, 1863-01-19
TEE ca PTURE OF GALVESTON.
Additional and Interesting Particu-
1ur4.

NEW ToR6. j. IN. 17.-The following partic-
n7ars nf tf,c ina ~ attack on Galveston have not
heretofore heen ?. mblishcd:
On tie night Of Dec. s1st, reconnaissance
/; made by Capt. Shirt eFe, with twenty-hys men,
~ forre in The Weste IN part Of the city. It will
be bornc In mind that u detachment If the 42d
Massachusetts, regime ut, which occupied Gal
veetor were stoxionn d On wharf In the
eosterr end of lie INV, l. That is the point
nearest the har. Canto, n Shrcye at once post
ed his discovery tn fnlo nel Burril1 by a MES
eeneer. when fwo nIatot ms Of seventy men
each, under Captains Pl nctor and Savage
were sent out It was epoFted soon after
that Capt Shreeve had beer 1captnred, but the
platoons sent ont met him and MS command
falling back in good order. ABOUT tnis time
the Harriet Lane sent up q. slgnat Whfch an
uounced, first, that the encn. was approach
Ing by water; second, that b. Was approach
ing by land: Col. Burril1 benign Dtlhcd Of these
signals, Immediately turned out us battalion,
which numbered less than 800 me n ahaerarms,
and constructed barricades Of b aIEels, hogs:
heads, boards, and whateyer el &c ne, could
find, across the wharf, and tore up @ the planks,
leaving only . narrow passagc for lhe retreat
Of Ills picRets. Word was soon sc MT IN that
the enemy, in Large numbers. wes crossing
the bridge and Ind already taken / possession
Of the rear Of the town In large fore. : During
artillery concealed in loads Of hay, ut liked
them In tho warehouse about quar- tGr Of .
mile from the wharf, and when the drflet
Lane was f;iE1y engaged, opened frc- With
these pieces upon the Union forces. The
rebels p1autct these guns for the puipt ,se OF
obtaining an enalading range On uelr hseu,
but a skillful change Of position and the bar
rfcades defeated their design.
Our soldiers fought bEayely, and for four
hours refused to yield to the oyerwht: i, ning
force. The enemy was fairly rcpulsed tn rice,
notwithstanding his artillery, while our
troops had none: and Notwithstanding he bad
ten to one. Full light Of day came befon, the
fight between the rebels and our handful OF
soldiers was at an end. The little band # as
standing up against all odds, when it was di 8
covered that 4 white flag was floating from th
Harriet Lane. The meaning Of it was not nm
derstood, the Colonel being ignorant Of tho /
fact that the Harriet Lane WIS I
In tho cnemy's possession. Soon after I
. white flag Was displayed on the gunboat |
0wasco. Col Burrfll dispatched Adjutant |
Davis to ascertain the state Of affairs and to |
consult as to the course to be pursued. Adju- |
tant Davis proceeded in n small boat, and hay |
ing completed his business was about to re- /
turn, when he discovered that the Union
troops on the wharf were marching of. ue |
saW them 60 to q street, where thoy were at |
once surrounded by rebel soldiers aud citi- |
IONS. They had ia fact surrendered. The Ad- j
jutant Of course did not return.
The rebels, in addition to their prisoners, l
captured 80, 600 rife cartridges, 500 picks, and |
SEQ shoycls. 4
Tie loss Of the Union lind force is quite
small, probably not more than four killed and |
twenty wounded.