Battle of Velasco - Prelude

Prelude

Bradburn was deeply unpopular with the Texian settlers. Tensions escalated in May 1832, when Bradburn arrested a local man, William Barret Travis, on charges of attempted insurrection to separate the territory from Mexico. Conviction on this charge would lead to Travis's execution. When Travis's business partner, Patrick Jack, made threats against Bradburn, he was also arrested. Jack's brother organized a contingent of men to march from Brazoria to Anahuac. As the march began, John Austin, a member of the Brazoria Ayuntamiento, stopped to consult with Ugartechea, who recommended that Austin request that the men be remanded into civilian custody while they awaited a ruling from Bradburn's superior. When presented with this request, several Mexican officers explained to Austin that the laws prevented them from turning the men over to civilian authorities. Placated, Austin returned home; on his arrival he learned that Bradburn's men had arrested several Texians on suspicion of stealing horses. Austin was outraged and returned to Anahuac to join other Texian volunteers. By early June, over 150 Texians had gathered under the command of Frank W. Johnson. On June 10, the insurgents occupied Anahuac and after a brief engagement with Mexican troops, the Texians withdrew to Turtle Bayou. Taking advantage of the civil war currently engulfing the Mexican interior, the Texians drafted the Turtle Bayou Resolutions. In this document, they declared themselves federalists who supported rebellious Mexican general Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and decried "the present dynasty" which gave them military order instead of civil authority. The resolutions encouraged other colonists to join them in laying siege to Anahuac.

"The undersigned by their signatures obligate themselves to become a part of the military of Austin's Colony - to hold themselves in readiness to march to any point - on the shortest warning - to obey, implicitly, the commands of their officers and to do everything in their power, to promote the harmony, good order, and success of Austin's Colony and the State."

After the resolutions were adopted on June 13, the group determined that Austin, Henry S. Brown, and William J. Russell would go to Brazoria to recruit reinforcements and retrieve several cannon that belonged to private citizens. No further attacks would take place in Anahuac until the cannon and reinforcements arrived.

On June 20, residents of Brazoria gathered in a town meeting to decide whether to support further armed resistance. The residents appointed a five-member committee to determine future actions. After some debate, the committee, which included Edwin Waller and Russell, unanimously voted for war. The larger group accepted their recommendations and declared opposition to the current administration. Austin was appointed to command the quickly organized militia, which comprised between 100 and 150 men. Austin quickly proposed that the group be given permission to attack the closest Mexican military installation, Fort Velasco, if necessary. This was the second time Austin had tried to get support to attack Velasco; his first attempt, on May 11, had been defeated by a single vote. This time, the new militia agreed to the plan.

Deciding that it would be easiest to transport the cannon by boat down the Brazos River to the Gulf of Mexico, the men loaded the cannon onto the schooner Brazoria. Austin sent four men to Velasco to inform Ugartechea of their intent to transport cannon down the Brazos River. Ugartechea indicated that he would not allow the ship to pass; he knew that the cannon were most likely intended to create additional havoc in Anahuac.