The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 12, July 1908 - April, 1909 Page: 252
332 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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252
Texas Historical Association Quarterly.
VI. THE INVINCIBLE.
In Chapter IV the Invincible was left at the point where, on
March 12, 1836, Captain Jeremiah Brown was appointed by the
General Consultation to her command.' With his commission he
also received orders to cruise along the coast and engage or drive
off the 'Mexican war vessel, Montezuma. This vessel had so far
done no great harm to the Texan interests, but since she was first
reported off the Texan coast in November, 1835, shippers had
lived in constant dread of her. After patroling the coast for some
time, Captain Brown received a, hint to search for the Montezuma
near the mouth of the Rio Grande. He arrived there opportunely.
An embargo had been laid by the Mexican government on all
vessels in the port of Matamoras in order to prevent information
reaching the Texans of an expedition which was being prepared
to land two thousand men at C6pano Bay. The Montezuma, now
rechristened the Bravo,2 had just crossed the bar at the mouth of the
Rio Grande, which is some thirty-five miles from Matamoras, and
had lost her rudder. On the third of April, at ten o'clock a. m., while
she was waiting to refit inside, the Invincible came in sight from
the north. At 12 o'clock she came opposite, and Lieutenant Wil-
liam H. Leving, in a small boat, went on board the Bravo. The
Bravo, becoming suspicious, slipped her cable and endeavored to
retreat with Lieutenant Leving on board. A sharp engagement
then took place. The Bravo could not be steered, and ran aground
near the north beach, where she was almost completely wrecked
by a broadside from the Invincible. The crew reached the shore
In the course of her career the following officers served for varying
terms on the Invincible: Captains Jeremiah Brown and Henry L
Thompson; Lieutenants F. Johnson, William H. Loving, P. W. Hum-
phreys, - Newcomb, James Perry, Harrie Hornsby, Randolph
Lee, Logan, James Mellus, and James Sever; Surgeons O. P.
Kelton and Dunn; Purser F. T. Wells; Sailing Masters Daniel Lloyd
and Abbott; Midshipmen Alf. A. Wate and Robert Foster; Boatswain
Smith; Gunner Fred Franson; Captain of Marines F. M. Gibson; Lieu-
tenants of Marines F. Ward and - Brooks. This list, which is
compiled from Tennison's Journal, the New Orleans newspapers, and The
Texas Almaidac, 1860-65, is as complete as I can make it.
Yoakum, II, 124, says that L. Brown commanded the Invincible; there
iwas no 'Captain L. Brown, and Captain W. S. Brown commanded the
Liberty. The Texas Almanac, 1860, p. 58, says that 'Captain I. B. Brown
commanded the Invincible; this also is an error.
'The Matamoras correspondents of the New Orleans papers call the
vessel the Bravo, but explain that it was formerly the Montezuma.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 12, July 1908 - April, 1909, periodical, 1909; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101048/m1/290/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.