, 1863-12-29

The Capture Of Fort Espe.
fanza.
Official Report Of Colonel Wash
burue.
H8Apqn's 1sr DIy, 1sT nn1oApE 15TH a. G
SAIUnrA. TEXAS. Ded. Sd. 1858.

/ H8Apqn's 1sr DIT, 1sT nn1oADE 15rnA A:cl
SAIUn1A, TEXAS, Dcd. 3d. 1858.
| MIoR:-I beg leave to submit the follow
gade, list Division 18th army corps In the re-
duetfon of Fort Esperansa, on Matagorda 1s'
| land. ~:
| At midnight, Nov, 27tb, had succeeded.
after much difficulty, in getting the whole Of
my force across Cedar Bayou: npoa the Is
ral Reneom, eume eight miles In advance.
After few hours rest, VIC moved up the Is
land, making very hard march through the
sand Of 20 miles, We campcd in the night and
moved In the morning for this place, my. bri-
gade by your order moving along tho beach
lighthouse, aud in close proximity to the en-
emy's works. The main portion Of the COM
mand was halted, and by your order I pro-
ccedcd With one company. from each
Of my regiments, under the command
Of Capt Ira Moore, SD Illinois infantry, .
Illinois infantry, to reconnofter and endcaYor
to find the strength and position Of the enc
my. Moving cautiously up the beach, We
soon drove In the encmy's pickets and our
advance Waa safely lodged In range Of sand
hills within 800 yards Of the outer work Of
from the bay to . lagoon running from tho
bay On the mainland side Of the Island. Tic
work was regularly laid out, about fifteen
feet in thickness and from ten to fifteen feet
10 height Tie enemy now opened upon us
from Fort Espcranza with Ills 128-poundor
and a-pounders, throwing shells, but with
little or no effect. Having found out tho
! position and apparent strength Of The enemy,
| by yonr order withdrew my advance,
During tho night, q heavy "norther" COM
t lng On, We were unable to do much on the
18Th. During the night Of the 2sth, Capt.
McAllister, Of the 6th Indiana, and Capt.
Hull, Of the 99th Illinois, both Of whom had
had considerable experience in that line in
the rear Of vtcksburg, with fatigue party
from each Of the regiments in the brigade,
under cover Of the darkness, dug ride.pit'
from the sand hills on the beach. held by us.
the first day and running parallel with the
:enemy's works, 210 yards in length, sufficient
of company F. 8th Indinna, with smal1 de-
tail from the different regiments, was ordered
to move ut early dawn In advance Of our rife
pit, and cndeayor to galn q position on the
outer edge Of the cnemy's works. The 8th
Indiana Was also moved ont and ordered to
lay down in the open prairie, in order to take
advantage Of any lodgment our advance
! might nuke: Capt. Hull, 99th Illinois, vol
nntcertd md accompanied theadyance. The
morning was bitterly cold, and our men suf.
fered severely. Ouradynnce moved up slowly
and cautiously, took position on the outside
the enemy In the sand hills between the work
and the nanin fort), driving in small picket
force on the inside.
The force for projection Of the work hay-
ing been driven BY the weather to the sand.
hills, endeayored to rnlly and drive our men
mediatcly fent forward in small detachments
50 as to aroid the fire Of the heavy guns of
the fort, and gained 4 safe footing in our rifle
pits and on tie enemy's work. Finding our
selves more successful than I had dared to
hope returned to the main portion Of my
with his regiment to the front, with lnstruc-
tions to take command of the forces in front
and to advance Us far Us prudence would a1-'
low, and to get, if possible, a position where
our artillery might be made effective. Col.
Lippincott moTed promptly with lis COM
from him that be 1nd secured q good position
~ Adjutant u. ". zener, of the 18th Indiana,
now OF my staff, was ordered to bring up
two pieces of the 1th Michigan Battery, ua-
der Of 4 hs%t dsnst stan which he
we're brought up aud placed In battery under
heavy tlrc from the Fort-fortunafelY not
very accurate; and NC soon had the pleasure
Of seeing our shells dropping In the cncmy's
stronghold, and driving them from their
guns Col. Lippincott bad very judiciously
Ntc3N0~A
yiously to the arrival Of the artillery advanced
several companies into the aand Hills in our
front, driving back the enemy nearer his main
work. ! also ordered possession to be taken
Of an old work several hundred yards in our
front, and to the left and rear Of the Fort,
which was gallantly done by Capt McA11Is-
ter, Sth Indiana, with his company. This en-
abled us to move our advance on the right
pearer the Fort.
In the meantime had ordered It. Colonel
Charles, 18th Ind, to move his regiment to
the support of the Stl Ind. aud SD ILL.,, In
doing which he passed under heavy fire
from the fort, but fortunately for him the
enemy threw nothing but solid shot, which,
from their size, were easily avoided, and ha
gained his position with the loss Of but one
man. Night coming on found four compa-
the sed Ill. in the sand hills near the fost
(1a5 yards, as shown By measurement); two
companies Of the Sth Ind. held the old work
to our 'front.' The balance Of these three
regiments held the outside Of the new work.
The men, although the night was raw and
position. A fatigue party was detailed from
the reserve regiments and proceeded 10 move
the four pieces of the eth Mich. battery to
tile work occupied by our troops and
BY filing The ditch placed them in
tion Of the 18th Indiana, nader Capt
1;evei1 +hot to he m imrortort noint Thu
aot, Iu;nn;s and esd Iowa, who Werc held IN
reservc wcrc to moyc at daylight to our mn.
aff;nn wh;le n general ndyance nf fhe whn1a
brigade was to Iake placc. These arranee-
mc6fs were hardly completed. when. ahont
12775 O'Clock, an explosion Of gunpowdcr
in the fort warned us that the enemy were On
! the move. Immediately ordered an advance
ha5 1IeJ VIM i,ehin5 him ia sforcs and
ammnn;tion. and tl,e nersnnnl hnofnee of tha
officers. They had, however, Piled q lar.e
oranfitv NJ cotton around The different r,osss
s.1 ssz;nes a1ter n % hayinr % scattered m e rnnnomlSr
] aronnd in dItIerenf places. TIE advance
nrshefi m tn the ferry Int waro ion lnfe.
f1,n enemy haii mt fhe ronr n11ow;nr IN
fnotinc Ar f3rfdrc doc to swim aropnd nnnn the t
destroy IT Ry billing cotton nnon Il
and firinr #. int nur men xTerc ton
ciope- !. and nut ont the fire. Sir of
f1,e c,-ht men left. br the enemy to
Srn tie tra,ng were captured at aayliebt.
movei n:sinoIl force across tn SIeHenrv
Island: and took poseession Of q small eartf.
wnrl, Containing one oIpounlcr. consiiera-
HE ammunition. and some rurrison cunipora.
In Fort Fsneranza ne found one Io8nouni7er
cn1nnh;ad and seven o4.nonniler sieea pnna
TWO Of thc maraziues were saved. Gensid.
cradle camp md garrison equipage was in
fhe forf. hit owing to the 1anrcr FINN tho
exnlosions we failed to saye II Nv tnfa1
loss was one man killed and ten wounded.
amonp the latter. Lieut.. Geo Il. Fifer, Acf;rr1r
Aiida-Cnmp- ,rnl1ant and hraye ofT1ct
who fell severely Wonndcd 1urinrr mr. tirsE
rcconnotssancc. Nv otlicers md men he.
hayed gallantly. showing that they lad lost
them them y upon tue Dattie-delds of Pea fad Ridses,