Hurricanes almost never do good things. Galveston Island incurred the wrath of two back-to-back tropical storms in September 1971. Flash floods from heavy rains, high tides and storm surges caused massive erosion. Amidst the rubble was the largest and most significant collection of Texas Navy artifacts ever discovered – although the finders kept their discovery secret for decades.
Award-winning author James P. Bevill shared this colorful and intriguing story of the newly discovered military insignia of the First Texas Navy with San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site in a webinar as part of San Felipe's History at Night Webinar Series.
This remarkable presentation about these new discoveries is richly illustrated with dozens of pieces from the warships Brutus, Invincible, Independence and Liberty, the Texas Navy, and the Texas Marine Corps. Bevill not only tells the back story of where they came from and how they were lost, but also how they were carefully accumulated and preserved by a small but elite group of private collectors.