Texan schooner Invincible The Texas schooner " Invincible " was one of the four schooners of the Revolutionary Texas Navy ( 1836 – 1838 ) . She began her service in January , 1836 and immediately began attacking ships supplying the Mexican army in Texas , including capturing the United States merchant vessel " Pocket " and later the British ship " Eliza Russell " . Both of these actions caused diplomatic incidents between the Republic of Texas and the United States and the United Kingdom . " Invincible " was refitted in New York City and barely avoided being seized by the United States Navy for violating the neutrality of the United States . She served until she was run aground at Galveston , Texas on August 27 , 1837 while being pursued by two ships of the Mexican Navy and was wrecked . During her short career in the service of the Republic of Texas , she was a raider and flagship of the small navy . Purchase and commissioning of the " Invincible " . Originally built to be a slave trader in a Baltimore shipyard , " Invincible " was purchased by Texas special agents Thomas F . McKinney and Samuel May Williams in early 1836 . After she was refitted in New Orleans , she was sold to the provisional government of Texas at a handsome profit to McKinney and Williams . " Invincible " was purchased because the rebellious Texan government was disturbed by the appearance of Mexican navy raiders along the gulf coast . Captain Jeremiah Brown was given command of the " Invincible " on March 12 , 1836 in Galveston . Battle of Brazos Santiago and capture of " Pocket " . Captain Brown was immediately ordered to defend the Texas coast and seek out and engage the Mexican man - of - war " Montezuma " . The Invincible cruised south to the mouth of the Rio Grande , where on April 3 , 1836 , " Invincible " encountered the 20 - gun Man - of - War in an area then - called Brazos Santiago ( now called Boca Chica ) at the mouth of Laguna Madre . After an exchange of broadside s the " Montezuma " ran aground on a sandbar , and her crew escaped . " Invincible " barraged the Mexican cruiser until she was destroyed . Later that same day , the " Invincible " sighted and engaged the United States merchant vessel " Pocket " . " Pocket " was displaying a signal pennant which indicated that the vessel was transporting cargo to support General Antonio López de Santa Anna ' s operation against the rebellious Texans . According to the " Handbook of Texas Online " , " Captain Brown boarded the vessel , examined the cargo and ship ' s papers , and discovered war contraband , arms , and ammunition that did not appear on the manifest . He also found a detailed map of the Texas coastline and military dispatches in Spanish . " In addition , the Texans found that " Pocket " was carrying high ranking Mexican army officers in violation of the Neutrality Act of 1818 . " Pocket " had been en route from Matamoros to Santa Anna ' s army in Texas with a contraband cargo of flour , rice , lard , biscuit , and 300 kegs of powder . Based on the accumulated evidence , Brown assigned a prize crew and escorted " Pocket " to Galveston . " Invincible " arrived on April 8 , and there he learned from captured documents that Santa Anna had plans to capture all Texas ports and to station 1 , 000 men on Galveston Island . Thus forewarned , the Texas government quickly fortified the strategically important and most - populous Texas island . The provisions captured aboard the Pocket ultimately were consigned to Sam Houston ' s army . Texas historian Jim Dan Hill , writing during the Texas Centennial in 1936 credited the " Invincible " with contributing mightily to Sam Houston ' s victory at San Jacinto by depriving the Mexicans of reinforcements that would have been brought by " Montezuma " and by redirecting " Pocket " ' s supplies to the Texans just before the battle . Charges of piracy . Brown immediately left Galveston after disposing of the prize because " Invincible " was due to be refitted in New Orleans . However , word of the " Pocket " ' s capture upset certain New Orleans merchants and insurance carriers , whose lobbying forced local federal officials to take action against the Texans under the guise of protecting American shipping in the Gulf of Mexico . On May 1 , 1836 , the captain and crew of the " Invincible " were arrested and charged with piracy under US laws . However , the charge was not substantiated , and the crew was released . After some delays , the schooner " Invincible " returned to Galveston where she was ordered to Anahuac where she was supposed to transport the captive Santa Anna to Veracruz as part of the Treaty of Velasco . On June 5 , 1836 , General Thomas Jefferson Green arrived in Anahuac with American volunteers aboard a Texas contract vessel , " Ocean " . The " Ocean " prevented the " Invincible " from getting underway , and Santa Anna was again detained and after an abortive escape attempt was clapped in irons . Thus relieved of his prisoner , Captain Brown sailed south to defend the Texas coast . On July 4 , 1836 , the " Invincible " went to assist another Texas naval vessel , " Brutus " , which was blockade d inside the port of Matagorda by the Mexican cruiser " Vencedor del Alamo " ( English : " Victor of the Alamo " ) . After the " Invincible " approached the blockading vessel , the " Vencedor " withdrew without firing a shot . " Invincible " nevertheless chased her as far as Veracruz . Repairs in New York : one step ahead of the bailiff and the U . S . Navy . On August 4 , 1836 , the " Invincible " sailed for New York City for repairs . Captain Brown and his crew intended to have the ship repaired and re - supplied before returning to Texas in early 1837 . The ship ' s officers and crew soon learned that there were no funds to pay for the services and repairs rendered or for their personal expenses for meals and laundry , and New York authorities impounded the vessel in January , 1837 . The crew considered abandoning ship and returning to Texas by land . But fate intervened in the form of Samuel Swartwout , the U . S . collector for the Port of New York City ( and a noted Texas benefactor ) . Swartwout helped settle the crew ’ s debts and save the ship from being sold at auction , like her sister ship " Liberty " . When all the bills were settled , the " Invincible " departed New York with great haste , just ahead of a pursuing United States Navy vessel with orders to arrest the crew and detain the vessel for violating the neutrality of the United States . New captain and final battle . Captain Brown returned his ship to Galveston on March 14 , 1837 . That month he was relieved of duty by order of the new president , Sam Houston , and " Invincible " was placed under the command of Commodore H . L . Thompson . Houston was skeptical of the need for Texas to have a strong navy fearing aggressive naval action would lead to international incidents . " Invincible " became the flagship of the two - ship Texas navy in June , 1837 after " Independence " surrendered to the Mexican warships " Vencedor del Álamo " and " Libertador " . Captain Thompson was accompanied on this voyage by Samuel Rhoads Fisher , Texas ' s Secretary of the Navy , as he set out from Galveston in June , 1837 to harass Mexican shipping and raid coastal towns . " Invincible " captured several prize vessels including the British merchantman " Eliza Russell " which caused a serious diplomatic challenge as Texas was seeking British recognition . Texas Minister J . Pinckney Henderson eventually smoothed over the contretemps but the Texas government had to pay British claims totaling about $ 4 , 000 . As a result of this embarrassment , both Captain Thompson and Secretary Fisher were suspended by President Houston . Fisher later resigned , and Thompson died before a naval investigation could formally start . On August 26 , 1837 , " Invincible " escorted " Brutus " into Galveston harbor . " Brutus " had a Mexican prize vessel , " Obispo " , in tow . " Invincible " anchored in the channel overnight and the next day she was assailed by " Vencedor del Alamo " and " Libertador " . " Brutus " cleared for action and attempted to assist " Invincible " but she ran aground on a sandbar at the entrance to the harbor . " Invincible " was left alone to engage the two Mexican cruisers . After a prolonged engagement , the " Invincible " attempted to flee from the battle , but due to the shallow tide , snagged her rudder on the harbor bar and ran aground . She was then quickly pounded to pieces by the breakers until her hull completely disappeared . With the wreck of the schooners " Invincible " and " Brutus " , the First Texas Navy was at an end . The wreck site may have been discovered in 1995 by the National Underwater and Marine Agency , founded by Clive Cussler .