"The Texas Navy" Topic

If anyone is interested in the history and details of the first and second Texas Navy, I highly endorse the link and other pages associated with it.There are a number of excellent books on the subject out there, but This link will drive you to a rather extensive archive.

link

Manufacturers, where are the models?

The engraving on the cylinder of the Colt .36 caliber navy revolver depicts the Texas Navy at the Battle of Campeche, May 16, 1843.

Right you are William. A large contract for colt pistols by the Republic of Texas didn't hurt Samuel's marketing ploy.

Good stuff – Thanks

TMP link

is the owner of the now inactive BayAreaYards, wherein I once found some pretty close analogs for the Campeche ships. The Texas ships were US smaller ACW sailing ships. I was planning to use 2 French steamers as the Mexicans.

FWIW

BAY is still around, I am now on Facebook. link

The Mexican Steamer at Campeche was British built, and because Britain was actively involved in breaking up the Spanish empire, was crewed by British sailors and British Officers granted leave to do so.

Scafcom1:

How do I obtain a catalog?

I'm sure the officers were British, but I think the crew were Mexican. I remember reading an account from one of the British officers that the crew kept fleeing below to pray for absolution and deliverance.

The steamers were essentially in Mexican service "on approval." If the Mexicans decided they wanted to go ahead and buy them, they could. Of course, if they got damaged, "you broke it, you bought it." This was why the Mexicans were so cautious using them.

The Brits were willing to sell them because they were iron hulled. Early tests indicated they could withstand some shot hits. If a shot penetrated it made a clean hole. The problem was that if a shot penetrated and crossed the interior it would punch out an entire plate on the disengaged side.

A British warship encountered the Texas' Austin in the Gulf. They exchanged courtesy visitors. A British ifficer noted in his journal, if the Mexicans run afoul of the Austin, "they may scratch a Russian, but catch a Tartar."

You could be right Exeter, but here is one of several sources I read that indicate at least part of the crew were British.

link

Pyrate Captain, go to this link: link

At this time, it's the best I can do.

Scafcom,

I have no quarrel with Facebook's politics, or practices, or data mining, or info sharing.

My problem is that it is difficult to use, and if not a member, is well nigh impossible to access.

I weary of vendors and con organizers who have the myopic notion that having a Facebook presence somehow equates with having an full blown internet presence.

I love your stuff. I've bought enough of your 2400s, off ebay, to choke a yak. I beg of you. Reestablish a bona fide internet presence, before you end up on the shelf next to Betamax.

+1 HMS Exeter. I can not figure out companies that just use facebook. I have never been able to find where you can see what they are selling or how to buy it. I even joined facebook because I thought maybe that was the problem. Nope.
So, I have never purchased anything from a company that is only on facebook.

Actually, doing the battle of Campeche has been a long-term dream of mine. I think I have a set of rules that will work (Sail and Steam Navies), but am still looking for the right steamship models in 1/1200.

Scafcom1 "has" a large line of 600 scale models. A lot are ACW, but he also has a sizable transitional steam European line. He has a French sidewheel steamer, the Gassendi, that might work.

link

God bless wayback, it sometimes still works.

Thanks Exeter. I may have to go to 1:600, but my post Napoleonic to WWI is in 1:1200.

Hi Brian. I planned on using Sail and Steam Navies as well.

Another roadblock for me is: What did those Yucatan gunboats look like? I've assumed that I could use Napoleonic gunboats for them, but still don't know for sure. I know that sounds petty, but I want to make sure what I put on the table is something close to correct.

Brian, even with the notion of Napoleonic types, what types?

Gun Ketches?
Oar powered harbor defense craft?
Bermudian sloops with light armament?

I may reach out to the Mexican counsul general.

Well, this is a mental exercise I've gone round and round with myself over. My first thought was the oar powered harbor defense types, but I can't convince myself of that. The battle is a green/blue water one, so I don't think they would be harbor defense vessels.

I'm not really convinced about gun ketches, since during the Civil War the most common rig type in the western Gulf was the schooner. Same applies to the Bermudan sloop. I'm thinking those gunboats were either small schooners, or a local craft called a canoa. This article:
link
describes the canoa as, ". . . 50- to 60-ton vessels which formed the coastal trading and fishing fleet. . . " That's interesting, but not a word about rigging.

Personally, I think the Yucatan gunboats could probably be represented by small schooners (think Langton Great Lakes schooners in 1/1200), but have absolutely nothing with which to back up that assertion.
BWW

Brian,

I have been using these schooners for ACW and a Bully Hayes vs. Captain Nemo idea I've been kicking around.

A little modern but a schooner is a schooner.

auction

You know, I have looked at those several times, but never pulled the trigger on them. I think you might have just convinced me to do it.