New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-02-03

quiry constituted by Admiral rarragut 10 ih'esi-
gate tho Galveston disaster 10 interesting az giving
the only authentic repor. of that affair:
UNITED STATE. sTEAxsLooP HARTFORD, }
rARcHOk OFF NEw.u RLEAss, Jal. IL, 1852
! SIR: In conformity with your Instructions, we
proceed TO state the facts IN relation 10 the capture
OF IvestoD, Texas, on the let OF January, ioO3 as
ELECTED 10y the testimony before the COnItoi lnqu ry
The naval force in possession con.isted OF the
Westfeld Clifton, Harriet Lane Owasco, Sschem
aud Corypheus The two latter had joinedn uly
Two DAYS previous to the attack, haying come up
/ from bslow the Sschem lstesmer) IN broken
down condition, aud the Corypneus as her escort.
The positions OF the vessels were as shown by the
accompany chart. TIE United States troops on shore
consisted Of two hundred aud sixty rank and file,
commanded by Col. BuIel Of the 42d Massachusetts
Volunteers, occupying, by advice OF the command
10y naval officer, wharf III the town.
1t seems That the night previous to the attack IN
! formation had been received by the commanding
officers OF both land aud naval forces that such all
attempt ght be made
! At 80 q. M, on the let Of January, it being
bright moop got some two or three Rebel steamers
were discovered III the bay above by tue Cht'oh'
Tue Westield, from the other channel, likewise
made The same discovery. The naval forces, there-
fore, were not taken by surprise.
Very soon after, our troops on shore learned
tbIoas their pickets that the artillery OF the enemy
Was In 10 sse,slon OF The markct place. about one
quarter Of a mile distant.
the enemy upon our troops, which were defended
by the Sachem and COrypheus with great energy:
our troops only replying with muttetry, having 10
artillery. About dawn tn, Harriet Lane wss at
tacs ed or IN her attacked two Rebel steamers, one
of which the Bayou City, was armed with a on
pounder rifle gun, bad 2OO troops and WAS barrlcsded
with cotton ba es some 20 feet from the water line.
The other, the Neptune, was similarly barrlcaded
and was armed with TWO small bIars pieces aud loO
men doth were common river stesmersl. Tue liar-
\ npfa tra 10 m tIGua nd ygeut
| The attack firing her bow gun, which was answered
by The Rebels, but their 6Spounder burst at the
thlrd tire.
lie Harriet Lane ran into the Bayou City carry
iug away her whee.guard, which did her little OF
no damage. The other Rebel steamer then ran into
tac Hur,Iet Lac, but was 80 disabled by the col
lis on that sLo was coon aiterward Obliged to BACK
Ia tue fate, where ale sank Ia about eBht ieet oil
water near 10 the tCe1r vi action. Inc Bayou City
turned aud rsu into the H.TfIet Lane, Hud size re-
named tecurtd 10 her by catching under her guard,
pouIing III iuces,nni vol eys Of muskery as did hlo
Inc other steamer, which was returned by the III r
net LaLe with musk.try. This drove the Harriet
Lane men from Der guus, and probably wounded
Commander Wainwright aud Lienl .-COuinai der
Lee he latier mortally. She was then carried 10y
bourdug, by The Bayou City, her Commander sun'-
moued 10 surrender, which he refused, ghlantiy de-
ieuding himself with his revolver unul killed:
Bot i've o, The Harriet LaLe's men were kiled and
Eve wounded-ODe hundred aud ten, exclusive OF
,fbcer, anu wounded were landed on shore, prison.
