Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-01-19


Proctor and Savage, were captured at Calves
ton. They all belonged in and near Boston,
and numbered about $50 men. The state
ment that company X was there is mistake
Galveston was captured by our gunboats on
the 4th of last October. The naval officers
had repeatedly asked for reinforcements; and
Gen. Butler had been particularly and ur-
gently asked to send troops there, but did not
do so. We quote as follows from various
New Orleans letters
BEFORE THE BATTLE.
The steamer Saxton, with companies d, G
and !, of the Massachusetts, forty second, had
been sent to Galveston by Gen. Banks, arriy-
ing there on Christmas day, week before the
attack. 1t soon became apparent that the
rebels intended to make an attempt to recap
ture the city. Our government was informed
OF this fact, and on the 2Sth of December last
sent out an expedition, consisting OF the
steamers Cumbria and Mary Boardman, and
two or three ether smaller vessels, loaded
with troops, stores, &C., to permanently hold
Galveston. On the evening of the 3lst ult.,
the Boardman arrived off the bar, in sight of
Galveston, and signalled for pilot. Previous
to this it was observed that the lighthouse and
buildings surrounding it, had been burned;
and this was the first ntimation the officers of
the Boardman had OF the presence of the reb-
els on shore. The Westfeld steamed
out and took the Boardman over the bar,
where she anchored. But the attack began be-
fore daylight next morning, and she went
back to New Orleans without landing.
'Those who are not acquainted with Gal
weston, must be told in order to understand
how our defeat was brought about, that the
city stands on an island, and is connected
with the shore, distance of nearly five
miles, by one of the most magnificent bridges
in the country. When the rebels who have
always been in strong force at Virginia Point,
found that it was the intention of Commodore
Renshaw to destroy this bridge, they held
parley with him and agreed that it should be
used for no contraband purposes, but strictly
to pass trains of cars loaded only with cti-
zens. The Commodore, as it proved, unfOr"
tunately consented to this arrangement. The
rebels thereupOn planted battery at the Vir-
ginia Point end of the bridge, and the Harriet
LINE was sent to guard the Galveston termi-
nus. Trains of cars were allowed to pass at
any hour of day or night, and of course the
Harriet Lane could know nothing of what
going over at night. On the night of the 31st
ult., the rebels broke their faith, sent their
soldiers and guns over, and in this way one of
tllG s5lCdlGSl uISdSlcIS tldl HIS W us
during the war occurred"
THE FIGHT ON THE WATER.
Very soon after the Boardman anchored
the Westfield signalled four rebel gunboats
coming down the bay, and Immediately started
to engage them; but the wind and tide being
stronger than usual, she was, unfortunately,
carried on to Pelican Spit. The Clifton, one
OF our guuboats in the harbor, seeing the con-
dition Of affairs, went to the assistance of the
Westheld. The tide was falling too fast to
make her services available, but before she
had given up the task the Harriet Lane, then
lying near the city, signalled an attack on the
town. Although it was night, a beautiful
moon plainly revealed everything for miles,
and the course of the rebel gunboats could be
distinctly seen. Very soon the Harriet Lane
opened her guns on them, but before many
discharges the rebels had closed in with her
and poured upon her decks hundreds of
drunken soldiers. The scene is described as
terrible. Out of a crew of one hundred and
thirty men, ten, it is believed, are now living.
''AbOut nine o'clock in the morning a boat
was sent from the Harriet Lane with flag of
truce in the hands of her only remaining Off
Ger, to the Clifton. The officer, who was ac-
companied by two rebels, stated that the crew
surviving the fight were placed on the deck in
such position that any further firing at the
Harriet Lane would in all probability do them
more harm than the rebels. Upon the receipt
OF this statement there was no further firing
on the Harriet Lane About this time boat
was sent from the shore to the Clifton, with
message from Gen. Magruder, demanding the
surrender of the fleet, and gave them until
ten o'clock to answer. A flag of truce was
Immediately hoISted on all of our vessels,
when commodore Renshaw, upon consultation
with his officers, determined to blow up his
ship, as she was hopelessy aground 1t was
further understood that, after the Westfield
had been destroyed, all vessels that could es-
cape should at once. put to sea. The rebels
had three river boats fortified with cotton
bales and three rams. The Harriet Lane
sunk one of the river boats. We had there
four gunboats, the Westfed, Harriet Lane,
Owasco, Clifton, and Sachem, besides four or
five unarmeG vessels. The Harriet Lane was
taken, the Westfeld blown up, and Il coal
schooner sunk. The rest escaped, although
shore batteries were used TO prevent them.
A SECOND CAssABIANCA
Among the first men struck down on board
the Harriet Lane, were the gallant captain
Wainwright and first lieutenant Lee who both
fought, the prisoner says with desperation
and valor that no mortal could surpass. He
saw them bleeding and PROSTATE upon the
deck, still dealing death among their enemies.
OuS young sui Vi Odpu. w alnWrlSnt, only ten
years old,-just think of it stood at the
cabin door, revolver in each hand, and never
ceased firing till he had expended every shot
One of his poor little hands was disabled by
ball SCATTERING his four fingers, and then his
int. ntile soul gave way; he burst into tears,
and cried: ''Do you want to kill me" OAR
ling young hero; may his country never for
get him! Where is the Hemans to wed his
name to immortal verse, like another Cassa-
blanca? Philanthropsts, whose hearts are
yearning for something to love, here is a no.
BILE orphan boy on whom to lavish your care.
He is now prisoner in the hands of the enc
my. The pilot does not know how many of
our men were killed on the Harriet Lane but
he says he does not think there were many, as
he knows that ITO were taken of as prisoners.
As soon as their captain and lieutenant were
killed, they seemed powerless against the
numbers opposed to them.
THE FIGHT ON SHORE.
About one O'Clock the pckets of the 42d
were driven in by the enemy, who, as soon as
the sun went down, commenced Transporting
his troops and heavy guns across the bridge,
and moving directly upon the town. The
pickets reported artillery in the Market place.
and Col. Burrell dispatched Capt. Shrieve
and detachment of men to observe what was
going on. Capt. Shreve soon returned and
reported that the enemy had placed his artil-
lery in position in the street at the head of the
wharf Soon after three O'Clock the rebels
opened fire with their artillery on the building