From Sail to Steam

Book excerpt: “The story of the ships, mariners, and ports that formed a vital connection between Texas and the rest of the world . . . [A] ‘first-stop’ reference.” —The Journal of American History Second Place, Presidio La Bahia Award, Sons of the Republic of Texas The Gulf Coast has been a principal place of entry into Texas ever since Alonso Alvarez de Pineda explored these shores in 1519. Yet, nearly five hundred years later, the maritime history of Texas remains largely untold. In this book, Richard V. Francaviglia offers a comprehensive overview of Texas’ merchant and military marine history, drawn from his own extensive collection of maritime history materials, as well as from research in libraries and museums around the country. Based on recent discoveries in nautical archaeology, Francaviglia tells the stories of the Spanish flotilla that wrecked off Padre Island in 1554 and of La Salle’s flagship Belle, which sank in 1687. He explores the role of the Texas Navy in the Texas Revolution of 1835–1836 and during the years of the Texas Republic and also describes the Civil War battles at Galveston and Sabine Pass. Finally, he recounts major developments of the nineteenth century, concluding with the disastrous Galveston Hurricane in 1900. More than one hundred illustrations, many never before published, complement the text. “Although there have been many excellent and valuable books published previously on specific topics in Texas’ maritime development (e.g. the Texas Navy, river trade, the Civil War, etc.), we have been waiting a long time for a single volume that ties all those loose threads together into a single, cohesive whole.” —Andrew W. Hall, specialist in Texas marine history and archaeology