err Her Commander aud First Lieutenant were
buried on the following day On shore IN the ceme-
terry with The honOfs Of war, and her other officers
afoled. The Owasco, which had been anchored
below the town. cOaling, the night before, got uuder
wny moved ny al tie commencement Of The attack,
ANA engaged tie enemy's artillery Oh shore. Wien
il was lipht enough for her TO observe that there
| were two Kebel steamers alongside ths HarrIet
Lane, rhe moved up 10 her assist-nee, grounding
sgverhl times IN 30 dong, owing TO the nmrowness
OF LIE clauDrl. She could only ocehtionaly bring
her li-iucI gun 20 Tear. she was s0ou driven back
/ by the nc,ssaut fire OF the ouemys musketfy, and
when tue howi1ers Of the Harriet Lane opened OF
her abe concluded rho had been captured aud backed
down below The Saohem and Corypheur, continuing
her engagement with tie eLomy on shore. Sue bad
all Der riie gun crew wounded when aoovs, and lost
Ia all Que u,1n kille ard fifteen wounded.
The CIinOn, before the action commenced, went
around into Bolivar channel TO render ussisboce to
Tue W,glelt WHO had goi under way Nhen the
Rebel searners were first discovered. soon AFTER
ward got bard aud iGst bore, n, high water, and
tLeg made IA siKn.l Tor assistance. Wbile the Cni'
ton VIA in the act Of rendering THIS asssiance the
aa.hes Of the enemys guns were fret sesn in the
town. Commander Rebshaw then directed Lieut.
Com. Law 10 cave him and ~ return ID the lowD
lie uoou bad now gone dowD, and II became
! guile dark yet tie Clifton With some dln' uty lot
rrrund into the other chauuel opening the batteris3
upon Fort Point winch tie TeOels lo6 had posses-
on or slolling them out aud diving them up tie
leach as eLe Leared tie town. Here ste anchored
and contiaped the engagement but did mol proeesd
up TO toe ieecus Of the Harriet Lane, o"ng to the
laue OF tie Owasco, the ihtricacy Of The channel,
md the apprehension OF killing the crew Of tie hai-
net Lane WHO were then exposed by The Rebels on
Ter upper Geck.
IL Vas now about 7 30 L. m. white Arg was
lloi,trd Oh the Harriet Lane. boat bearing "a u X
Of truce, with Rebel officer aud an Acting alaser
Of the Harriet Lane, came DOWN to the CbItoh IN.
forming her commander OF the capture OF The liar
net Lane the Ceaih OF her commander ana Is,
lieutenant, aid the siiling and wounding OF two,
thirds OF Ter crew, Ill VI which WIS corrooora1ed
! bY the Acting Master.
Mai. smith their commander, now proposed that
our Vessels should iii surrender, AID that one should
lie allow ed with the crews Of all 10 leave tue bar
lbor; otherwise they would proceed down WIN lhe
Harriet Lane aud all their steamers lthrte more o.
which had appeared IN right after daylight, but
were mel her armed or tarricaded), and proceed to
CAPTURE the gunboats IN lihe
/ Lieut. .Commander Law replied that he was not
tho comm udiog officer. aud he could not imngiue
that such terms could bc accepted bnt that he would
tak, the Acting Mister Of tle Harriet Lane, anG
proceed over TO Tie WesIfeld, ana teuder his pro-
no.,l 10 Commander RenshGw. This be did, aud
went in biz own boat. Flags Of truce were at tins
time wing On our yes;eis, and by the fartes On
shore During Tie absence OF Leut..COnlnandtr
Law. and under these higs OF truce, the Rebels
cooly made pIisoneIs Of our troops on shore, got
more Of tteir artillery into position, oud towed the
Harriet Lane alongside the wharf, though II hal
Leen undefstoO that everything should remain III
statu quo until answer should have been received
Copnandr Renshaw refused to acced- 10 the propo.
,ition. directed Licut-C0mmaDd.r Law TO return
and yet ali the vessels ont Of port soon as posi-
bic aud as he found he could not get the WerIield
saoat. he should blow her up and 40 on board the
urmy transports Saxon and M. a. BodToinau which
were lyIug near BIN, with hs officers ana crew.
Ulon Lieut.. -Com'r Law'srelurn to bis vessel be
rrocee ed to carry oct these directions. Inc flags
Of truce were hauled down, the enemy firing upon
the vessels an We tsen left the harUor.