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Lot 203
Phenomenal 1842 Texan legislative account: Commodore E.W. Moore, naval officer, warrior, renegade, pirate, mutineer, and murderer, defends himself against Congress!
Description:

Texas

Pamphlet titled Action for the Legislature of the State of Texas, in reference to the charge of defalcation against Commodore E.W. Moore. Published by T. Barnard, Washington, 1849. 5.5" x 8.75". Fourteen pages (includes outer title pages and final blank page). Bound by tied linen cord. Faint foxing and faint scattered stains/soiling. Stamp of the Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society Library to the front title page. Provenance: The outstanding William J. Burger collection

 

A lovely historically significant pamphlet from Washington in 1849, requiring the controller of the "State of Texas to Settle Certain Accounts … of E.W. Moore, Post Captain, Commanding the late Navy of Texas, for disbursements of money received from the Government of Yucatan … as well as all the accounts for monies received by him from the Governor of Texas …"

 

This intriguing and intense period of Texan history begins with their revolution when the Texan forces fought and won the Texas Revolution in 1835–1836 through the period of their annexation. Although the Texan revolution in 1836 was not recognized by Mexico, Texas declared itself an independent nation, the Republic of Texas. Attracted by the rich lands for cotton plantations and ranching, tens of thousands of immigrants arrived from the U.S. and from Germany as well. In 1845, Texas joined the United States, becoming the 28th state, when the United States annexed it. Only after the conclusion of the Mexican-American War, with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, did Mexico recognize Texan independence. This outstanding pamphlet follows the life of a Commodore E.W. Moore, whose staunch independence and verve as a naval Officer as Commodore of the Texas Navy in the early 1840's through the mid 1840's had him function somewhat as a one man rogue force emboldening his crew to defend Texas from the Mexican fleet. However the wake he lay as a result of his actions had him and his crew defined as renegades, with Congress recommended him to be court martialed and try him for disobedience, contumacy, mutiny, piracy and murder (such is the life of a determined zealot …).  This pamphlet digs into the financial resources Moore used to accomplish his mission. However prior, Moore first responded to the claims made about himself and his crew and published “To the People of Texas” (1843) a personal vindication and account of the navy.  The court found Moore not guilty except on four minor charges and gave him the right to continue in the navy which remained in port at anchor until adopted into the U.S. Navy in 1845 with the annexation of Texas.  Moore spent many years in prosecuting financial claims against Texas much of which is defined in this pamphlet.  In 1857 Congress awarded him five years pay. However it was his efforts that had him later be referred to as the "Star" of Texas Naval History. However in spite of that, and his signal achievements in the Gulf of Mexico, he was still not afforded the privilege of the "Austin" when she was adopted into the U.S. Navy. 

 

 It was thus that the Texas Fleet, disavowed and labeled mutineers sank the Mexican power on the seas, and made possible a sea-borne invasion of the Mexican Republic.

 

This one man's fascinating story, perhaps lost in many history books is described below:

 

Commodore Edwin Ward Moore (1810 - 1865), naval officer, was born in Alexandria, Virginia, on July 15, 1810.  He attended Alexandria Academy, and entered the United States Navy as a Midshipman on January 1, 1825. Moore served as Midshipman on the sloops "Hornet"(of the West Indian Squadron) and "Boston."  Later he served on the "Fairfield" in the Mediterranean Squadron and in 1835 was promoted to lieutenant.  In July 1839, he resigned his U.S. Navy Commission on "Boston" to accept the offer of Commodore of the Texas Navy for a salary of $200 per month. During the winter of 1839-40 he spent his time in the New York area enlisting seamen and in 1840-41 he was off the Mexican Coast in an attempt to hasten peace negotiations between Texas and Mexico.  With the collapse of negotiations, Moore's small squadron of wooden ships swept the seas in the Gulf of Mexico of all ships of Mexican registration.  He made an alliance with the Yucatan authorities who were in rebellion against the government of Mexico and capture the city of Tabasco. Moore then undertook to survey the Texas Coast and produced a chart that was later published by the British Admiralty.  This chart also significantly reduced the cost of shipping insurance for vessels sailing for commercial purposes in the area and resulted in a significant increase in sea-borne trade.  On September 18, 1841, Moore received orders to guard the Yucatan Coast in conformity with the Texas-Yucatan Treaty and on December 13, 1841, left Galveston with three ships to join the Yucatan feet at Sisal.  He captured several Mexican Vessels and then returned to Galveston for refit of his ships and re-supply.

