The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-01-22
Thursday Morning. January ~. 1868.
The Capture of Galveston.

Inc Ndptoic Vi omttetOns
The following account of the disaster at
Galveston is made up from various sources,
but chiefly from the correspondence Of the
New York World:
Those who are not acquainted with Calves
ton, must bc told In order TO Understand how
our defeat was hronrht ahon, 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 a parley with
him and agreed that 1t should be used for no
contraband purposes, but strictly to pass trains
of cars loaded only with citizens. The Com
modore, unfortunately, as it proved, consented
70 this arrangement. The rebels thereupon
planted battery at the Virginia Point end of
the h-'d"e ord the Harriet Lane sent TO
guard the Galveston terminus. 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 was going over al 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 the greatest disasters
that has happened to us during the war oc-
Cured.
BEFORE THE BATTLE.
The steamer Saxton, with companies ID, G.
and |, of the Massachusetts Forty-second, had
been sent to Galveston by Gen. Banks, arriv-
ing there on Christmas day, week before the
attack. They were landed on the wharf, near
the upper part Of the city They had taken
possession Of one ofthe churches near by as a
lookout, not having sufficient force to send out
pickets, and they were entirely dependent on
the pnnhnats for their protection. They had
been landed but few days, and the Sa,oi
still lay In the harbor waiting for some chance
to cross the bar, outward, again-the water be-
ing, At that time. too shallow. These three
companies commanded by the adutant, FORM
ed the only infantry force in posses. ion of the
town, and they were merely landed on the
wharf,
1t soon became apparent that the rebels in
tended to make an attempt to recapture the
city. Our government was informed of this
fact, and on the 2Sth of December last sent out
an expedition, consisting of the steamers Cam
bria and Mary Boardman, and two or three
other smaller vessels. loaded with troops
stores, DC, to permanently hold Galveston.
On the evening Of the 31st ult., the Boardman
arrived off the bar, in sight of Galveston, and
signaled for pilot. Previous to this, 1t was
observed that the lighthouse and buildings
surrounding it, had been burned; and this was
the INST intimation the officers Of the Board
man had of the presence of the rebels on
shore.
STATEMENT OF AN EYEWITNESS.
The following Is statement made by an
eyewitness the whole affair. He is we'll
known and esteemed commissioned officer
but does not wish his name published, unless
the facts are disputed:
The propeller Mary E. Boardman arrived off
Galveston Bar about o'clock in the afternoon
OF December 81.
Upon raising the signal for pilot, the flag
ship Westfield, Com. Renshaw commanding
steamed out with pilot and carried us over
the outer bar, where we anchored In Bolivar
Channel for the night, intending the next
morning to proceed up to the town, about a
mile and quarter distant. About 3 o'clock.
in the morning boat came off from the West
field for the pilot, the officer in charge saying
that four rebel gunboats had been discovered
coming down the bay from the direction of
Houston, and that the Westfield. in getting
under way, had unfortunately got aground
About this time the Harriet Lane signaled an
attack upon the town, the signal being an
swered by the Westfield, who, at the same
time, called to the Clifton to assist her in GET
ting off the bar The Clifton Immediately
steamed down to the assistance of the West
neid. just at this time the moon went down,
tnd darkness fell upon land and water dense
as the bottomless pit At this time a stimuli
taneous attack from the town and from the
rebel gunboats in the bay was made upon the
Harriet Lane. while from every window of tbe
large warehouses in the vicinity was noured
iorth deadly fire OF musketry upon the decks
0ffhe Harriet Lane. While the Harriet Lane
was engaged In repelling the attack from the
town two or the large rams, loaded with reb
els, efectually screened by immense bales of
cotton piled high upon their decks approach
ed the Lane, upon her bow and stern at the
same time, pouring upon her decks crowd
ofiniuriated sodery, rendered desperate by
famine and whisky, and forthwith commenced
scene OF carnage and bloodshed almost with
out parallel In the history of the war. With
their bowie knives and the superiority of their
numbers they soon drove below the small rem
nant Of the gallant crew.
In the meantime the gunboats Owasco and
Sachem' continued pouring their iron mis-
siles into the rebel rams and the Harriet Lane.
At this time the Clifton, which had inefIeet-
ually been endeavoring to extract the West
field from her situation, steamed down the
channel, round the shoals of Pelican Island.
on her way up to the scene of attack on the
Harriet Lane. As she approached Fort Point
nre was opened upon her from two heavy
guns hitherto concealed upon the Point. The
chiton replied to them most beautifully, Civ
ing voiley after volley with rapidity and pre-
cislon which soon efectually silenced the bat
tery-still proceeding on her course toward
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