Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-11-17
News from the Texas Expedition.

The steamers Geo. Cromwell, Columbia,
and Continental, arrived in New York yester-
day morning, with particulars of the success
full landing of Gen. Danas division of Gen.
Banks army at the mouth of the Rio Grande,
Nov I'd. From the New York Herald we
get the following interesting particulars =
The expedition encountered a severe storm,
in which the steamer Union and two schoon-
ers went down; but with no loss of life.
The German rebel soldiers, deserters from
the Sth Texas infantry, were picked up off
Pass Cayallo, who gave valuable information.
They said revolvers and powder in large guam.
titles were manufactured at New Brownsville,
and that the former sold at $3.50 each, rebel
money. Three regiments, which were on the
Rio Grande few weeks ago, had been sent to
Galveston and Sabine Pass, and Col. Lucketts
regiment Of cavalry was ordered to proceed to
Houston nearly two weeks ago. Sabine Pass
was expected to be daily attacked and only
a week ago it was reported that five or six
Yankee steamers were off the mouth Of the
river. Two or three days before they desert
ed, report was circulated that 10000 Union
troops had landed, but the day following the
statement ives corrected. On Matagorda ISL
and, near Saluria, there is large fort called
lOiI LIS duSd3 Hllt guns IO-
inch columbiad, six "a Founders, and two ~
Founders. Two companies OF infantry and
one OF cavalry, as well as "a company OF con-
scripts (also cavalry, are reported encamped
III the neighbOrhOod. Gen. Magruder, they
say, is now at Houston. He has only 1000
troops Cavalry there, the remainder of his
army being scattered about at various places,
the most being at Galveston and Sabine Pass.
AT the former city there is also a regiment of
heavy artillery. There is formidable fort
near Brownsville, on the Rio Grande, called
tort Brown. As no attack was expected in
| THIS neighborh0od for some time, all the rebel
troops have been sent away to other points,
leaving only small force to garrison the fort.
| The rebel gunboat John L. Carr, lying in Sa-
luria Bayou, is small river boat. Two
guns, one an lS-pounder and the other 12-
| FOUNDER h0wltZer, are on board.
Both the deserters offered their services,
ana were sworn into the federal army. As
the fleet came in sight OF the sand hills on the
1eXas coast bonfire after bonfire was lighted,
ana In the night the heavens were illuminated
| by the rebel signal fires
In the Mexican waters of the Rio Grande
were thlrty-seven sail of blockade runners.
There are no French troops at Matamoras.
The rebels are busy on fort, and have
monntedtwo guns at Point Isabel A schoon-
er loaded with cotton was captured trying to
run the blockade. The first soldiers to land
on this extreme southern boundary of the
Union were the 18th and 10Th Maine and 10Th
Iowa regiments.
a squad Of sixty rebel cavalry, which had
witnessed the landing of the soldiers under
the guns of the Monongahela, at the mouth
OF the Rio Grande, dashed into Brownsville
and commenced setting fire TO the buildings,
with the intention Of destroying the town.
The property-hOlders and Union men re-
sisted them, when the secesionists joined
the cavalry and bloody street fight took
place, which lasted all the afternoon, the
buildings burning in every direction around