Brutus
Schooner · Republic of Texas · Lost 1837 · Texas & the Western Gulf
A Texas Navy raider that captured prizes off the Yucatan, then was wrecked in Galveston harbor by the same hurricane that battered the coast in 1837.
The Vessel and Her Loss
Brutus was one of the founding schooners of the First Texas Navy, cruising with Invincible to capture prizes off the Yucatan coast in 1837. On her return to Galveston, the severe storm remembered as Racer's Storm drove her aground in the harbor, where she was destroyed. Her loss, alongside Invincible's, ended the original Texas fleet.
Vessel
- 1835
- Not established
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Wood
- 90 ft
- Not established
- 160
- Sail, two masts
- Navy of the Republic of Texas
Loss
- October 5, 1837
- Storm
- Galveston harbor
- Gulf of Mexico
- Yucatan coast → Galveston
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- J. D. Boylan
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Legally protected Texas archaeological site if located
Position
- 29.31° N 94.80° W
- General area only
- Galveston, Texas
General area only: coordinate of Galveston Harbor, the named place of loss recorded for this vessel, from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, not a surveyed wreck position.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (68/100)
The exact wreck location has not been confirmed.
Texas State Historical Association Handbook of Texas
Vessel history, loss narrative.
Texas State Library and Archives Commission
Original 1837 cruise report.
USGS Geographic Names Information System — Port of Galveston
coordinate of the named place of loss
