Ingham Incident
Encyclopedia
The Ingham Incident, or the Montezuma Affair, was a naval battle
fought in 1835, and the first between Mexico
and the United States
. The warship Montezuma patrolled the coast of Texas to prevent the smuggling of contraband
into the territory. During the cruise, the Mexicans captured the merchant ship Martha and later the Texan ship Columbia which led to a response by the Revenue Service
cutter USRC Ingham
. A bloodless engagement was fought on June 14, and ended when the Montezuma was purposely ran aground to prevent capture.
schooner
Montezuma, under the command of Lieutenant
Juan Calvi, seized the American schooner Martha for "customs violations" and because the passengers were not carrying passport
s, they were arrested and put in the brig. Two of the passengers, Thomas J. and Francis S. Early, were the sons of the former Governor Peter Early
of Georgia
. The brothers recalled that on previous encounters in Mexico the authorities did not ask for passports so they assumed they didn't need one. Ten days later Calvi captured the Texan ship Columbia for similar infractions. Both incidents sparked anger in Texas and a debate on whether the seizures were legal. The smuggling of contraband into Texas had become a major concern to the Mexicans by 1835, according to author William R. Wells II
, most American and Texan ships were involved in the illegal trade and openly defiant of the Mexican laws against such activities. Mill equipment owned by Robert Wilson
was part of the cargo aboard the Martha when she was taken ao Wells sent a message to Lieutenant Colonel
William B. Travis
about the outrage.
Travis responded with a letter dated July 7, informing Wilson that the revenue cutter USRC Ingham had been dispatched by Customs Agent James W. Breedlove, as she was the only armed American naval ship in the western Gulf of Mexico
. The Ingham was cruising the Mississippi River
south of New Orleans when her commander Captain
Ezekiel Jones received orders to sail to Texas. Though the seizures of the two ships were deemed legal by the Texans and the Americans, a critical press, politics, and the "unofficial urging" of the use of force by President
Andrew Jackson
eventually resulted in the operation and a subsequent naval battle. Due to an incident at Havana
, Cuba
sometime before, Agent Breedlove attempted to establish an American naval force in the western Gulf by claiming that a slave ship was sailing from Havana to Texas but his scheme was thwarted by Assistant Navy Secretary John Boyle
. One vessel was dispatched however, the USS St. Louis
sailed for Cuba and her commander discovered that the so called slave ship was carrying free negroes to Brazoria
.
Because Captain Jones lacked just cause
, his official report states that he was sailing the Ingham on a twenty-five day cruise for an anti-slavery operation though his real intentions were to liberate the captured ships and the American citizens. Upon reaching the Sabine River, Jones patrolled the area for a few days for slavers before crossing into Mexican waters disguised as a merchantman. First the captain sailed past Galveston for Matagorda
, Texas but heavy seas prevented him from entering so Jones headed for the Brazos River
where on June 3 he was informed by a local pilot that "several Acts of Piracy
" had been committed by the Montezuma and that there were no slave ships in the area. Captain Jones sent a landing party ashore to uncover the truths to these claims and he ordered that the three vessels in port be examined, none of which were found to be carrying slaves. Following that the Americans cruised back to Matagorda and crossed the bar on June 5, two more ships were boarded but they were found to be legal. At the same time a crewmen from one of the merchant ships informed the Americans that a vessel with 100 slaves on board was expected to arrive at Matagorda shortly.
Jones dismissed this rumor and continued on to search the bay for the Montezuma which was suspected of being in the area. Another shore party was also landed with the mission of investigating various rumors about the Martha affair and to recruit spies to report on the Montezumas presence. Ultimately USRC Ingham would sail the Texas coast for another two weeks without finding the Mexican schooner, Jones used the time to board suspected slavers and to drill his men for a possible encounter with the Montezuma. Eventually Jones decided to head for Matamoros
on June 12 "with the avowed intention of seeking the Montezuma".
On June 13, the Ingham passed the bar at Passo Cabello where she struck the ground several times so a pilot was hired to take the ship to Brazos Santiago which was reached on July 14. While six miles off the port, Jones proceeded with caution by having "all hands preparing grape shot & getting the Battery in fighting order & exercising the great guns & small arms
." At 5:00 pm Jones tacked toward shore and a lookout sighted a vessel anchored off Brazos Santiago. An hour later the vessel was identified as a "clipper built Schooner" and at 6:30 the vessel hoisted sails and "bore down" on the Ingham. Ten minutes after that the Mexicans opened fire on the Americans with one shot and at 7:40 her crew raised their ensign, revealing that the vessel was a warship. According to Captain Jones, he returned the Mexican's fire, only after receiving it, though it remains unknown as to who fired the first shots. The former master of the captured Texan ship Colombia was on board the Montezuma throughout the incident and he claimed that the Mexicans opened fire after the Ingham discharged a lee gun as a signal to communicate. Jones reported that Lieutenant Calvi must have thought the Ingham was a merchant ship due to the disguise and as soon as he realized that the American ship was armed, he "hauled his wind & made all sail from us." The Americans were now chasing the Montezuma and they opened fire with a 9-pounder chaser to prevent the Mexicans from moving into position for a broadside.
