Surfside Beach in Brazoria County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Velasco
Photographed by Chris Kneupper, March 24, 2025
1. Velasco Marker
Inscription.
Velasco. . , Here was fought a battle -- the first collision in arms between Texas colonists and the Mexican military -- a conflict preliminary to the Texas War for Independence., On June 26, 1832, when Texans under John Austin and Henry Smith came down river with cannon for use against Mexican forces at Anahuac, they ran against the resistance of Lt. Col. Domingo de Ugartechea. As commander of Mexican forces at Velasco, Ugartechea refused passage through the mouth of the Brazos River to the vessel bearing the cannon to Anahuac. Some 112 Texans attacked the port at midnight, and after 9 hours under the fire of Texas rifles and cannon, the Mexican garrison was forced to surrender., The Battle of Velasco, brought on by a customs quarrel at Anahuac, was unknowingly fought after the dispute at Anahuac had been peaceably settled. After the victory at San Jacinto 4 years later, President David G. Burnet moved the capital of the Republic of Texas temporarily to Velasco. Here the Treaty of Velasco, ending hostilities between Texas and Mexico, was signed on May 14, 1836. (1965)
Here was fought a battle -- the first collision in arms between Texas colonists and the Mexican military -- a conflict preliminary to the Texas War for Independence.
On June 26, 1832, when Texans under John Austin and Henry Smith came down river with cannon for use against Mexican forces at Anahuac, they ran against the resistance of Lt. Col. Domingo de Ugartechea. As commander of Mexican forces at Velasco, Ugartechea refused passage through the mouth of the Brazos River to the vessel bearing the cannon to Anahuac. Some 112 Texans attacked the port at midnight, and after 9 hours under the fire of Texas rifles and cannon, the Mexican garrison was forced to surrender.
The Battle of Velasco, brought on by a customs quarrel at Anahuac, was unknowingly fought after the dispute at Anahuac had been peaceably settled. After the victory at San Jacinto 4 years later, President David G. Burnet moved the capital of the Republic of Texas temporarily to Velasco. Here the Treaty of Velasco, ending hostilities between Texas and Mexico, was signed on May 14, 1836. (1965)
Erected 1965 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 9605.)
Location. 28° 56.522′ N, 95° 18.006′ W. Marker is in Surfside Beach, Texas, in Brazoria County. It is at the intersection of Monument Avenue when traveling west on Monument Avenue. The marker is located about a block southwest of Surfside city hall. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 600 Parkview Rd, Freeport TX 77541, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Houston Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
sectionhead>More about this marker. This marker was removed from its prior location (GPS coordinates 28.950776, -95.286027) in Jan-2025, repaired and refurbished, and relocated on Feb 23, 2025 to a nearby location in association with the new Battle of Velasco Memorial and another marker (Old Velasco, CSA). This new location is more suitable as being actually at the site of the small town of (old) Velasco. It once existed on the left bank at the original mouth of the Brazos River from the 1830's through about 1891. Today, this area is encompassed by the modern larger town of Surfside Beach.
Regarding Velasco. This marker primarily describes the Battle of Velasco, which occurred over several days in late June of 1832, and was a skirmish between Mexican troops occupying the original Fort Velasco which they had just built, and Texian militia trying to capture the fort.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
Also see . . . 1. Battle of Velasco. From the Texas State Historical Associations “Handbook of Texas Online”. (Submitted on October 31, 2015, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas.)
3. Velasco Marker (center) in proximity to Battle of Velasco Memorial and another marker (Old Velasco)
. (Submitted on October 31, 2015, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas.) 3. Fort Velasco - Wikipedia entry. There were at least four forts at Velasco at almost but not the same location, all called Fort Velasco (see link for more details). (Submitted on March 27, 2021, by Chris Kneupper of Brazoria, Texas.)
4. Creation of the First Fort Velasco - 1832. This link contains details on the building of the 1832 Mexican Fort Velasco (Submitted on April 6, 2025, by Chris Kneupper of Brazoria, Texas.)
5. The Battle of Velasco. This link has details about the antecedents to and order of battle over several days in late June of 1832. (Submitted on April 6, 2025, by Chris Kneupper of Brazoria, Texas.)
Additional commentary. 1. Reference to The Battle of Velasco. While the battle of Velasco has not received much of a place in Texas history there is no denying this was the same funnel-shaped war cloud that a few years hence was to sweep over the swamps of San Jacinto. James Llewellyn Allhands, Gringo Builders, privately published book (The Clio Press, Iowa City, Iowa, 1931).
— Submitted April
Photographed by Chris Kneupper, April 4, 2025
4. Velasco Marker (right) in proximity to the Battle of Velasco Memorial
LNG tanker in background is entering the old mouth of the Brazos River, now the entrance to Port Freeport.
6, 2025, by Chris Kneupper of Brazoria, Texas.
Photographed by Stiftung Westfδlisches Wirtschaftsarchiv, Dortmund, Germany, 2020
5. 1836 Scale Drawing of Mouth of Brazos River by Eduard Harkort
This drawing shows the infant towns of Velasco and Quintana at the mouth of the Brazos River, including a circular fort at Velasco, drawn by Eduard Harkort in Feb-1836 (in March, Sam Houston named him as Captain of Engineers of the Texas Revolutionary Army). The drawing includes a scale, which allows us to deduce that the 1832 fort was approximately 100' in diameter. It was discovered in Harkort's journal, found in the 1990's at an archive in Dortmund, Germany. To date, this is the only known reference that actually gives the size of the modest fort.
circa 2019
6. Timeline Circle at site of Old Velasco
This fence-like circular structure was built in about 2017, to simulate the approximate location and size of the 1832 Fort Velasco, at the southwest end of Monument Ave., as viewed from an upper floor of Surfside Beach city hall. In the background can be seen the original mouth of the Brazos River (the Gulf is to the left), and the far shore is the area of Quintana.
Photographed by Texmexfla, August 15, 2008
7. Fort Velasco Sketch
Artists conception from the 1970s. The sketch was photographed at the Surfside City Hall in 2008.
Photographed by Texmexfla, August 15, 2008
8. Old Location of the Velasco Markers
They faced the parking lot. The large stone monument is dedicated to the various jetties which have been built and lost near this site.
Photographed by Duane Hall, October 7, 2015
9. View to the Southwest towards Surfside Beach and the Gulf of Mexico - Old Location
Photographed by Duane Hall, October 7, 2015
10. View to the Northwest - Old Location
The intersection of State Highway 332, the Bluewater Highway, and Fort Velasco Drive can be seen in the left background of the image
Credits. This page was last revised on April 15, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 16, 2008, by Texmexfla of Houston, Texas. This page has been viewed 5,457 times since then and 136 times this year. Last updated on April 4, 2025, by Chris Kneupper of Brazoria, Texas. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on April 4, 2025, by Chris Kneupper of Brazoria, Texas. 4, 5, 6. submitted on April 6, 2025, by Chris Kneupper of Brazoria, Texas. 7, 8. submitted on August 16, 2008, by Texmexfla of Houston, Texas. 9, 10. submitted on October 31, 2015, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
