Naval Battle of Campeche facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Naval Battle of Campeche
Part of Texas-Mexican Wars and Yucatan Rebellion
The Texan sloop-of-war Austin.
Date April 30–May 16, 1843 Location near Campeche, Mexico Result See aftermath
Belligerents
Republic of Texas  Republic of Yucatán	Mexico
Commanders and leaders
Edwin Ward Moore James D. Boylan	Tomas Marin
Strength
1 sloop-of-war 1 brig 2 schooners 5 gunboats	3 steamers 2 brigs 2 schooners
Casualties and losses
7 killed 24 wounded	30 killed 55 wounded

The Naval Battle of Campeche was an important sea fight that happened in 1843. It took place on two different days: April 30 and May 16. This battle was special because it involved some of the most advanced warships of that time.

The battle was fought between the navies of Mexico and an alliance of two smaller nations. These were the Republic of Yucatán and the Republic of Texas. The Mexican side had powerful new steamships like the Guadalupe and the Montezuma. The Texas-Yucatán fleet included the Texas Navy's main ship, the Austin. It was led by Commodore Edwin Ward Moore. The fleet also had the brig Wharton and several smaller ships from Yucatán.

This battle happened because Mexico was trying to stop a rebellion in Yucatán. Mexico used its navy to block the port of Campeche. The Texan and Yucatecan ships worked together to try and break this blockade. The battle ended with a victory for the allied Texan-Yucatecan navy. A scene from this battle is even engraved on the cylinder of famous Colt Navy revolvers.

Why the Battle Happened: A Look at the Background

After gaining independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico faced many challenges. The country had political problems and money troubles. To try and fix things, the government created the 1824 Constitution of Mexico. This constitution gave more power to the states.

However, some people in Mexico, especially the Conservative Party, thought this system caused too much instability. They believed states had too much power and that too many people were involved in politics. When the Conservative Party took control, they stopped following the 1824 Constitution.

Because of this, several regions decided to declare their own independence. These included Texas, Yucatán, and the Republic of the Rio Grande. The Republic of the Rio Grande was defeated quickly. Texas declared independence in 1836, but Mexico did not agree to it. Yucatán also declared independence in 1836 and fought with Mexico for many years.

Before the battle, there were also tensions in Texas. Many settlers from the United States had moved there. They often disagreed with Mexican laws, especially about slavery, which Mexico had ended in 1829. Mexico also tried to stop more people from the U.S. from moving in, but many ignored this rule. By 1834, English-speaking settlers outnumbered Spanish-speaking Mexicans.

When Mexico's central government took away their local control, Texans started a rebellion. Even though Texas won its independence in the Texas Revolution, Mexico's government refused to accept it. They said the agreement was signed by Mexican President Antonio López de Santa Anna while he was a prisoner. So, fights between Mexico and Texas continued into the 1840s.

During this time, Mexico and Yucatán were also fighting on and off.

Commodore Edwin Ward Moore, who led the Texas Navy, was fighting Mexican ships in the Gulf of Mexico. He was trying to stop Mexico from attacking Texas by sea. Moore often had to use his own money to fix his ships. The Texas government didn't give him enough funds. In fact, the Texas President, Sam Houston, wanted to sell the navy's ships. But the people of Galveston stopped the sale.

Moore decided to ignore Houston's orders. He made a deal with the government of Yucatán, which was being attacked by Mexico. Yucatán agreed to pay Texas $8,000 a month for the Texas Navy's help. With this money, Moore sailed to break Mexico's naval blockade of Campeche.

The Battle Unfolds

The brig Wharton shown on Texan money.

The first part of the battle happened on April 30. The Texas-Yucatán fleet had been attacking Mexican merchant ships. They met a smaller Mexican fleet that included a sailing ship and a small steamer called the Regenerador. This first fight lasted a few hours. Both sides pulled back, and it was a draw.

