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Hardcover
Publisher: Potomac Books Inc.
In the 1830s, Mexico endured a tragic era of internal political instability. Meanwhile, bold American frontiersmen sought their fortunes beyond the borders of the United States, with many settling in the Mexican territory of Texas. In 1835, these transplanted Americans led a revolt against Texas’s embattled rulers in Mexico City. Lone Star Navy chronicles the little fleet of wooden warships, bought on credit by an impoverished band of revolutionaries and sent to sea on a singular mission: to win Texas’s independence from Mexico. Beginning with four small sailing vessels, the upstart flotilla became a vital counterpart to Texan armies fighting for an independent republic. Indeed, Capt. Jeremiah Brown’s naval battle off Matamoros in April 1836 helped save the fledgling republic from a premature end. But even as it battled for independence on the Gulf of Mexico, the Texas navy came under attack from unexpected enemies. The same fierce individuality that led Texans to shake off their Mexican rulers also stymied their efforts to govern themselves with any consensus. Lauded by its advocates as strategically vital and ridiculed by its detractors as a farcical waste of money, the navy became a flashpoint in a clash of visions. Denied adequate funding, sailors and officers suffered long periods without pay, and their vessels fell into chronic disrepair, but they still defended their small nation’s fortunes. The decrepit remains of the battle-scarred fleet finally fell into American hands when Texas, in need of a strong ally, was annexed by the United States in 1845. The Mexican government prophesied that relinquishing Texas would lead to the loss of its other northern territories. And, indeed, the Mexican War and the U.S. acquisition of New Mexico, Arizona, California, and parts of Utah, Colorado, and Nevada soon followed.
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| History At Its Best -- Much To Learn Here |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Popular history of the Texas Revolution generally contains only two features: the defense of the Alamo and Houston's victory over Santa Anna at San Jacinto. Sometimes the massacre of Fannin's command at Goliad in mentioned, but since neither the Mexicans nor the Americans acquitted themselves well in that incident it is often skipped over. Nonetheless, the real question that is never answered, is how the Texans were able to reach their goal of independence when the Mexican Army still enjoyed a substantial numerical superiority after San Jacinto and upwards of 15,000 Mexican troops were available within a year to run the Americans out of Texas. The Texas War for Independence should have been far from over.
This book answers that question to a very large degree. The tiny Texas Navy severed the Mexican supply lines through the Gulf of Mexico, and at the most critical time when Mexican General Filisola could have marched on Houston's army celebrating San Jacinto and driven it from Texas, the Navy intercepted three ships carrying Mexican reinforcements, ammunition and supplies that Filisola desperately needed. The result, possibly mainly due to this action, was that Filisola retreated in a march under the worst possible weather that sapped the strength of the Mexican Army and rendered it impotent for the remainder of 1836. Yet the Texas Navy never rates more than a line or two in history books, and then mostly due to the interminable political wrangling among Lamar, Houston and other Texas politicians.
The Navy itself experienced a severe setback when it lost all of its ships in 1837, but was able to create a new Navy in 1839. This second Navy was organized and trained by Commodore Edwin Moore and was able to take the fight to the Mexicans in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Yucatan. Essentially, its presence kept the Mexicans from mounting another punitive expetition into Texas (at least as far as Texan activities were concerned), although political fights among the Mexican parties, politicians and generals played no small part. The Navy became the first line of defense for Texas, and this line held until the Navy was allowed to disintegrate and sold off while the US annexed Texas into the Union on July 4, 1845.
Author Jordan's fine book tells the story of this Navy from its very modest beginnings in 1835 to its final dissolution in 1846. The narrative is full of bravery, sacrifice, blunders, counter-productive political wrangling, political stupidity, greed, Texan-American-English-Mexican politics, and all the ingredients of a fantastic story. Not the least of the unbelievable incidents was the Navy's capture of supplies being sent by Americans from New Orleans to Filisola's army. As was to be expected, a howl of protest arose from the mercantile interests in New Orleans doing business with the Mexicans so they could more efficiently kill Americans and drive the remainder from Texas. Ahh, let's hear it for self-interest.
