Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-01-21
THs BATTLR or GALVESTON.

i companed BY Judge Oldham MAJOR For hey and other
tse sbleet Of retsking Galveston Island was broug
up. The difficulties Of the undertaking were eanvs
and the question up whether he work was fea
pie. Major Forshey observed, General, 1 think ia
pest plan Is TO resolve 10 retae GaiveH on any way an
then canvass he difieultie- The general replied ths
he thought so too snd from that point began the unde
taking
Arrived in Texas the first thing the general sat abr
WAS thorough examination Of the ground and IA
canvass Of such plan as presented themselvs for m
Wrk he Asso gsthe ed al the forces from the vario
parts Of the State ha could be spared o., other line
OF defense He might have got re .dy sooner but TO
the want Of field artillery, which RAZOR Bloomfield chic
qusrermsstsT, pushing 70 ward from the Missssiu
pi ss fast as ne could. They reached here only las
, ( week
On Thursday, December 25th. it was determined q
delay no longer and orders issued to pre-
pare for the attack It then hoped thar evervtb1
might De got really By Saturday night which vouls
nave given four hours Of darkness for the attack h
moon setting at about NJ Eut the eunboats c5ui,
not be fixed in time. The utmost energy was dspavst
but the work Of putting up the buwGrks not com
It found that all things could rot be got in rss1i
ness before the 3ls Of December and the night Of ht
3lst was fixed for the attack The Bayou CITY a Hous
ton and Gal veston packet had been taken By the State
Ard Fitted up q gunbsst. under charge of CaDtsir
Henry Lubbock. She was armed with a thirty-tvC
poonderrh gun on her bow deck. BulWarks of cot
ton bales were built up her sides and force Of
hundred put on board Of her and on Tuesfav sh2
left here TO await orders It the head Of GalFeon BAY
manded the gun and it was manned by portion of h
men, and Captain Sehnis ters Csntsfn Scfnsdsr bsia
Z
sharpshooters, woo were detailed from his giment
The Neptune, another bayou packet was taken on
the 2tth and, Undsr direction Of Major Lson Smith fit
ted aP as gsnboat as well il could be done in the
brief time. Buwarks of cotton bales were buit nm
also on her guards and she had much the appes7anc-
when she left here OF well loaded cotton boat skirg
her cargo down to Galveston for shipment She was
armed with two howitzer guns and commanded bv
| Captain W. II. Sangster CAPT Hardy of the n (
Navy, commanded her guns Lieut. Harvey CLARK he.
ing second in command Col BaRbv Of the 7th cav
airy, commanded the detail of his men who were on
hpard 80 a. shoof Tha
the Sibley Brigade all the brigade having stepped for
ward on call for vOiunees and being anxious TO tax
part il the saar. Besides these, there were several
volunteers rom among our citizens. The full number
Of men was about $50. The Neptune left here the
morning Of the same dsy, with the Bayou City
The Lucy CIV accompanied he execution a. ten
| der, urder command Of Maj. Andrew Mex e. and the
John F. Carr also tender under command Cant John
Y Lavyles. On the Carr there number Of troops
| aud volunteers, and on the Gwnn quite a number of
spectators, who went prepared to take hand in the
| fight if their services were requ red
In addition to these there were some other vessas-
the cutter Dodge, tbs Royal Yacht, e.e that did not
/ come into the action.
/ The whole naval force was under the command Of
Major Leon nth, who admirably fitted for the
command Of the expedition, by his experiences as
sailor In fact better for all the stations could not
have been picked from any where.
II ord that the boats should get in positiop
BY II o'clock and await the signal from the land forces
for the attack They went down ana after misnieht
signal lights from the fleet once showed that the enc
my awake and watching for them Thev look ID
Meanwhile the land forces CO sistiuR Of detaebs1ts
from some four or i've regiments under command Of
| Brgader-General Scurry and Colonel \. B DeBrsy.
were moved at about dark from VII ginia Point This
is on the mainland, and from bridge two miles In
lsngth Galveston bay Galveston island bai1
aoodt ave miles distant from The city The battle took
place at the city the gunbosts lying along in front of
the city in the bay the landWard side Of the island
Colonel DeBray commanded the attacking force while
General SeUrry n the commanded the reserves
From the bridge they moved down TO the city but
met with unexpected delays and did reach their no.
sition until after four O'Clock the meantiEle the
boats had vi hdrawn to Half Noon shoals twelve miles
distant, AID tied signal At about 3 O'Clock fflen
Magruder says three, and spectator saws ur bnt W.
timed by telegraph snd are act it was eight p-s
before ave Houston time) all things on shore bsing H.