After that Lieutenant Calvi had his men open fire again, making Jones believe that a battle had begun in earnest so he slowed his ship to allow the Inghams broadside guns to be brought into action. Calvi exploited this opportunity to disengage and he headed for the shore, jettisoning gear and weapons along the way to lighten the schooner, increase her speed, and to shorten the vessel's draft in order to cross the bars of the Rio Grande
. Calvi did not sail into port for unknown reasons, instead he anchored with his broadside facing the Ingham. The alarm was also raised and Mexican Army
troops reinforced the Montezuma. Soon after that the Mexicans were back in sail and they resumed their firing on the American cutter. Calvi stayed close to shore so the remainder of the engagement was a long range gunnery duel. Captain Jones attempted to cut the Mexicans off by getting in between the Montezuma and the harbor's entrance but Calvi was "too far to the leeward" for that to be done. By 12:00 the Mexicans were unable to escape the pursuing Ingham so Clavi chose to run his ship "into the Breakers & on the Bar" which was caused heavy damage to the Montezuma. Jones considered shelling the wreck but he later decided against this and broke off the action now that the enemy was no longer a threat.
American forces discharged only thirteen shots during the entire battle according to Jones' report and he did not mention how many the Mexicans had fired. In the following months, an anonymous person claimed that the Ingham had purposely remained out of the Montezumas range which was contested by a sailor named Harby who commanded the ship's guns. Harby said that the Mexican schooner was within "easy reach" of his last six shots and that Captain Jones had ordered that the Montezuma should not be struck but, if possible, intimidated. There were no casualties on either side. After the battle, Jones sailed back for New Orleans where he prepared for another expedition with the objective of capturing the Mexican warship Correo de Mexico. However, hostilities broke out in Texas first and the rebels engaged
and captured the Correo de Mexico on September 1 off Brazoria. The American prisoners captured by Lieutenant Calvi were all released on June 15 and the cruise of the Ingham was declared a success. A newspaper
called the Ingham "Semper Paratus
" for her response to the Martha affair and the term would eventually become the motto
of the United States Coast Guard
. The Ingham was later sold to the Texas Navy
and renamed Independence
.
Naval battle
A naval battle is a battle fought using boats, ships or other waterborne vessels. Most naval battles have occurred at sea, but a few have taken place on lakes or rivers. The earliest recorded naval battle took place in 1210 BC near Cyprus...
fought in 1835, and the first between 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...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The warship Montezuma patrolled the coast of Texas to prevent the smuggling of contraband
Contraband
The word contraband, reported in English since 1529, from Medieval French contrebande "a smuggling," denotes any item which, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold....
into the territory. During the cruise, the Mexicans captured the merchant ship Martha and later the Texan ship Columbia which led to a response by the Revenue Service
United States Revenue Cutter Service
The United States Revenue Cutter Service was established by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in 1790 as an armed maritime law enforcement service. Throughout its entire existence the Revenue Cutter Service operated under the authority of the United States Department of the Treasury...
cutter USRC Ingham
USRC Ingham (1832)
The United States Revenue Cutter Ingham was one of the 13 Coast Guard cutters of the Morris-Taney class. Named for Secretary of the Treasury Samuel D...
. A bloodless engagement was fought on June 14, and ended when the Montezuma was purposely ran aground to prevent capture.
Background
The conflict began at Galveston on May 7 of 1835 before the outbreak of fighting between the Texans and the Mexicans. That day the Mexican NavyMexican 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...
schooner
Schooner
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....
Montezuma, under the command of Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Juan Calvi, seized the American schooner Martha for "customs violations" and because the passengers were not carrying passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
s, they were arrested and put in the brig. Two of the passengers, Thomas J. and Francis S. Early, were the sons of the former Governor Peter Early
Peter Early
Peter Early was an American lawyer, jurist and politician.He was born near Madison, Virginia in 1773, the son of Joel Early and Lucy Smith. His cousin, Jubal Early, was the grandfather of Confederate General Jubal Anderson Early . Peter Early graduated from the Lexington Academy...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. The brothers recalled that on previous encounters in Mexico the authorities did not ask for passports so they assumed they didn't need one. Ten days later Calvi captured the Texan ship Columbia for similar infractions. Both incidents sparked anger in Texas and a debate on whether the seizures were legal. The smuggling of contraband into Texas had become a major concern to the Mexicans by 1835, according to author William R. Wells II
William Wells (general)
-Medal of Honor:Wells commanded the Second Battalion, 1st Vermont Cavalry, in the repulse of Stuart's Cavalry at the Battle of Hanover during the Gettysburg Campaign...