Another interesting historical truth was that Great Britain built Mexico's two largest and most powerful ships, the steamers Guadalupe and Moctezuma, the most advanced warships in the world in 1842. Not only that, but the two ships were commanded and manned by Englishmen. Boy, with friends like the British, who needs enemies? It was amazing that Commodore Moore was able to neutralize the Guadalupe and Moctezuma at the battle of Campeche through aggressiveness and sheer endurance.
Most readers will probably shake their heads at the improbable Texan success in obtaining and keeping their independence. Yes, the American Scotch-Irish colonists who populated Texas (read Fehrenbach's "Lone Star") were the world's most efficient predators at the time (the Anglo Scotch-Irish were invited in because the Mexicans couldn't defeat the Apaches and Comanches); yes, Anglos enjoyed a 10 to 1 population advantage over Mexicans north of the Rio Grande in 1836 (40,000 to 4,000 -- the rise of the large Hispanic population in Texas is a post-World War II phenomenen); but other than that the Mexicans held all the advantages. If I didn't already know how the story would turn out, I'm not sure I would have believed it.
This work is well-organized and very scholarly with copious end notes. I recommend that interested readers also read up on the Urrea-Filisola conflict that doomed Mexican efforts before the Mexican War began. Other recommended readings are:
"Almonte's Texas" (Almonte's 1834 inspection and report of the 1836 campaign) edited by Jack Jackson.
"Texas By Teran" (Diary of General Manuel De Mier Y Teran) edited by Jack Jackson.
"Lone Star Rising" by William C. Davis.
"Lone Star" by T.R. Fehrenbach.
"Slaughter at Goliad" by Jay Stout.
"Santa Anna of Mexico" by Will Fowler.
"General Vicente Filisola's Analysis of Jose Urrea's Military Diary" edited by Gregg J. Dimmick.
I recommend this book to everyone interested in American History, the Texas Revolution, and the Mexican War.
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| Lone Star Navy by Jordan |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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The times were turbulent, as were the seas. Jordan, a lawyer by day in Atlanta, writes comprehensively and readably. This volume should remain a mainstay for a long time. He treats the revolutionary background and the privateers with their letters of marque and reprisal to avoid the label of pirate, as well as the establishment, disestablishment, re-establishment, and subsequent transferal of the Navy to the United States.
The story is filled with genuine, personal details as well as nautical lessons made easier by his clear, deliberate approach for landlubbers. It seems there were at the time personality clashes, insubordination, and greed, in addition to sacrifice, friendship, and loyalty in the name of patriotism and maritime reality. Throughout, the influences of Mexican, English, and French foreign powers, the marines, the enabling and disabling politics and court proceedings, and the occasional pirate highlight the depth of the Navy's life.
The often effective navy's role in securing Texas liberty is strategically and tactically addressed.
Thirty portraits, maps, and facsimiles add a visual component. Jordan's extensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources is a starting point for any future historian.
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| A fleet built on credit and little-known |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Jonathan W. Jordan's LONE STAR NAVY: TEXAS, THE FIGHT FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO, AND THE SHAPING OF THE AMERICAN WEST analyzes the role played by a fleet of wooden warships who in the 1830s led a revolt by transplanted Americans against Texas' rulers in Mexico City. The 'fleet' was bought on credit and sent overseas by an improvised band of revolutionaries, basically saving Texas from Mexico, and accomplishing it on a shoestring. The navy went on to become the focal point of various clashes: LONE STAR NAVY is packed with action and insights on a little-covered group.
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| Facinating reading of an overlooked bit of history |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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The Texas navy rarely gets more than a page or two in even the most comprehensive Texas histories. But Jonathan Jordan makes a compelling case that it was in fact the damage to Mexican supply lines done by the tiny fighting Republic fleet that forced a withdrawal after the battle of San Jacinto, and thus turned the strategic tide.
The rich cast of historical characters described here are fascinating and sometimes hilarious, from the rogue Secretary of the Navy who essentially stole the fleet for a filibustering expedition, to a never-ending run of drunken gun-toting foul-mouthed salty sea captains. Key are Sam Houston, whose bravery and decisiveness in leading the new Republic was matched only by his ignorance of sea power, and Commodore Edwin Moore, a true hero who fought budget cutters and frigates with equal aplomb only to cross swords with the aforementioned President.
I loved this book. From a sliver of time it tells an arresting story with crisp description, page-turning narrative and wry wit. You can't ask for more from a history.
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