The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-01-17

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freely confessed .ha. h and ~ men Who I'D come YIN
MN h hs boat bad paytiupated N ths attack on ne
Har,,e Lane and had vohssesrsd 70 out and decoy
Az Cumbra upon tho Once aground the bark which
was lying uss inside, and which could oe plainly seen'
Tho o6cers Of the owasco state positively that after
Harriet Lane was n ne possession Of me rsoe snoy
lust above the line, which must have disabled her
Captain Payne however says she was not injured and
the Cambria had remained three hours longer she would
have been assaulted by the Harriet Iane He also states
that all Of tho men ON the Harret Lane were killed ex-
On her re,srn voyage the oumbria the Brooklyn
her way 10 Galveston.
Since writing 70 you last have obtained the following
par ia reference 10 the rebel attack Galveston,
ON the morning Of january l.
On the night Of december 81 . reconnaissance was
made by Captain Shreeve with twenty five man OF the
Roxbnry City Guard which resulted in the discovery Of
large rebel cavalry the western part Of the city
second regiment which occupied Calves
ton stationed ON wharf IN the eastern end Of the
town, that s, the point nearest the bar. captain captain
shf seve reported his discovery 70 Colonel
Burial by messenger when two piatoons
Of twenty each under Captain Proctor and the
other under Captain Savage. out IL was re-
ported after that Captain Shreeye hal been captured
bu. the platoons which were sent him and his
ss n Ss't !. fSa Ian. sent up signal
which announced, arst 1.-The enemy NJ approaching oy
water and, soon after, The enemy . approaching by
Immediately tnrned out his battalion, which, fl Told,
less than 800 under arms and constructed
baricades OF barrels h0geheads boards and whatever
else could lind the wharf, and then tore the
panks leaving only narrow passage for the retreat OF
his pckets. Word soon sent in that the enemy In
large numbers we're crossing bridge and had already
taken possession Of the rear Of the town in strong force
There warehouse on the, rivers edge, standing
about fourth OF mile from tho wharf where the hassa-
chusets troops stationed During the day the rebels
had brought light pieces Of artillery concealed in loads Of
hay and fixed them this building, and when they had
reached the town in sufficient nusbers and the Harriet
Lane fairly engaged, they opened fire with these
pieces upon the Union forces, while the pickets
driven in They had been planted with the purpose of OBJ
tanning enhadhg range on our men put skui cnangc
q position and me TIC mhcn ns nod
up to1heir work most bravely not man tDched, and
for ous hours they refused to yield to the overpowerng
fairly Yepulsed twice. Notwithstanding bis artillery,
while our troops had none and notwithstanding he had
The full light Of day came before this fight between the
rebels and handful Of soldiers was at an end Tho
little band was standing up against all odds when i was
discovered that white flag floating from the Harriet
Lane The meaning Of IL was not understood; for the
ignorant Of the fact that the Harriet Lane was
In possession Of the enemy Soon white nag was dis
played the gunboat Owasc0 and Colonel Burrl now
determined TO learn the Of these signals
He accordingly sent his Adutant Lieutenant Charles A.
learn the state Of affairs and consult as TO the course to be
pursued.
Adjuians Davis proceeded in small boat, and on his
way the Owasco savage looking rebel officer in
boat who ordered him TO stop The rebel had three
vovers under his belt, and asked the Adutant whittier
he bound The Adjutant replied that he under
orders Of his superior officer and could not stop to talk
looking individual had been 70 the ship Westfed, with
message from General Magruder TO Commodore Renshaw,
to the effect that he did not cease firing every Union
shore would be butchered.
The Adutant, having completed hts business on the
Owasco about to return. when he discovered that
the Union troops the wharf were marching of. He
them 60 TO the street. where they at
rounded by rebel soldiers and by citizens. They had in
fact surrendered and the Adutant Of course did mot
return.
The rebels, in addition 70 their prisoners, captured
thirty thousand rife cartridges and Eve hundred picks
and Ave hundred shoves. In removing the ammunition
from building the street 70 the wharf troops dis
PLAYED great bravery.
Tho loss Of the Union land force quite sma-pro-
baby not than four killed and twenty wounded.
The gunboat Owasco slenced the guns which the rebels
had placed In the building.