, most American and Texan ships were involved in the illegal trade and openly defiant of the Mexican laws against such activities. Mill equipment owned by Robert Wilson
Robert Wilson (Missouri)
Robert Wilson was a United States Senator from Missouri.-Biography:Born near Staunton, Virginia, he moved to Howard County, Missouri in 1820 and taught school. In 1825 he was probate judge of Howard County and was clerk of the circuit and county courts from 1829 to 1840...
was part of the cargo aboard the Martha when she was taken ao Wells sent a message to Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
William B. Travis
William B. Travis
William Barret Travis was a 19th-century American lawyer and soldier. At the age of 26, he was a lieutenant colonel in the Texas Army...
about the outrage.
Travis responded with a letter dated July 7, informing Wilson that the revenue cutter USRC Ingham had been dispatched by Customs Agent James W. Breedlove, as she was the only armed American naval ship in the western Gulf of Mexico
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...
. The Ingham was cruising the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
south of New Orleans when her commander Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
Ezekiel Jones received orders to sail to Texas. Though the seizures of the two ships were deemed legal by the Texans and the Americans, a critical press, politics, and the "unofficial urging" of the use of force by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
eventually resulted in the operation and a subsequent naval battle. Due to an incident at Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
sometime before, Agent Breedlove attempted to establish an American naval force in the western Gulf by claiming that a slave ship was sailing from Havana to Texas but his scheme was thwarted by Assistant Navy Secretary John Boyle
John Boyle
John Boyle may refer to:*John Boyle *John Boyle, 5th Earl of Cork , Irish author and nobleman*John Boyle , judge and United States Representative from Kentucky*John R...
. One vessel was dispatched however, the USS St. Louis
USS St. Louis (1828)
USS St. Louis was a sloop in the United States Navy through most of the 19th century.St. Louis was laid down on 12 February 1827 at the Washington Navy Yard; launched on 18 August 1828; and commissioned on 20 December 1828, Master Commandant John D. Sloat in command.On the day of her commissioning,...
sailed for Cuba and her commander discovered that the so called slave ship was carrying free negroes to Brazoria
Brazoria, Texas
Brazoria is a city of Brazoria County in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 2,787.Brazoria was originally founded as a port for Stephen F...
.
Because Captain Jones lacked just cause
Just cause
Just cause or Bare sagen is a common standard in labor arbitration that is used in labor union contracts in the United States as a form of job security.-Use in Labor Union Contracts:...
, his official report states that he was sailing the Ingham on a twenty-five day cruise for an anti-slavery operation though his real intentions were to liberate the captured ships and the American citizens. Upon reaching the Sabine River, Jones patrolled the area for a few days for slavers before crossing into Mexican waters disguised as a merchantman. First the captain sailed past Galveston for Matagorda
Matagorda, Texas
Matagorda is an unincorporated community in Matagorda County, Texas, United States. It had a population of approximately 710 in 2000. Matagorda is at the end of State Highway 60 and beginning of Farm to Market Road 2031, which runs over the Intracoastal Waterway and south to the Gulf of Mexico...
, Texas but heavy seas prevented him from entering so Jones headed for the Brazos River
Brazos River
The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers , is the longest river in Texas and the 11th longest river in the United States at from its source at the head of Blackwater Draw, Curry County, New Mexico to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico with a drainage...
where on June 3 he was informed by a local pilot that "several Acts of Piracy
Piracy
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...
" had been committed by the Montezuma and that there were no slave ships in the area. Captain Jones sent a landing party ashore to uncover the truths to these claims and he ordered that the three vessels in port be examined, none of which were found to be carrying slaves. Following that the Americans cruised back to Matagorda and crossed the bar on June 5, two more ships were boarded but they were found to be legal. At the same time a crewmen from one of the merchant ships informed the Americans that a vessel with 100 slaves on board was expected to arrive at Matagorda shortly.
