Question: What was the first steamship-of-war in the Texas Navy?
Answer: The Zavala, acquired in 1838 to protect the infant Republic from a Mexican invasion after its initial fleet of four ships was depleted. Named in honor of the Republic’s first vice president, the Zavala was outfitted with four 12-pound cannons and one 9-pound cannon. While returning from a campaign in the Bay of Campeche, the steamship was heavily damaged in a fierce storm. It languished for two years in Galveston Bay before being scuttled.