leadin ss the ball opened, Genersl Msgruder firing
the irst Gun. The boats at once nut on steam ana
hurried to the scene They must have been an
hcur OF so on tue way, during which time the
artillery duel between the ships and the batteries
Of the most terrific on record Darkness shut
out erytblng 5uI the nash Of tae guns The scene
st once sub ime and ppal!iug Our men were once
driven from their guns but rail- ed and fought noblv
on As dawn RpDroa he'd the fire Of the enemy an
peared 10 increase in severity AMI fearing that our nea
would be unable Withstand it after daylight gave the
enemy better VOW Of our posi- oa orders were pre-
pared TO withdraw JTst as they about to be is
sued, however ct about six O'Clock, the welcome an
nouncement made AZ headquarters that the Bsvo
City and Neptune had arrived and opened the Hsr
r1t Laao. Instantly new vigor infused in our men
they pyed their pieces with redoubed energy. and
seemed determined hat the victory should Be ours
The gunboats paid their first attention to the rriet
Lane the Bayou City leading the attack The Neptune
being much the weake soon received such Injuries as
to disable ber. The Bayou City, however gallant ?
continued the !ght AMI running aboard the Harriet
Lane swept her decks by boarding took possession
Of the ship. Capt Wainwright and bis Iieutepants
having been killed, the sAip was surrendered by the
matters mate.
lhe Westfeld now started of, apparently disabled.
and made her way TO Bolivar channel between
Pelican spit and Bolivar Point. Here she subse-
quently destroyed by the enemy, during truce The
propeller 0wassO lay in the channel about three ourths
of a mile from the Beyou City and Harriet Lane "A
he he nd
in two or three hundred yards OF them firing into
both The rec Of the collision drove the Bayou iy's
stem far into and under the wheel and guuvvae Of
the LsDe hist she could no. be got ot. The Lane
also careened that her guns could net be worked
and were consequently useless They both lay there
fore a. the mercy OF the O|asso Herculean efforts
were made to sLtrieate them. The Owass1 evidently
fearing the Lanes guns withdrew to ition about
mile distant It became plainly evident that unless the
Bayou City and the Harriet Lane could be separated
the enemy could escape if they wished. To gain time
therefore flag Of truce was taken to the Ossso and
Clifton now lying close together, and demand FOR
surrender Time was asked to communicate with Com
m0dOre Renshaw, who in the Westfeid trucs
Of three hours was agreed upon Previous to this
42d aassachusetts regiment quartered on KuhAs
wharf were charged They protected by barrcsdes
and bad taken up the planks from the WHAT rendering
them impossible, and forces withdrew During the
these demanded and complied with Their
cOors consist Of United States flag Of silk and white
sg having the coat Of of Massachusetts painted
It. with the motto Ense petit aci1 am snb .iber
tate Quislam Under freedom She sword see ks peace
rather singular In the center is an Indian with his
bow at the right corner of the shield Is a single star at
which he is glsncing askance We might say the savage
was eovetng the Texas star Unfortunately the star Is
in the ascendant and the result proved the vanity bis
wisles At any rate the sword Of tie 42d has found
peaceful quiet by the aid Of Texas freenen.
Before the truce expired, the Fede al guabosts drew
Of and escaped Of the harbor utterly routed and
defeated leaving in hands the city the harbor the
Harriet Lsse the two bsrks and schooner and vast
stores, valuable artillery, etc
The affair surpasses in briIlisncy anything we have
read Of The exploits Of the Virginia and the Ar
kansas have been ecPsed, and Texas has won proud
preeminence water, well as land and has even
eclpsed on her own soi the goes Of her achievements
other fsds.
ATTiUaI Of the Federal Prisoners IN Houston
Houston, Janusry 2d, Is63.-It having been given
out that the Federal prisoners captured in the rec nt
battle at Galveston, would be up the train this morn
log large concourse Of citizens assembled the de-
pot, burning " th curiosity to see the men who had
come 70 desolate land but who had suddenly been
brought up With round turn by the unparalleled gem
eras hip Of our noble commander. After waiting some
two nons IN the ram, the assemo age was grahed with
the sound Of the locomotive whistle and presently the
train came in view. It stopped about half mile from
the depot, where the Yankees landed formed into
line and under guard marched the depot aud thence
to their quarters where they viii remain for the present
The Colonel Of the regiment thres Captains six Lieu
tenants snd $50 noncommssioned officers pTvates a1d
sailors all that could be brought this train The
balance some 255 will be sent up soon as possible
Our reporter was kindly permitted by the officers in
charge pass guard and ogle with the prisoners
From them he lear ed that the regiment had been In
service only four months, and had been away frsm
their homes IN Massachusetts only three months.
They were mostly Americans, but occasionally for
eigner might be among them, mostly Irish ana
Dutch.
Those with whom reporter eonversed were young
men and seemed very intelligent They aeknoWle dge
that thu capture of them and their feet one of the
most daring achievements nf the but said THAI they
Che Federas) were taken by complete surprise being
an asleep They had not the slightest previous ntIna
tion Of what was about 20 happen. The booming Of
Magruders artillery the first thing that aroused
them to a sense Of the reality. After the boats
lecad and captured ressance the part Of the land