The Early History of Galveston. 21
belong to the Texas navy, as is frequently stated. She was chartered after
the battle by the Republic to carry provisions, etc., but the colonists who
sent their wives and slaves to Galveston had sent for the vessel to take
their families away. On April 17, Captain Falvel agreed with Monroe Edwards
to remove his slaves from the mainland to Galveston Island. Edwards
had a Emall sloop in the harbor, but she had lost her masts in the storm
cf 1835. Falvel proceeded to Edward's Point, where the negro camp of
Edwards was placed and where he attempted to form a city. Edwards
was a slaver, and receiver of stolen slaves. He had accumulated about
ninety negroes, mostly children, which had been brought from Cuba. Falvel
took them on board. When he learned that the Cabinet had fled from Harrisburg
to Morgan's Point, he went there and took on board the following:
Mrs. Burnet and her two children; Bailie Hardeman, wife and two
children; Colonel Thomas, Attorney General, and Colonel Potter of the
navy. Altogether on board were seventy whites and ninety negroes. The
Flash gathered up all the whites on the bay shores and in the morning of
the 18th was joined by Burnet and a few companions. The Mexican outposts
fired on the Flash before she set sail. On the evening of April the
18th the Flash arrived and the passengers disembarked. Galveston then
became the capital of the State the first time.
The negroes were placed on the dismantled sloop Dart, belonging to
Edwards.
* * *
On the islaffd were a number of colonists who had not been able to
reach the army. When they learned the gravity of the situation from
Burnet they immediately organized, elected as commander a settler, Col.
Jas. Morgan, and commenced drilling and throwing up a fort. The negroes
on the island were forced to make earthworks in the extreme east end at
the Point. Colonel Morgan had sixty well armed men. In the' meantime
the navy had assembled in the harbor and brought in the two prizes mentioned.
The navy consisted of the Invincible, the Independence and the
Brutus. Later the Liberty, a small vessel, arrived, the gift of Genleral T. J.
Mason.
Thanks to the generosity of the friends of Texas, the navy was in good
shape. Among the colonists on the island who was unable to join the
army was a neighbor of Colonel Hall in Brazoria County. He had brought
some of Colonel Hall's slaves and erected a number of huts. One of
these, located on the bay shore near Eleventh or Twelfth streets, was
offered to the President, because his child was ill.
The Cayuga was a small river steamer, chartered by the Harris Bros.
She was the first steamer on Galveston Bay (1834). Early in 1836 she was
commandered by the Republic, as was the Yellow Stone a few days
before San Jacinto, by Sam Houston, at Groce's Landing. The Ohio had
been in the bay trade for some time. She carried the Twin Sisters to
Harrtsburg, and previously had carried the colonists in 1835 that attacked
Anahuac. She belonged to the Harris Bros. The Cayuga came into Galveston
on the 20th bringing news of the advancing Mexican army, having
on board a few families, one of which was Capt. Joe Atkins, whose home
was at San Jacinto. On the ,20th likewise arrived a small sloop called the