 

In 1842, the first iron-clad ships came into American waters in the form of two Mexican ironclad frigates; the "Montezuma" and the "Guadalupe." These ships were built by the British to a French design and sold to the Mexican Navy in retaliation (in probability) for the U.S. vs. British "Oregon" dispute.  These ironclads were paddle-driven steamships mounting heavy ordnance.  The "Montezuma" (1,164 tons) carried a 68pdr. pivot gun and six 32pdrs.  The "Guadalupe" (775 tons) carried two 68pdrs.  Both ships were manned by English crews and commanded by British Officers "on leave" from the British Royal Navy.  Although these ironclads had the attention of the naval authorities in Washington D.C. and caused a great deal of worry at that place, Commodore Moore did not seem overly concerned with their presence.

 

By 1842 the Mexican Revolution had led to a great scarcity of Mexican shipping in the Gulf.  The Texas Navy crews began causing trouble with the disappearance of all that lucrative prize-money.  The "San Barnard" was wrecked off Galveston by mishandling attributed to the crew, and the "San Antonio" slipped away i the night, later to be reported in the Caribbean as flying the "Jolly Roger" as a pirate vessel.  Commodore Moore himself was required to personally quell a mutinous riot close-by the Isle of Mergeres.  Finally in the early months of 1843, the ragged Texas Navy made port in New Orleans, with no on-board provisions, no pay for the crews, and with two vessels of the fleet missing.  Commodore Moore was next commissioned by the President to blockade the Mexican Coast.

 

Enter at this juncture "The Raven" the new President Sam Houston who withheld the distribution of the funds for the blockade.  Houston, wanting nothing further to do with the rebellious sailors, ordered the Texas Navy Fleet home to Galveston to be sold at auction.  Commodore Moore stung by this obviously insulting order rejected it, and entered into negotiations with the Yucatan authorities on his own.  In effect, Commodore Moore undertook to "rent" the Texas Navy to Yucatan in return for funding to pay the fleet and resupply and refit the ships. Thus Moore financed by Yucatan, joined the Yucatan fleet once again to break the Mexican blockade of Yucatan, thereby saving the Federalist Yucatecans from hasty piece with Centralist Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana. President Houston immediately took action to denounce the action of Moore and labeled him and his crews as renegade.  According to Commodore Moore they were still the Texas Navy when on April 30, 1843 they attacked the Mexican Fleet then lying off Campeche, Yucatan.  This Mexican Fleet was commanded by Don Thomas Marin and featured two schooners, two brigs, the armed steamer "Regenerator" and the two previously described ironclads under the command of Captains Cleaveland, and Charlewood (RN).  This first attack was a draw and the fleets separated.

 

The next event was orchestrated by the Moore and his "Texians" who lured the Mexican Forces into a narrow roadstead, and used his forces to pound the Mexican Ironclads to junk.  The battle toll came out as; "Austin" (three dead), "Wharton" (two dead), "Montezuma" (forty dead), and "Guadalupe" (forty-seven dead). The Mexican Fleet was effectively destroyed.

 

By June 1842, the Texas Navy controlled the Gulf.  On June 1, 1843, Moore has received Houston's proclamation accusing him of disobedience and suspending him from the Texas Navy; so Moore returned to Galveston on July 14 and demanded a trial.  Commodore Moore was toasted by the City Of Galveston for his victory and arrested by Houston authorities as a mutineer.  A joint report of naval committees in the Texas Congress recommended a court-martial to try him for disobedience, contumacy, mutiny, piracy and murder.  In response Moore published “To the People of Texas” (1843) a personal vindication and account of the navy.  The court found Moore not guilty except on four minor charges and gave him the right to continue in the navy.  The Texas Navy, however, remained in port at anchor until adopted into the U.S. Navy in 1845 with the annexation of Texas.  Moore spent many years in prosecuting financial claims against Texas.  In 1857 Congress awarded him five years pay.  His quarrel with Sam Houston over the justness of his suspension from the Navy continued during Houston's senatorship.  In 1860 Moore returned to Galveston where he built the Galveston Custom House.  He dies in New York City, October 5, 1865.  Moore County in the Panhandle is named for him.

 

Rafael Semmes said of him that he was the "Star" of Texas Naval History. In spite of that and his signal achievements in the Gulf of Mexico he was not afforded the privilege of the "Austin" when she was adopted into the U.S. Navy.  It was thus that the Texas Fleet, disavowed and labeled mutineers sank the Mexican power on the seas, and made possible a sea-borne invasion of the Mexican Republic.

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