Battle
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
Montezuma
which engaged a squadron of vessels from the
Second Republic of Yucatan
and the
Republic of Texas
. The latter force consisted of the Texas Navy flagship sloop-of-war
Austin
, commanded by
Commodore
Edwin Ward Moore
, the
brig
Wharton
, and several
schooners
and five
gunboats
from the Republic of Yucatan, commanded by former
Texas Navy
Captain
James D. Boylan.
After the conservative and centralist
Centralist Republic of Mexico
suspended the
1824 Constitution of Mexico
, the Republic of Texas, the Republic of Yucatan, and the Republic of the Rio Grande individually asserted independence. The Republic of the Rio Grande declared independence in early 1840 but was defeated and reunited with Mexico within a year, well before the battle of Campeche. Texas declared its independence in 1836, but Mexico refused to recognize its declaration. The Republic of Yucatan declared independence the same year, and remained in intermittent armed conflict with Mexico from 1836 through 1846. In an attempt to quell the rebellion, Mexico attempted to blockade the Yucatecan port of Campeche. The Battle of Campeche resulted when the allied forces of Texas and Yucatan attempted to lift the blockade. The battle ended in a victory for the allied Texan-Yucatecan navy.
[2]
A scene from this battle is engraved on the cylinder of every
Colt 1851 Navy
,
1860 Army
, and
1861 Navy
revolver.
Background
[
edit
]
After declaring their
independence
from Spanish metropole in 1821, Mexico experienced a period of political and financial instability. In an attempt to address its people's needs and voices, the
Provisional Government of Mexico
drafted the
1824 Constitution of Mexico
. The succeeding
First Mexican Republic
did not eliminate the political and financial instability, which the
Conservative Party
blamed on the empowerment of states over the federal government as well as mass participation in the political system through
universal male suffrage
. After taking power, the Conservative Party suspended
1824 Constitution of Mexico
. In response, Texas, Yucatan, and Rio Grande each declared independence (with the Republic of the Rio Grande defeated and reintegrated into Centralist Mexico by late 1840).
In pre-Republic
Mexican Texas
, tension had been rising between Mexico authority and settlers from the United States of America over the issue of chattel slavery, which had been abolished in Mexico in 1829, but not the United States. Further conflict arose over a ban on immigration that was largely defied by United States settlers, who continued to immigrate to Mexican Texas. By 1834, English-speaking immigrants outnumbered Spanish-speaking Mexicans. After Central Mexican government revoked their autonomy granted by
1824 Constitution of Mexico
in 1835,
Texians
raised a rebellion. Although defeated militarily in the
Texas war of independence
, resulting in a commitment to self governance in Mexican Texas, the Mexican Congress refused to recognize the independence of the Republic of Texas. The Congress claimed that the
agreement
was signed by Mexican President General
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
under duress as prisoner of war, and the majority of the Mexican Congress did not approve the agreement. Intermittent conflicts between Mexico and Texas continued into the 1840s.
During the same period, pre-1843, Mexico and the Republic of the Yucatan also engaged in intermittent military conflict.
Commodore Edwin Ward Moore had been waging a campaign against Mexican interests in the
Gulf
and disrupting commerce, because it was thought the Mexican army was planning an amphibious assault on Texas in order to recapture the province. Moore could only fully refit and rearm his ships by expending his own funds when he put in at
New Orleans
. The government of Texas refused him more funds and Sam Houston ordered him back to Texas so the fleet could be sold. The fleet, upon being put up for auction in Galveston, was not sold at that time because the citizens of Galveston rioted, thereby preventing the auction. Moore disregarded Houston's orders, and allied himself with the government of the Republic of Yucatan, which was then under siege from the central Mexican government. Yucatan paid Texas $8,000 a month for the services of the Texas Navy. Moore, now fully funded, sailed to lift the Mexican naval blockade of the port of Campeche.
Battle
[
edit
]
The brig Wharton depicted on Texan currency.
The battle began on April 30, and involved the Texas-Yucatan force that had been attacking and clearing the Gulf of Mexico of Mexican merchant and fishing boats, against a small Mexican squadron which consisted of sailing ships and a small steamer, the
Regenerador
. The initial battle lasted a few hours and was a draw, as both sides retired.
