Texan schooner Brutus The Texan schooner " Brutus " was one of the four ships of the First Texas Navy ( 1836 – 1838 ) that wreaked havoc on towns along the coast of Mexico , blockaded Mexican ports , and captured ships bound for Mexico with goods and munitions of war during the Texas Revolution . Her final , and most controversial , voyage was to the Yucatan , where along with her sister ship " Invincible " , she captured numerous prizes . Among them was the British ship " Eliza Russell " , the capture of which caused a diplomatic incident as Texas was seeking official recognition from the United Kingdom . When " Brutus " returned to Galveston to face official sanctions , she and " Invincible " were attacked by Mexican ships , ran aground and were battered apart by storms in Galveston harbor . With the destruction of " Brutus " , the first Texas Navy ceased to exist . As a private warship . At the beginning of the Texas War of Independence , businessmen John and Augustus Allen endeavored to keep the Texans ' supply channels open . At their own expense , they outfitted a ship called " Brutus " for the purpose of protecting the Texas coast and assisting troops and supplies from the United States to arrive safely in Texas . In January 1836 , the Allen brothers sold " Brutus " to the Texas Navy , and it became the second ship in the fledgling fleet of schooner s . In the Texas Navy . Captain William A . Hurd took command of " Brutus " when she was commissioned into the small Texas Navy on 25 January 1836 , in New Orleans . She did not reach Texan waters again until early February 1836 . After the Battle of San Jacinto , " Brutus " put in at New Orleans for supplies and to be refitted . Upon returning to sea duty , Brutus found herself blockaded at Matagorda by the Mexican brig " Vencedor del Álamo " . Word was sent to Galveston and " Invincible " , along with the private ships " Ocean " and " Union " , successfully broke the blockade and Captain Hurd was able to take " Brutus " to New York City for repairs . This was apparently done without consulting Commodore Charles Hawkins who promptly sacked Hurd as commander upon his return from New York in April 1837 . Yucatan campaign . James D . Boylan was appointed Captain of the " Brutus " and he acted with vigor . He immediately escorted the supply ship " Texas " from Galveston to Matagorda and returned by midnight the same day , 10 June 1837 . Within an hour " Brutus " was back at sea on a mission to harry Mexican commercial shipping at the mouth of the Mississippi River . Before arriving on post , " Brutus " was ordered to join " Invincible " and move to the Yucatan peninsula . " Invincible " under the command of Commodore Hawkins , had aboard the Texas Secretary of the Navy , Samuel Rhoads Fisher . Fisher had personally witnessed the surrender of " Independence " at Matagorda in April 1837 . Determined to show the value of the navy , Fisher took to sea with the last two ships of the Texas Navy . " Brutus " and " Invincible " reached the Yucatan on 8 July 1837 and sailed to Isla Mujeres , which they claimed for Texas . The ships cruised off the Yucatan coast attacking shipping and towns with abandon . By 16 July , the two Texas schooners made prizes of the " Union " , the " Telégrafo " , and the " Adventure " off Sisal and on 26 July they engaged the batteries defending Campeche ' s harbor . Describing the attack on that city , Tom Wells writes , " Continuing up the Yucatan coast , the expedition boarded ships and landed shore parties until finally they were attacked by a cavalry force and driven back to their ships . The Texans burned two villages in reprisal , then tried to force Campeche to pay $ 25 , 000 in tribute . However , the city was surrounded by heavy stone walls and was well - fortified . After an inconclusive three - hour exchange of gunfire , the two ships departed . " After the unsuccessful attempt to extort money from Campeche , the tiny flotilla sailed north and captured the " Obispo " and the British vessel " Eliza Russell " off the Alacranes and then doubled back down the Yucatan coast and then , on 12 August , captured the " Correo de Tabasco " . The seizure of the " Eliza Russell " proved to be a diplomatic incident of some note , almost resulting in the United Kingdom ' s refusal to recognize the Republic of Texas . The ships , running low on water , started back to Galveston , but not before " Brutus " captured " Rafaelita " on 17 August and blockaded Matamoros . Final struggle . On 27 August 1837 , both ships arrived in Galveston and " Brutus " crossed the sandbar and entered Galveston harbor . " Invincible " delayed and was caught by two Mexican brigs of war , the " Iturbide " and " Libertador " . " Brutus " made ready to join " Invincible " in the battle but she ran aground on a sandbar . " Invincible " also ran aground and was destroyed by the breakers . " Brutus " survived but would never be floated again . When she was destroyed by storms in October 1837 , she was the last ship of the first Texas Navy .