Career
The Ingham was initially stationed at New Orleans, Louisiana. She did a short term of duty in Baltimore, Maryland during late 1831 and returned to duty in New Orleans in January 1832.
The revenue cutters in New Orleans were increasingly monitoring the situation in Texas, because settlers and merchant traffic between the United States and the Mexican province of Texas mostly traveled by sea and usually through New Orleans. Starting in 1835, the central Mexican government attempted to collect excise taxes and disrupt trafficking in slaves into Texas. This led to seizures of Texan-owned and American-owned and flagged vessels, the most famous being the American merchant ship Martha. She was seized on 7 May 1835, by the Mexican schooner Montezuma and the Americans on-board were held as prisoners.
The Ingham, under Captain Ezekiel Jones, was dispatched to the Texas coast to monitor the situation and on 14 June, near Brazos Santiago, Montezuma fired on Ingham and the fire was returned. There is some discrepancy as to whether the Mexican warship was trying to evade battle once she realized the identity of the ship she had fired on, but Captain Jones did not allow Montezuma to evade the battle. Eventually the Mexican schooner ran aground and Ingham broke off the battle, having fired 13 guns. These became the first conflict between Mexican and United States forces and are considered by some historians as the first broadside of the Texas Revolution. The following day General Martin Cos ordered the release of the Martha's passengers.
In January 1836 the Ingham was sold to the Republic of Texas for $1,710 and Captain Jones was duly transferred to another command within the Revenue Service. The newspaper, the New Orleans Bee wrote about Jones, "his prompt and efficient action in the affair of the Montezuma, has taught a neighboring state a valuable lesson of respect for our flag..." and concerning the Ingham, the paper wrote, "the vessel is entitled to bear the best motto for a military public servant—SEMPER PARATUS." The United States Coast Guard would adopt Semper Paratus (always ready) as their motto in 1896.
Read more about this topic: USRC Ingham (1832)
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