Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-01-30
rFrom he Houston Telegraph, A'tra, Jan. ~
THE RATTLE or GALVESTON.
rulr rIs1IcvLlls ~ PARTICIPANTS.

was feasible, Gen. Magruder observed, "Maor !
think the best plan is to reake Galveston any way ana
then canvass the difhcultes The Major rephed that
he thought So too, and from that point pegAn tue
Arrived in. Texas, the fret thing the General set
about was thorough examination OF the ground ana
full canvass of such plans presented themselves ior
the work He also gathered all the forces from the
various pars of the State that could be spared from
other lines of defence. He might have got ready soon
or but for the want Of field artillery, which Major
Boom6eld Chief Quartermaster, was pushing forward
from the Mississippi as fast as he could Ihey reacneu
/ here only last week. 49,
On Thursday Dec 25 it was determined to delay no
longer aud orders at issued TO prepare Tor
the attack 1t was then hoped that everything might
| be got ready by Saturday night, which would have
given four hours OF darkness Tor the attack ne moon
Setting at about A. NJ But the gunboats could not
| be 6red in time The utmost energy was displayed,
but the work of putting up the buwarks was not COM
/ pleted in time. >,
n was found that all things could not be got in read
meas before the 3lst of December and the night oil tue
slst was Gxed for the attack The Bayou City, HOus
ton and Galveston packet had been taken by the State
and fitted up as a gunbOat under charge OF Captain
i Henry Lubbock. She was armed with s2-ponnder
ri6ed onn on her bow deck Bulwarks Of cotton bales
were built up on her sides, and force OF hundred
men nut On board Of her, and on Tuesday she et here
To await orders at the head OF Galveston bay
The Neptune another bayou packet was taken on tne
96th and under the direction Of MAJOR Leon smith,
fitted n gunboat as well as IL cOuu De uoue III thc
hreF time Bulyarks Of cotton bales were built up also
on her guards and she had much the appearance when
che left here of & we'll loaded cotton boat taking her
cargo down to Galveston for shipment She was armed
with two howitzer guns, and commanded by captain
Sanders. ~.
She left here at about the same time vita the Bayou
The Lucy Gwinu and the John F. Carr accompanied
/ the expedition, rs hospital boat and tender
II was ordered that the bouts should get in position
Il Co. Nta lat,d fnr.Ra
for the attack They vent down, and a few minutes
/ after 10 arrived close by the fleet They we're
discovered and signal lights from the deet at once
showed that the enemy awake aud watching Tor
them They looked snxiodsy for the signal from the
Meanwhile the land forces had been moving down,
b, had met with unexpected delays in getting their ar
tillery along The boats withdrew to bali moon shoals
10 miles distant and awaited signal At about O'Clock
(aneral Napruder SAYS 3 and spectator says 4, but
", timed N by Geographic aud are exact; it was
minutes before s. Houston time,) all things on shore
being In readiness the ball opened General Aagruder
firing the first gun. The boats at once put on steam and
hurried 10 the sceae. They must have been an hour or
or so on the way during which time the artillery duel
between the ships and the batteries was one of the most
terrific on record Darkness shut out everything but
the fash of the guns. The scene was at once sublime
and appalling. Our men we're once driven from ther
guns but rallied aud fought nobly on. Az about
O'clock the Bayou City and Neptune arrived and took
mart In the action These vessels paid their hst attention
10 the Harriet Lane which they CALAMITY carried by
boarding the decks having been swept o! their
men, Captain wainwright being killed The boat was
| surrendered by the Masters Mate.
The bark Wes6eli now started OIL, apparently dis
allied and was subsequently destroyed by the enemy
demand was made of the other vessels to surrender
truce of three hours was agreed upon PREVIOUS TO
this the oath Massachusetts, regiment quartered on
Kuhn's wharf were charged They WERE however, pro-
ected NV barricades had taken up the panks from
tic wharf rendering them impdssablc and our forces
Withdrew During the truce with the vessels the uneon-
dtiona surrender Of these men was demanded and com
pied with Their colors consist OF United States nag
of sik and a white flag, having the coat OF arms OF
Massachusetts, pauted on it. with the motto "Ense petit
nlacidam sub Iiberate Quetam," "Under Freedom the
sword seeks peaceful quiet" The appearance OF the
Goa, Of arms h rather singular In the centre is an ln-
dian with his bow the right corner oil the shield Is
i,gI star at which he Is CHANGING askance. We might
sav the savage coveting the Texas star Uni0rtu
naely the star is in the ascendant aud the result proved
the vanity Of his wishes. At any rate, the sword OF the
AID has found peaceful quiet by the aid of Texas Free
Before the truce expired, the Federal guuboats drew
of and escaped Of the harbor, utterly routed and
defeated leaving in hands the city, the harbor the
Harriet Laue, the two barks and schooner, aud vast
| stores valuable artillery etc
The affair SURPRISES ia brlliancy anything we have
ever read Of The exploits Of the Virginia and the Ar
kansas have been ecpsed, and Texas has won proud
| pre-emnence on water, well as land, and has even
eclipsed her own SOIL the SOFlcs Oh neT acucNtcha
on other fields.
| We now give the accounts of witnesses who par
cnated in the action in various parts The reader
from them learn of the fight than any one indl-
vidual WHO in the battle could know, and, by read
ing all get a clear and well defined idea of the whole
STATEMENT OF JUDGE GRAY.
From conversation with Judge p W. Gray, We de-
rive the following Judge Gray as he says acted as
volunteer Spectator General Gen. Magruders staff
of course he had good opportunity to rec what WAS
| done.
On Wednesday, on their way down, Gen. Nagruder
sent from Summit Station on the Galveston r. r.. the
following dispatch TO Major Smith, in command OF the
gunboat expedition, and Col Green in command oil the
| hand troops on board
| err Won come up or not The rangers Of the prairie
/ send greeting to the rangers of the sea
| At about dark Wednesday evening, Dec Slst Gen
Nagruder and staff left Virginia Point for the Island
The field artillery bad already been sent over on cars
| which were pushed down half way from the bridge to
the CITY the troops had also already crossed over AZ
ter DELAY of an hour orders issued for the troops
70 move and for the families in galveston TO be notified
to leave the city.
| Tn, marty next halted 81 Pyrom's camp mile and
half distant. Here the disposition of the guns was
given out. Three guns were ordered TO Fort Point
| under Capt Fontsine. The other guns were ordered
to the strand and warehouses along the waters edge
so FOUNDER was placed at the cotton press near Nc
Kinncy's wharf opposite which the Harriet Lane
THIS vas at the west end of the line Of battle aud from
this point the gunboas OF the enemy were strung aloGg
before the eity down 70 the eastern end OF the towr
our land forces occupying corresponding line the
nearest points they could get to the gupboas The 42d
Massachusetts, was Kuhns wharf, near the eastern
| end Of the line.
From PyrOm's camp the party proceeded down tho
road the point whereof crosses the railroad some
delay was experienced here in getting the guns Of
They were hauled from this point some bg horses aud
others by hand Wilson's battery taking the lead. This
was about A. N. At this time the party discovered
signal lights on board the boats Of tue enemy There
we're fast white light then, at an interval of tsenty
minutes blue light and twenty minutes after, red
light These were supposed TO be oceaSoned by dis
coyery Of the movements Of the Land forces After
wards however, it was learned from the prisoners tnA'
the alarm VA. occa.oned b. the appearance Of the Con.