Texan brig Wharton
Encyclopedia
The Texan brig Wharton was a two-masted brig of the Second Texas Navy
from 1839-1846. She was the sister ship of the Archer
. Accompanying the Texas flagship, Austin, she defeated a larger force of Mexican Navy steamships in the Naval Battle of Campeche
in May 1843. Transferred to the United States Navy
in 1846, she was sold for $55.
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 Wharton along with her sister ship, the Archer.
, a hero of the battle of San Jacinto
.
From her commissioning until January 1842, Wharton remained in Galveston awaiting provisions and repairs.
port of Sisal
on April 18, 1842. The Wharton brought word to Commodore Moore that the Republic of Texas had declared a blockade of the Mexican coast and Wharton remained in Mexican waters to help enforce it until May 1842. Returning to Galveston, the Wharton saw almost her crew quit the service as a result of expiring enlistments and desertions.
In late May 1842, she sailed to New Orleans for much-needed repairs with only nine sailors. After receiving a complete overhaul and recruiting a new crew at New Orleans, the Wharton and Moore's flagship, the Austin
set out on April 19, 1843 again for a cruise off the Yucatan coast. They sailed to Campeche and there engaged the Mexican steam frigate Moctezuma on April 30 in the first Naval Battle of Campeche. Although the Austin and the Wharton succeeded in temporarily driving the Mexican fleet from Yucatan waters, the Wharton was struck by a sixty-eight-pound shot; two men were killed and four were wounded when one of her own guns exploded during the two days of fighting. A decisive second engagement with the Mexican fleet on May 16, 1843, resulted in a clear Texan victory. The Austin and the Wharton left Mexican waters on June 25 and arrived at Galveston on July 14, 1843, effectively bringing to an end the active service of the Texas navy, as the ships would never leave port again.
formally annexed Texas on May 11, 1846, the Wharton was transferred to the United States Navy, which in turn sold the ship to the city of Galveston for fifty-five dollars on November 30, 1846.
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 1839-1846. She was the sister ship of the Archer
Texan brig Archer
The Texan brig Archer was a two-masted brig of the Second Texas Navy from 1842-1846. She was the sister ship of the Wharton. Transferred to the United States Navy in 1846, she was sold for $450.-History of the Archer:...
. Accompanying the Texas flagship, Austin, she defeated a larger force of Mexican Navy steamships 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...
in May 1843. Transferred to 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...
in 1846, she was sold for $55.
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 Wharton along with her sister ship, the Archer.
History of the Wharton
Wharton was built in Baltimore, Maryland at the Schott and Whitney shipyard. Originally called the Colorado, she was rechristened in honor of John Austin WhartonJohn Austin Wharton (1806-1838)
John Austin Wharton was distinguished as a statesman, lawyer and a soldier. He served as Adjutant General at the Battle of San Jacinto. In a eulogy at his grave, Republic of Texas President David G...
, a hero of the battle of 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...
.
From her commissioning until January 1842, Wharton remained in Galveston awaiting provisions and repairs.
Cruises to Campeche
Leaving Galveston in January, Wharton reached Commodore Moore's squadron off the YucatanYucatán
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....
port of 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 April 18, 1842. The Wharton brought word to Commodore Moore that the Republic of Texas had declared a blockade of the Mexican coast and Wharton remained in Mexican waters to help enforce it until May 1842. Returning to Galveston, the Wharton saw almost her crew quit the service as a result of expiring enlistments and desertions.
In late May 1842, she sailed to New Orleans for much-needed repairs with only nine sailors. After receiving a complete overhaul and recruiting a new crew at New Orleans, the Wharton and Moore's flagship, the Austin
Texan sloop-of-war Austin
The Texan sloop-of-war Austin was the flagship of the Second Texas Navy from 1840-1846. Commanded by Commodore Edwin Ward Moore, she led a flotilla in the capture of Villahermosa in 1840. After a period of inaction in port, Austin participated in the Naval Battle of Campeche in 1843...
set out on April 19, 1843 again for a cruise off the Yucatan coast. They sailed to Campeche and there engaged the Mexican steam frigate Moctezuma on April 30 in the first Naval Battle of Campeche. Although the Austin and the Wharton succeeded in temporarily driving the Mexican fleet from Yucatan waters, the Wharton was struck by a sixty-eight-pound shot; two men were killed and four were wounded when one of her own guns exploded during the two days of fighting. A decisive second engagement with the Mexican fleet on May 16, 1843, resulted in a clear Texan victory. The Austin and the Wharton left Mexican waters on June 25 and arrived at Galveston on July 14, 1843, effectively bringing to an end the active service of the Texas navy, as the ships would never leave port again.
Transfer to the U.S. Navy
When the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
formally annexed Texas on May 11, 1846, the Wharton was transferred to the United States Navy, which in turn sold the ship to the city of Galveston for fifty-five dollars on November 30, 1846.
Commanders of the Vessel
The Wharton was commanded by:- Capt. Edwin Ward MooreEdwin Ward MooreEdwin Ward Moore , was the commodore of the Second Navy for the Republic of Texas.-Early life:...
, November 1839—February 1840 - Commander George W. Wheelwright, February 1840—January 1842
- Lt. John T. K. Lothrop, February 1842—July 1843