Jones dismissed this rumor and continued on to search the bay for the Montezuma which was suspected of being in the area. Another shore party was also landed with the mission of investigating various rumors about the Martha affair and to recruit spies to report on the Montezumas presence. Ultimately USRC Ingham would sail the Texas coast for another two weeks without finding the Mexican schooner, Jones used the time to board suspected slavers and to drill his men for a possible encounter with the Montezuma. Eventually Jones decided to head for Matamoros
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
on June 12 "with the avowed intention of seeking the Montezuma".
Incident
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
." At 5:00 pm Jones tacked toward shore and a lookout sighted a vessel anchored off Brazos Santiago. An hour later the vessel was identified as a "clipper built Schooner" and at 6:30 the vessel hoisted sails and "bore down" on the Ingham. Ten minutes after that the Mexicans opened fire on the Americans with one shot and at 7:40 her crew raised their ensign, revealing that the vessel was a warship. According to Captain Jones, he returned the Mexican's fire, only after receiving it, though it remains unknown as to who fired the first shots. The former master of the captured Texan ship Colombia was on board the Montezuma throughout the incident and he claimed that the Mexicans opened fire after the Ingham discharged a lee gun as a signal to communicate. Jones reported that Lieutenant Calvi must have thought the Ingham was a merchant ship due to the disguise and as soon as he realized that the American ship was armed, he "hauled his wind & made all sail from us." The Americans were now chasing the Montezuma and they opened fire with a 9-pounder chaser to prevent the Mexicans from moving into position for a broadside.
After that Lieutenant Calvi had his men open fire again, making Jones believe that a battle had begun in earnest so he slowed his ship to allow the Inghams broadside guns to be brought into action. Calvi exploited this opportunity to disengage and he headed for the shore, jettisoning gear and weapons along the way to lighten the schooner, increase her speed, and to shorten the vessel's draft in order to cross the bars of the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
. Calvi did not sail into port for unknown reasons, instead he anchored with his broadside facing the Ingham. The alarm was also raised and Mexican Army
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
troops reinforced the Montezuma. Soon after that the Mexicans were back in sail and they resumed their firing on the American cutter. Calvi stayed close to shore so the remainder of the engagement was a long range gunnery duel. Captain Jones attempted to cut the Mexicans off by getting in between the Montezuma and the harbor's entrance but Calvi was "too far to the leeward" for that to be done. By 12:00 the Mexicans were unable to escape the pursuing Ingham so Clavi chose to run his ship "into the Breakers & on the Bar" which was caused heavy damage to the Montezuma. Jones considered shelling the wreck but he later decided against this and broke off the action now that the enemy was no longer a threat.
American forces discharged only thirteen shots during the entire battle according to Jones' report and he did not mention how many the Mexicans had fired. In the following months, an anonymous person claimed that the Ingham had purposely remained out of the Montezumas range which was contested by a sailor named Harby who commanded the ship's guns. Harby said that the Mexican schooner was within "easy reach" of his last six shots and that Captain Jones had ordered that the Montezuma should not be struck but, if possible, intimidated. There were no casualties on either side. After the battle, Jones sailed back for New Orleans where he prepared for another expedition with the objective of capturing the Mexican warship Correo de Mexico. However, hostilities broke out in Texas first and the rebels engaged
San Felipe Incident (1835)
The San Felipe Incident was the first naval battle fought between Mexican and rebel forces during the Texas Revolution. On September 1, 1835, the American owned merchant ships San Felipe and Laura were crewed by Texans when they encountered the Mexican Navy warship Correo de Mejico and captured her...
and captured the Correo de Mexico on September 1 off Brazoria. The American prisoners captured by Lieutenant Calvi were all released on June 15 and the cruise of the Ingham was declared a success. A newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
called the Ingham "Semper Paratus
Semper paratus
Semper Paratus is the motto of a number of different organizations:-Canada:* The Windsor Regiment , an armoured regiment* The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry , an infantry regiment...
" for her response to the Martha affair and the term would eventually become the motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
of the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
. The Ingham was later sold to the 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....
and renamed 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...
.
See also
- Semper Paratus (march)Semper Paratus (march)"Semper Paratus" is the official march of the United States Coast Guard.Semper Paratus is also the official Coast Guard motto...
- Crawford AffairCrawford AffairThe Crawford Affair was a battle fought between Mexico and the United States in January of 1886 during the Geronimo Campaign. Captain Emmet Crawford was commanding a company of Apache scouts, sixty miles southeast of Nacori Chico in Sonora, when his camp was attacked by Mexican Army militiamen...
- Single ship action
- Gunboat diplomacyGunboat diplomacyIn international politics, gunboat diplomacy refers to the pursuit of foreign policy objectives with the aid of conspicuous displays of military power — implying or constituting a direct threat of warfare, should terms not be agreeable to the superior force....