d the internal strife of the Mexican government that caused discontent among those recent arrivals (1.)An inflammatory incident that struck the match of the war was the capture of the Correo de Mejico by the American merchant ship San Felipe and the steam tug Laura near Brazoria. On boarding the Mexican vessel, the captain of the San Felipe accused the Mexican captain of piracy when he could not produce a commission and so took the vessel and its crew to New Orleans to be placed before a Republic court. The court delayed the Mexican crew for three months before they had to be released by Mexican demand. During this incident the Texas coast was free of Mexican vessels and gave the Republic the chance to stock up on munitions and recruit volunteers from the United States to help aid in the revolt. Without a strong seapower to free the coast of Mexican influence, the Republic used the incident with the courts to give them the trade they needed to prepare for the war (5.) Even though the Mexican Navy did have available ships in the northern waters to replace the Correo de Mejico, the productive activity of several Texan privateers kept the Mexican ships busy along the coastline. A few privateers heroically recaptured American vessels from Mexican control for having cannons and other rebellious contraband (5.) The Correo de Mejico incident and the success of Texas privateers aroused the Mexican public and were contributing factors leading to the invasion of Texas territory by Lopez de Santa Anna in 1836, but the Mexican President’s actions were too late. Patriotism flowed into the United States and adventurers volunteered to fight in the war along-side the Republic and merchant companies brought their own arms and equipment in vessels to add to the growing forces of the Republic. President Lopez de Santa Anna lead his invasion made up of three pronged attack on all Anglo-American settlements in his path as he struck towards the heart...
