Jim Muller presented a history presentation at the luncheon for our October 14, 2023, meeting. He read two articles from the San Felipe Telegraph and Texas Register which are reproduced here as they were originally published.Brother Muller reported that in October of 1835 the first shots of the Texas Revolution occurred when the Texas Navy captured a Mexican navel vessel during the first open conflict of the Texas Revolution.
Here is the story of this part of the presentation. In August 1835, the schooner San Felipe was sent from New Orleans to Brazoria, heavily armed and loaded with munitions meant for Texas revolutionaries. Also on board was Stephen F. Austin, just released from his imprisonment in Mexico. His presence was no coincidence, as Austin's ordeal had convinced him that peace with Mexico was hopeless. He was now committed to the revolutionary cause.
On September 1, Austin, his fellow passengers, and most of the cargo had been transferred to a steamer, the Laura, by the time the San Felipe was approached by the Mexican ship Correo. Both ships made clear their intentions to board and capture the other. Heavy cannon and rifle fire was exchanged for about an hour, with the Correo getting the worst of it. The next morning, pursued by both the San Felipe and the Laura, the Correo was forced to surrender. For a time, the San Felipe's victory cleared the Texas coast of the Mexican naval presence, thus allowing arms and volunteers from the United States to move unimpeded into Texas.
