Lone Star Navy: Texas, the Fight for the Gulf of Mexico, and the Shaping of the American West Review

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(More customer reviews)The Texas navy rarely gets more than a page or two in even the most comprehensive Texas histories. But Jonathan Jordan makes a compelling case that it was in fact the damage to Mexican supply lines done by the tiny fighting Republic fleet that forced a withdrawal after the battle of San Jacinto, and thus turned the strategic tide.
The rich cast of historical characters described here are fascinating and sometimes hilarious, from the rogue Secretary of the Navy who essentially stole the fleet for a filibustering expedition, to a never-ending run of drunken gun-toting foul-mouthed salty sea captains. Key are Sam Houston, whose bravery and decisiveness in leading the new Republic was matched only by his ignorance of sea power, and Commodore Edwin Moore, a true hero who fought budget cutters and frigates with equal aplomb only to cross swords with the aforementioned President.
I loved this book. From a sliver of time it tells an arresting story with crisp description, page-turning narrative and wry wit. You can't ask for more from a history.

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**WINNER OF THE 2007 UNITED STATES MARITIME LITERATURE AWARD**In the 1830s, Mexico endured a tragic era of internal political instability. Meanwhile, bold American frontiersmen sought their fortunes beyond the borders of the United States, with many settling in the Mexican territory of Texas. In 1835, these transplanted Americans led a revolt against Texas's embattled rulers in Mexico City. Lone Star Navy chronicles the little fleet of wooden warships, bought on credit by an impoverished band of revolutionaries and sent to sea on a singular mission: to win Texas's independence from Mexico. Beginning with four small sailing vessels, the upstart flotilla became a vital counterpart to Texan armies fighting for an independent republic. Indeed, Capt. Jeremiah Brown's naval battle off Matamoros in April 1836 helped save the fledgling republic from a premature end. But even as it battled for independence on the Gulf of Mexico, the Texas navy came under attack from unexpected enemies. The same fierce individuality that led Texans to shake off their Mexican rulers also stymied their efforts to govern themselves with any consensus. Lauded by its advocates as strategically vital and ridiculed by its detractors as a farcical waste of money, the navy became a flashpoint in a clash of visions. Denied adequate funding, sailors and officers suffered long periods without pay, and their vessels fell into chronic disrepair, but they still defended their small nation's fortunes.The decrepit remains of the battle-scarred fleet finally fell into American hands when Texas, in need of a strong ally, was annexed by the United States in 1845. The Mexican government prophesied that relinquishing Texas would lead to the loss of its other northern territories. And, indeed, the Mexican War and the U.S. acquisition of New Mexico, Arizona, California, and parts of Utah, Colorado, and Nevada soon followed.

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