After rearming, the Texan ships, including the 600 ton flagship
Austin
, on May 16 encountered a much stronger Mexican squadron, which included the modern 878 ton iron-hulled (not "ironclad") paddle frigate
Guadalupe
and the wooden paddle frigate
Montezuma
, each armed with two
68-pounder
Paixhans
guns able to fire exploding shells, commanded by British officers and manned by British and Mexican seamen.
Hand-coloured lithograph of the Mexican 2-gun paddlewheel frigate ‘Guadalupe’ under steam and sail in a stiff breeze, with vessels to her right and left. Her deck is lined with figures front and aft. One of her two 68-pounder Pivot Guns is visible in her stern. Seagulls effortlessly skim the choppy waves, lending a lively atmosphere to the portrait.
After three hours of broadsides, the battle was essentially a draw,
[3]
with both sides again withdrawing after sustaining considerable damage and casualties. The Texas ships suffered some physical damage, but the Mexican and British sailors suffered many more casualties of both dead and wounded.
The Mexican steamship
Regenerator
and its battered attendant squadron rejoined the
Guadalupe
and the
Moctezuma
flotilla about May 19, and withdrew from the area, and the Texas squadron retired to
Galveston
.
Outcome
[
edit
]
Both engagements result in stalemate and ships of both sides receive damage. Because the Mexican squadron had to return to friendly port for repair, the naval blockage was lifted.
Texas squadron were acclaimed as heroes on their return, even though Texas President
Sam Houston
had declared Commodore Moore and the ships' captains and crew
pirates
for sailing against his wishes. However, after a
court martial
, Commodore Moore was acquitted of all piracy charges. Having fought an iron-hulled Mexican steamship and 2 other steamers essentially to a draw using only wooden sailing ships was an achievement for Commodore Moore, the Naval Battle of Campeche becoming one of the few, or perhaps only, known naval battle in world history in which sailing ships held their own against steam-powered ships in combat.
[
citation needed
]
This victory proved that one of Mexico's significant tool against Yucatan, naval blockade, can be thwarted by Yucatan and allying 'outside' power. Banking on this victory, Yucatan managed to get concession including full autonomy for their rejoining to Mexico in their negotiation with Mexico on December 5, 1843. Central Mexico soon reneged the agreement and Yucatan seceded again. However, Yucatan suffered conflicts both external, a) with Central Mexico and b) naval blockade by US Navy in
Mexican?American War
, and internal, c) partisanship of their leadership and d) Mayan uprising (called the
Caste War
). Due to the distressing situation of the
Caste War
, Yucatan seek economic and military assistance from Mexico. On August 17, 1848, Yucatecan president,
Miguel Barbachano
ordered the resumption of a confederation of Mexico and the restoration of the 1825 Constitution of Yucatan.
Legacy
[
edit
]
The battle scene was memorialized by
Samuel Colt
in an engraving on the cylinder of the famed 1851 and 1861 Colt Navy Revolvers and the Colt 1860 Army Revolver. This was in expression of gratitude to Commodore Moore who in 1837 had purchased Colt Paterson Revolvers for the Republic of Texas Navy. By the time of the Battle of Campeche, however, Colt's enterprise was bankrupt. He would make a comeback in 1847 when under Colonel John C. Hays he was rescued from oblivion and put back to work making guns the
Texas Rangers
would use in the Mexican War.
Order of battle
[
edit
]
Texas Navy:
Yucatecan Navy:
Mexican Navy:
- Guadalupe
, iron hulled paddle frigate, 2 68 pdr. Paixhans guns, 2 32 pdr. 878 tons
steamer
, flagship
- Montezuma
, wooden hulled paddle frigate, 2 68 pdr. Paixhans guns, 6 32 pdr., 1,111 ton
steamer
- Regenerator
,
steamer
- Yucateco
, 12 guns, brig
- Iman
, 7 guns, brig
- Aguila
, 7 guns, schooner
- Campechano
, 3 guns, schooner
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
19°55′N
90°38′W
/
19.917°N 90.633°W
/
19.917; -90.633