New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-04-23
gDtal SNttLliQentn.
CAPTURE OF THE STAR OF THE WEST,
HOW IT WAS DONE

HOW IT WAS DONE.
That valuable accession to the Confederate States
Navy, the steamship Star of the West, (now safely
moored in the river below Algiers,) it seems was
| taken by very ingenious and well performed ,'use
| de gue,t'e.
| From Captain Muller of the Island City Rifles,
Private Allen, of the Galveston Artillery, and Lieut.
| Maclin, of the Artillery service at San Antonio, we
have the following particulars:
On Tuesday night last, Col. Van DORM being at
Galveston, called for detachments from the City
| Volunteer Companies to go with him on an errand
which he kept secret. In about two hours and a
half, the Galveston Artillery Lieut.. Van Buren,,
commanding; the Island City Rifles, Capt. Muller,
aGerman company; and the Wigfall Guards Capt.
McGrath, an Irish company, responded to the call
with dotachments amounting, altogether to seventy
one men, thirteen arter5ts, twenty-nine rifles,
and twenty nine Guards.
With these men on board, the Matagorda left
| Galveston at O'Clock Wednesday morning, and
| put off for Indianoa Reached Indianola at ) P.
| NJ, with the men invisible, being all locked up in
| their state-rooms. Found the transport Fashion
there, loading with U. S. troops and baggage, to
put on board the Star of the West, Capt. Howe,
| which was lying in deep water, outside the bar
the troops embarking numbering about 6000.
The Matagorda put back, and at Salura, IS miles
this side, Col. Van Dorm signaled the Gen. Rusk.
| The Rusk coming along side, the Colonel trans
fcrrcd his men from vessel to the other. At
about II O'Clock at night, the Rusk, with the sol
| dlcrs on board still as MICE came within haling
distance of the Star of the West, and was hailed.
| Capt. Smith answered, "The Gen. Rusk, with
| troops on board can you take our line now {? y
"Certainly,' was the answer from Captain Howe
he fancying that the troops were United States
troops. 1t is stated that Captain Howe asked why
the Fashion did not bring the troops and was told
that the Fashion would be aoGg in few hours
with the rest of the troops and their baggage!
The sea was rather rough, and after some little
trouble the Rusk got alongside and made fast. IL
a very short time the Galveston soldiers were or
board with their guns: and Captain Howe hardly
had time tolook at them, when they suddenly pre-
ented bayonets, and their officer commanded hin
to surrender
10 what flag am I requested to surrender :
asked the astonished Captain. Ensign Duggan Of
the Wjgfall Guards, here displayed the Lone Sta,
flag of Texas, and in his richest brogue exclaimed
:" That's it, look at it, me by's; did ye iver see the
Texas flag on an Irish iackstatf befovre >" The
Captain, having no means of resistance sur
rendered without saying a word. He had crew
Of AZ men and 900 barrels of provisions on board
but nothing else; none of the arms or munitions
of the Federal troops had yet come on board.
The prisoners were all treated with poteness
The steamer was Immediately put about for Gal
weston; and great must have been the bewilder
ment OF the officers of the Fashion and of the
Federal troops next morning, when they found the
| Star of the West nowhere in sight
| at Galveston, Col. Van Dorm put Mr.. Falval frs
mate OF the Mexico, on board the Star of the
West as Captain, and likewise the engineer of tht
MEXICO; and, ordering the soldiers on board to SCI
hef salely into New Orleans, he left, to talk
charge of some GOO troops who were waiting Their
ior i'in' 10 60 back to lndanola and see how tn
Fashion and her GOO Federal troops were eettn.
on after their surprise.
At Galveston, when the Star of the West left 70
this CITY, the greatest preparations for the defence
OF the city were going on. Gen. Sherman hac
military charge Of the island. Hundreds of mer
were working night and day, erecting sand fortifi
cations around the exposed parts of the city
piling the sand up in boxes barrels, bags ANYTHING
Gen. Sam Houston was at the fremont Honse ir
Galveston, and was to address the people the
night after the Star of the West left It was re
ported that he had at last succumbed to the will Of
the people, and intended making a rel-hot soces
sion speech.
The following is extract of letter sent to one
OF the Galveston Artilleriss by his father the day
the Star of the West left:
Yen Sherman has authority to put 100 men tc
WORK throwing up embankments on the beach
oaSs and barrels are going out to be filled ant
cannon are being placed in position
A watch, under charge of the cutter is heinc
Sept night and day on top of Hensly's building
Tor vessels OF war approaching. When in sight,twt
suns lr01n the cntter and two the public square
will call the people to arms
sam Houston is at the fremont House. Gushing
OF me Telegraph, saw him yesterday and tele
Sraphed down this morning that it is all a lie
about about Sam being in league and correspondence
with LinColn.''
Lieut.. Maclin, who came through from Sa,
Antonio, reports that all Western and Northern
Texas Is little better than military camp-the
people organizing for war everywhere.