The Texas Navy, officially the Navy of the Republic of Texas, also known as the Second Texas Navy, was the naval warfare branch of the Texas Military Forces during the Republic of Texas. It descended from the Texian Navy, which was established in November 1835 to fight for independence from Centralist Republic of Mexico in the Texas Revolution. The Texas Navy, Texas Army, and Texas Militia were officially established on September 5, 1836 in Article II of the Constitution of the Republic of Texas. The Texas Navy and Texas Army were merged with the United States Armed Forces on February 19, 1846 after the Republic of Texas became the 28th state of the United States. Background The Texas Navy descended from the Texian Navy, which was established by the Consultation of the Republic of Texas on 25 November 1835 to aid the fight for independence from the Centralist Republic of Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It consisted of four schooners: Liberty, Independence, Invincible, and Brutus. Liberty was sold in June 1836. Independence was captured during the Battle of the Brazos River in April 1837. Invincible and Brutus were run aground at the Battle of Galveston Harbor in August 1837. History In October 1836, the Congress of the Republic of Texas passed an appropriation bill for $135,000 to expand the then Texian Navy with four additional ships. The bill was signed by President Sam Houston, but no action was taken. Following the losses of Invincible and Brutus at the Battle of Galveston Harbor, another bill was passed on 4 November 1837 of $280,000 for six ships. Samuel M. Williams was appointed commissioner of their development and awarded the contract to Frederick Dawson of Baltimore in November 1838. Williams also acquired the steam packet Charleston that November. It was renamed Zavala in honor of Lorenzo de Zavala, fitted-out, and recommissioned on 23 March 1839, officially establishing the Texas Navy. The Texas Navy was commanded by Commodore Edwin Moore, a lieutenant from the United States Navy. For three years the Texas Navy raided the Mexican coast and kept the Mexican fleet focused on defending its own coastline. Battle of Campeche In the Naval Battle of Campeche on 16 May 1843 the Texas Navy sloop-of-war Austin and brig Wharton, supported by ships from the rebellious Mexican State of Yucatan (then the Republic of Yucatán), engaged Mexican naval vessels, including the steamships Montezuma and Guadalupe.