The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-24
Particulars Of the Fight in
Bav.
Tr0m lha zoo orIeans p-I.a. on

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From the New Orleans D,,,a, Of
From an officer belonaSng 20
States transport steamer nom
(whc was an eye witness of
we earn the following particul
attack by the Confedernlen al
eral Magruder, upon the Fes
vessels lying in Galveston Ba
morning OF the 1st inst m
was most dSSing one, and re
serious loss Of life and the egskwUuuu,
considerable property Of various Kind
The Union loss in vessels was a. follo1
The Harriet Lane, canigpad, 4
Westfield, blown up 20 nresedt herr.
ing into the hands J.. the Confederat.
and two banks, laden with coal. captu
ed. The exact loss Of life is not know
although IL was pretty heavy. WI
loss the Confederates sustained was
/ known 10 our informant
AZ two o'clock on the morning of
LIST, four Confederate gunboats. SINH
in all respects 10 our Mississippi ri,
steamers (lined and fortified with cott
bales), suddenly emerged from Buff,
Bayou into Galveston Bay, to the asto
ishment Of the officers and men on
federal vessels, who, though aware th
the C0niederates were in considera
force on land, little dreamed of havj
to contend with them for supremacy
the beautiful and placid waters of Gi
weston Bay. But that such was the cd
was now patent to all. There were
four steamers Immediately in front slo
ly but surely nearing their object of
tack. The two foremost steamers w
side by side, the third a short distai
in their wake, aud the fourth still furtl
off. In the meantime everything was
readiness on board the federal war v,
se.s to give their stealthily approach
enemy a warm receptioD--a regular oil
fashianea New Years greeting.
The first vessel attacked was the III
riet Lane, by two Of the steamers,
on each side The Lane, unfortunate
was aground when attacked, and the
fore unable to use herself TO any or
advantage; nevertheless, she succeed
in getting several well directed shots il
one Of the steamers, causing her to 81
in few minutes. BY this time the tn
steamer had run alongside of the La
and the sharpshooters opened upon
gunners, all Of whom were killed in
short time, together with the command
Captain Wainwright As soon as ca
tain Wainwright fell the Texans board
10. aa1 Il IL
the Union officers and men captured b
The loss Of life on the Lane was as 4
lows Capt. Wainwright, First Lie
tenant Lee, and n large number of
crew, consisting of one hundred o
twenty men.
The Confederates next turned tb
attention 10 the United States steam
Westfield, acting commander Rensha
lying q short distance off and whit
like the Harriet Lane, was also agrOu1
After an effectual attempt to get his "
sci clear of the obstruction. Commod,
Renshaw held brief consultation wi
his officers, the result Of which wal
unanimous determination to blow :
Westfeld up. Every preparation for 4
contamination of the awful but heroic
solve Of these petroiic men was made, /
torch applied, and in an instant more d
noble vessel, with many of her office
and men, was scattered into fragment
We have obtained the following pa
ticulars Of the loss OF. life on the Westflc
w. b. Renshaw, acting command
Lieut. Zimmerman, - Green, enginee
Walker Esser, coxswaiD; boats ere
consisting Of five persons, two quartz
masters, four firemen, The total loss
life on the Westfeld, we are informed, wi
not gexceed fifteen--most of the Office.
and crew having made their escape
the small boats.
The steamer OwRsco, which participate
in the engagement, had two men kill,
and eleven wounded.
The remainder of the feet, with Il
transports Mary A. Boardman aud Saxo
escaped outside the bar
Two banks, loaded with coal, from Ne
York, lying at the Galveston wharf, wei
captured by the Confederates, togethl
with two hundred and fifty soldiers, wi
had been landed to do garrison duty.
The Confederates, after the destructio
of the WestiieId, had a little bout wit
the 0wasco, in which they sustaine
some loss. They then turned the prov
OF their steamers (includibg the Harri1
Lane shorewagd, where they were moore
at last advices.