February 1840—June 1841
- Lt. William Seeger, June 1841—October 1842