After getting their ships ready again, the Texan fleet returned on May 16. This time, they faced a much stronger Mexican force. This included the modern, iron-hulled (but not "ironclad") paddle frigate Guadalupe and the wooden paddle frigate Montezuma. These ships were very powerful. They each had two large 68-pounder Paixhans guns that could fire exploding shells. British officers and British and Mexican sailors operated these ships. The Texas flagship Austin weighed 600 tons, while the Guadalupe was 878 tons.

A colorful picture of the Mexican paddlewheel frigate Guadalupe sailing in the wind. You can see one of its large 68-pounder guns.

The battle lasted for three hours. Both sides fired many cannons. In the end, it was mostly a draw again. Both fleets had damage and many injured sailors. The Texas ships were damaged, but the Mexican and British sailors had many more casualties.

The Mexican steamship Regenerator and its damaged fleet joined the Guadalupe and Montezuma around May 19. They then left the area. The Texas fleet also went back to Galveston.

What Happened After: The Outcome

Both parts of the battle ended without a clear winner on the battlefield. However, the Mexican fleet had to go back to a friendly port for repairs. This meant they had to stop their naval blockade of Campeche.

When the Texas fleet returned home, they were celebrated as heroes. This was even though Texas President Sam Houston had called Commodore Moore and his crew "pirates" for not following his orders. But after a special military trial, Commodore Moore was found not guilty of any piracy charges.

It was a big achievement for Commodore Moore to fight powerful steam-powered ships with only wooden sailing ships and essentially hold his own. The Naval Battle of Campeche is one of the few, or perhaps the only, known naval battle in history where sailing ships fought steam-powered ships and did not lose.

This victory showed Yucatán that Mexico's naval blockade could be stopped with help from allies. Because of this success, Yucatán was able to get Mexico to agree to give them full local control when they rejoined Mexico on December 5, 1843. However, Mexico soon broke this agreement, and Yucatán declared independence again.

Yucatán then faced more problems. They had conflicts with Mexico and a naval blockade by the U.S. Navy during the Mexican–American War. They also had internal problems, including a major uprising by the Mayan people called the Caste War. Because of the difficult situation with the Caste War, Yucatán asked Mexico for help. On August 17, 1848, Yucatán's president, Miguel Barbachano, agreed to rejoin Mexico.

Lasting Impact: The Legacy of the Battle

The famous gun maker Samuel Colt remembered this battle. He had a scene from the battle engraved on the cylinders of his well-known 1851 and 1861 Colt Navy Revolvers, and the Colt 1860 Army Revolver. He did this to thank Commodore Moore. In 1837, Moore had bought Colt Paterson Revolvers for the Republic of Texas Navy.

By the time of the Battle of Campeche, Colt's company was actually out of business. But he made a comeback in 1847. Colonel John C. Hays helped him get back to making guns that the Texas Rangers would use in the Mexican War.

Order of Battle: Who Fought?

Texas Navy:

• Austin, 20 guns, 600 tons, sloop-of-war, the main ship
• Wharton, 16 guns, brig

Yucatecan Navy:

• Independencia, schooner
• Sisaleno, schooner
• Five gunboats

Mexican Navy:

• Guadalupe, iron-hulled paddle frigate, 2 large 68-pounder guns, 2 32-pounder guns, 878 tons, steamer, the main ship
• Montezuma, wooden-hulled paddle frigate, 2 large 68-pounder guns, 6 32-pounder guns, 1,111 tons, steamer
• Regenerator, steamer
• Yucateco, 12 guns, brig
• Iman, 7 guns, brig
• Aguila, 7 guns, schooner
• Campechano, 3 guns, schooner

See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Campeche para niños

• Naval operations of the Texas Revolution
• Battle of the Brazos River
• Battle of Matamoros
• Battle of Galveston Harbor (1837)
• Republic of Yucatán
• Republic of Texas
• Centralist Republic of Mexico