Maryland free press., 1863-01-16
THE WAR IN THE SOUTHWEST.
EXCITING NEWS FROM THE GULF
Attack OF the Rebels on Galveston by
Lana,and vsatefEfAs Harriet Lane
Gaptcre6 by BOarding-The Flag
Ship Blown up-The Federal Forces
at Galveston Made Prisoners.


Ship Blown up-The Federal Forces
at Galveston Made Prisoners.
New YoRK, Jan. 1.-THE steamer Creole
arrived here tonight from New Orleans on
the Bird inst. She was detained by order OF
Gen. banks to bring dispatches to General
Halcck.
She passed several gun-boats bound up the
river, and passed the transport Mcrrimac with
troops at the Southwest Pass. Also the gun
boat Kensington.
Purser Cook reports-"By the arrival of the
gunboat Chicftain at Southwest pass on the
evening of the I'd inst, l learn that. early
on the morning of the lst insts the Rebels
made an attack. BY land and water on the
Federal forces at Galveston. Our gumboats
there were attacked by five Rebel steamers,
protected by double rows Of bales of cotton
and loaded with troops armed with rifles,
muskcts, &c. The Harriet Lane was captur-
ed by boarding. after about all hel officers, in-
cluding Captain wainwright and Lieut.. Lee,
and crew of 1870, all told, had been killed by
muskctry from the Rebel steamers. My i'll
formant states that but one or two officers
and twelve or fifteen of tho crew escaped
death. The gunboats thicftain and Owasco
wers engaged ,apd escaped, the former losing
10 men end but one wounded The Owasco
lost ono man killed and thirteen wounded.
Later.
t.,
received here that Galveston was attacked by
land and water on the morning Of january
lst;and CAontl Bursell and his men were all
killed or taken prisoners. -Four Rebel rams
made an attack on the Harriet Lane and car
ried her by boarding. Captain Wainwright,
Lieut.. Lee and all her men were either killed
or made prisoners.
Captain Wilson, of the Owasco, was killed.
,YCommandcr Renshaw blew up the flag g-ship
Westticld, in order to prevent her falling into
the hands of the. Rebels. He and lis '.5rst
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS NsTi wounded,
Two boats, llppded;, with coal, also fell INTO
the hands of this Rebels, IL IT,.
The Westield, the, flag ship, beiag ashore
in another channel, her crew were transferred
to transports, and Captain Rcnshaw, fearing
she would fall into the hands of the Rebels,
blew her up. By some mismanagcment or
accident the explosion occurred before the boat
containing Captain Renshaw and Lieutenant
Zimmerman and the boats crew got away, and
they were consequently blown up with the
ship.
=, The crew Of. tho, Westfeld had arrived at
New Orleans in transports, and the remaining
troops were on their way back. They did
not arrive until the place had been evacuated.
All the fleet was on their way to Now Orleans.
Tho Rebel force is estimated at about 5000
under General Magrudcr. Onr land forces
were under Col. Burrcll, and most prosably
did not exceed 800 men, the residue not hav-
ing affiYad or not dsembarked f. the, time
the fight took place. Our loss was estimated |
at $50 to 1GO killed and 200 taken prisoners.
the navy suffering most ,....,, ,..,,,. u,rm
lis thought the Rebel loss *ds much more,
rs our guns were firing grape and canister
continually in their midst. The Rebels had
several batteries on shore. The Federal troops
were on one of the long wharvcs, and it is
said repulscd the charges of the Rebels before
they surrendered.
The advices from New Orleans state that
Jacob Barker's Mfatipnqg Alrecrte hid pub
ished an extra OIL the Cd, containing Rebel re-
ports of a victory at Memphis and Vicksburg,
md jeff. Davis speech at Jackson. Gen
Banks sent a corporal's guard to Barker's Of
ice, and the paper was for third time sus-
pended. This step gave great satisfaction to
he Union men. .;.", i
Accounts ef the Rccapturc OF Calves,
ton from Richmond Papers.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE PoroMAc,
January IL.
The Richmond Enquirer of the 10th inst. /
has dispatch from Mobile, dated on the sth
nst,, which says:
Aspccial despatch from Jackson to-day says
that the New Orleans ,Pclta Of thc 9th. inst,
received at Pouchotoua, contains the follow
ing intelligence,
About 2, o'clock on New Years morning
four Rebel gunboats came down to Buffalo
Bayou into Galveston Bay and ran sllpngsilc.
the United dStsItcs steamer Harriet Lane, one
on each side of her, The Texan sharp-shoot-
ers then commenced an assault on her and
soon succeeded in killing all the gunncrs and
Captain Wainwright, her commander.
IIlh1e .assssiiiants then boarded her, and after
4 desperate struggle, captured the vessel The
Rebel gunboats were lined and protected with
cotton bales, after the manner of the boats il,
New Orleans, known, as the Montgomery feet.
4 The Wcstfeld, undcr commander Rershew,
determined not to be taken, and after con-
sqltation, her officsrs and men all agreed they
would blow her u' iwi!h ali on board inclu-
ding her commander. Only eight escaped;
the balance of the Federal fleet and one trans
r