Santa Anna Lost His Leg to the French Navy
The Republic of Texas owed great thanks to the French Navy in 1838. The small Texas Navy had been destroyed at Galveston by “Racer’s Storm” on October 7, 1837.
“Racer’s Storm” was a huge hurricane brewed in the Caribbean and discovered by the British sloop Racer. Racer tried to warn shipping, but the hurricane devastated the entire Gulf Coast from Matamoras to Louisiana. Beset by a lack of ships, money and the antipathy of Sam Houston, the Republic of Texas Navy virtually did not exist from 1837 to 1839, just when Mexico should have been launching a reconquest of Texas. Texas was saved in its time of need by the chaotic internal politics of Mexico and the French Navy.
During the 1830s, relations between France and Mexico had deteriorated because of Mexico’s inability or unwillingness to repay its debts to France. Mexico’s Treasury was depleted because of its civil wars and an international depression. In 1837, the French government presented the Mexican President Bustamente with claims for more than $600,000. To enforce this claim, the French sent a squadron of 27 ships-of-war to blockade Vera Cruz, the home port of the Mexican Navy. They were commanded by Adm. Charles Baudin, a one-armed veteran of the Battle of Trafargar. The fleet appeared off the Mexican coast in early November 1838. The squadron consisted of some of France’s finest ships of the line. And the bill had increased to $800,000, with the addition of $200,000 to pay for this expedition. Baudin’s ultimatum to Bustamente was that if the debt was not paid by November 27, he would attack Vera Cruz. This whole affair has been called the “Pastry War” because part of the claim was from a French bakery shop in Mexico City that had been looted by Mexican soldiers.
Promptly on November 27, Baudin’s 104 heavy guns began to bombard the ancient fort and castle protecting the harbor. By nightfall, all the defending guns were silenced, the walls were breached and the fort was soon in French hands. The Mexican commander was ready to surrender Vera Cruz, but Bustamente called on Santa Anna, living in his nearby estate. Santa Anna responded, ever ready to rescue his soiled reputation. Santa Anna rode in quickly to command a Mexican force of 5,000 troops. The small French force holding the fort retired to the ship, but a night attack by 1,500 French Marines recaptured the fort and forced Santa Anna to flee in his underwear (as at San Jacinto). In attempting to rally his forces, Santa Anna was hit in the left leg and hand by a volley of grape shot. As a result, his left leg had to be amputated below the knee, but somehow this made Santa Anna a hero again. The leg was buried with full military honors in Mexico City. The French held Vera Cruz until March 1839 when Mexico paid the $600,000.
The French confiscated the ships of the Mexican Navy, all newly built in a Baltimore shipyard: a 24-gun corvette, three brigs, and two schooners. On his way home in 1839, Adm. Baudin paid a courtesy call at Galveston and received a grand welcome. The citizens of Galveston and the Republic of Texas recognized the great debt of thanks owed to the French Navy. Texas avoided an invasion by Mexico in a critical two-year period when it had no naval presence in the Gulf. Later in 1839, Texas reconstituted its Navy. Sam Houston appointed Samuel May Williams as naval agent to the U.S. and Williams negotiated six new warships in Baltimore for $280,000 in Texas bonds. The Second Texas Navy was born.
Herndon Williams is affiliated with the Bayside Historical Society and the Refugio
County Historical Commission. He can be reached at coastalbendchronicle@yahoo.com
