Named by the Spanish, Brazos Santiago Pass is a narrow passageway extending inward from the sea between Brazos Island and Padre Island. The changing depths of its channel kept large vessels from entering but offered seclusion to smaller ships, and the area became strategically important in several military conflicts. Brazos Santiago harbor entered the Texas Revolution in April 1836, when the Texas warship Invincible heavily damaged the Mexican warship Bravo, preventing supplies bound for the Mexican Army from reaching their destination. In 1846, U.S. Army General Zachary Taylor established a military depot at the mouth of Brazos Santiago Pass on Brazos Island, and during the war with Mexico thousands of volunteers were encamped there while awaiting transfer elsewhere. In February 1861, before the outbreak of the Civil War, the U.S. Army surrendered the depot to forces of the state of Texas. Federal soldiers landed unopposed on Brazos Island in 1863, took Fort Brown and Brownsville, and abandoned them less than a year later. In May 1865, the last battle of the Civil War was fought at nearby Palmito Ranch, and the depot was abandoned after hurricane damage in 1867.