The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 12, July 1908 - April, 1909 Page: 272
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Texas Historical Association Quarterly.
Taylor, who succeeded Captain Wheelwright in command after
the latter was wounded, is as follows:
Brazos de St Iago April 21st 1837
To the Honorable S Rhoads Fisher, Secretary of the Navy
Sir--1 have the honor hereby to transmit you an account of
the late engagement between our government vessel Independence
and two of the enemy's brigs of war, one the Libertador of sixteen
eighteen pounders, 140 men; the other, the Vincedor del Alamo,
mounting six twelve-pounders, and a long eighteen amidships,
with one hundred men. Captain Wheelright having during the
action received a very dangerous wound, the duty of sending this
melancholy communication has devolved upon me, towit:
On the morning of the 17th, in latitude 29 deg. N., longitude
95 deg. 20 min. W., at 5 h. 30 m A. M. discovered two sail about
6 miles to windward; immediately beat to quarters; upon making
us out they bore down for us with all sail set, signalized, and
then spoke each other. At 9 h. 30 m., the Vincedor del Alamo, bore
away, getting in our wake to rake us, the Libertador keeping well
on our weather quarter, we immediately hoisted our colors at the
peak. The enemy in a few minutes hoisting theirs, the Libertador
on our weather quarter edging down for us all the time, till within
about one mile, gave us a broadside, without wounding any of our
men or doing other damage; the fire was at the same time returned
from our weather battery, consisting of three sixes and the pivot,
a long nine, the wind blowing fresh, and from our extreme low-
ness our lee guns were continually under water, and even the
weather ones occasionally dipped their muzzles quite under. The
firing on both sides was thus briskly kept up for nearly two hours,
the raking shots from the Vincedor in our wake nearly all passing
over our heads, as yet sustaining but trifling injury; at 9 h. 30 m.
the Libertador on our weather quarter, bore away and run down
till within two cables length of us, luffed and gave us a broad-
side of round shot, grape and canister, while all this time the brig
Vincedor in our wake continued her raking fire. Notwithstand-
ing this we still continued on our course for Velasco, maintaining
a hot action for full 15 minutes, with some effect upon her sails
and rigging. The Libertador now hauled her wind, widening her
distance, apparently wishing to be further from us, when she
again opened her fire, which was on our part kept up without
cessation. At 11 A. M. she again bore away, run down close to
our quarter and gave us another broadside of round shot, grape
and canister, which told plainly on our sails and rigging; as be-
fore she again hauled her wind to her former position, and played
us briskly with round shot, one of which -struck our hull, going
through our copper and buried itself in her side. At 11 h. 30 m.272
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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/m1/310/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.