Naval Battle of Campeche

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	Tomás Marín
Strength
1 sloop-of-war 1 brig 2 schooners 5 gunboats[1]	3 steamers 2 brigs 2 schooners[1]
Casualties and losses
7 killed 24 wounded	30 killed 55 wounded

The Naval Battle of Campeche took place on April 30, 1843, and May 16, 1843. The battle featured the most advanced warships of its day, including the Mexican steamer Guadalupe and the equally formidable Montezuma which engaged a squadron of vessels from the Second Republic of Yucatán and the Republic of Texas. The latter force consisted of the Texas Navy flagship sloop-of-war Austin, commanded by Commodore Edwin Ward Moore, the brig Wharton, and several schooners and five gunboats from the Republic of Yucatán, commanded by former Texas Navy Captain James D. Boylan.

After the conservative and centralist Centralist Republic of Mexico suspended the 1824 Constitution of Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Republic of Yucatán, and the Republic of the Rio Grande individually asserted independence. The Republic of the Rio Grande declared independence in early 1840 but was defeated and reunited with Mexico within a year, well before the battle of Campeche. Texas declared its independence in 1836, but Mexico refused to recognize its declaration. The Republic of Yucatán declared independence the same year, and remained in intermittent armed conflict with Mexico from 1836 through 1846. In an attempt to quell the rebellion, Mexico attempted to blockade the Yucatecan port of Campeche. The Battle of Campeche resulted when the allied forces of Texas and Yucatan attempted to lift the blockade. The battle ended indecisively.^[2] A scene from this battle is engraved on the cylinder of every Colt 1851 Navy, 1860 Army, and 1861 Navy revolver.