Texas Navy Essay Research Paper The Contributions — страница 4

throughout the day with several cease fires opened back up within hours. At the end of the first squirmish, the Texas-Yucatan forces suffered two killed and three wounded hands. Spy reports spoke of Mexican losses to be over twenty hands in all. The whole action was not decisive but accomplished freeing the Campeche from siege and permit coastal vessels to enter under the protection of Moore’s guns (19.) The conflict was delayed for over fifteen days while the winds were unfavorable to the Texas-Yucatan vessels and both oppositions had to make repairs and restock munitions and supplies. Morning breezes rekindled the conflict as the Austin and Wharton moved toward the Mexican steamers. Unfortunately the Texas ships were suddenly becalmed and the Mexican steamers moved in on the

two ships and unloaded their explosive rounds just out of range of the Moore’s guns. But a small puff of wind noticed by the fiery Commander brought the vessels back into the battle as they surprised the steamers by moving in between them and unloading their guns as Moore forced them down the coast. After Moore’s fired off over 530 rounds on the Mexican fleet the Austin and Wharton both returned to Campeche. Then, on May 26th, word reached Moore that President Houston had declared the cruise illegal and castigated the Commodore as a pirate, murderer, mutineer, and embezzler. Moore replied with what he hoped was enough proof to justify his actions and a week after that the Mexican Navy withdrew the siege from Campeche. Praise was rewarded to Commodore Moore as he halted the

invasion of Texas and the conquest of Yucatan by Mexico. Later, the United States and Great Britain secured a truce between Texas and Mexico that endured throughout the existence of the Lone Star Republic (22.) Commodore Moore was dismissed from duty by Houston on return to Galveston and the Texas Navy existed for three more years, under the protection of United States soldiers and sailors. When Texas was annexed by the United States the Austin, Archer, Wharton, and San Bernard were transferred to the U.S. Navy but were scrapped in 1848 because of their poor conditions (25.) The contributions of the Texas Navy to the Republic were more important than contemporarily understood. During the revolution, the Navy fought off blockaders, interrupted Mexican supply lines, and provided

the opportunity for the victory at San Jacinto. And in 1843, the Navy thwarted a well-organized, full-scale invasion of Yucatan that would have led to reinvasion and possible reconquest of Texas. Most of all, the Texas Navy set a tradition for aggressive, bold, and imaginative action which paved the way in future American traditions in warfare (25.) Davis, Joe T. Legendary Texians. Burnet: Eakin Press, 1982. Naval History Division. The Texas Navy. Washington, D.C. 1968. Robinson, Admiral Samuel M. A Brief History of the Texas Navies. Houston: Sons of the Republic of Texas, 1961. Wells, Tom H. Commodore Moore and the Texas Navy. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1960.