, 1866-12-06
DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF.
Report of Major General Sheridan.

ttone, dsted October !, 1865, hare the homer to
Reff e m f. e 1sReI so oe %
On the 18th cf May, 1855, vas relieved from
command Of the middle military division, and A.
Of The Mississippi and south Of thc Arkansas
Rivers, with objections to report 10 Lieutenant
General Grant for Instructions:
Ibis territory embraced at that time within its
limits the only organized rebel army len in the
Confede.cry, whirh was under the command Of
The Rebel General E. Kirby Smith, With hcsa-
quarters At Shreveport or vicinity, In the $ate OF
My 11rtruenons from the Lieutenant General
tne!,sed 10 d,aw rom Maior Genefai j. ). I Rey ay
Pss a oSG ass1 geSet, r
by, commanding the Military Division OF West
Misstssippl, :5 6oo men. together with ihe Fourth
rom s. d e stt9 cavalry, tS &c COLLECTED foosa
Loui.tsnn. Wcst Tennessee. Mississippi aud Ala
bama ~ Ihe M aggregate strength Of this force was
On ~ tie ssth oi May ASSUMED control Of this new
comuand, designating it 'he Military Division
leane, La, and At abont The came time received In
Smith, through commissioners tent from him 10
aSe bat bore upon its 9sse donsls ia
on the part Of the rebel commander or his agents.
a. the Texae troops had declined 10 surrender, and
s:nes ard Carrying with them taeir arms Ind an
usunitlon from the different araennls, General
Smith proceeded to Galveston, and from thence
escaped to Mexico, in violation OF the .agree!ne.:
he had bound himself to observe. This conduct
on his part NAV hare arisen from the fact tha;5tt
could not be concealed that his real object In offer
ting to Surrender was TO ret eecusi1y tor the Ar
lansae. Iouteiana and Missouri troops to return
10 their hnnles, knowing fnll well that the Texas
troops did not intend to surrender, and that most
Of them had already gone to their homes: that
while they were destroying their arsenal srd
csr1ying home with them their arms it was their
oasf hss they ~, %ets sah, 19i soea1eed and
dar.
Previous 70 the surrender and in anticipation 0.
The successful escape Of Jefferson parfs. and bis
naent, it bad been contemplated to oscah1ze col.
pmn Of 15.uoG Con:cdczates nj Marshall, Texa@;
Tor the invasion @ cf Me1iso T9ts sehsms failed:
while The main scheme OF sending the Is, ,C03 n1cn
10 Mexico failed, Numerous baads, squads and
'Ss Ro GG,a Rsas aIo e or
| Republic, and taking INTO consideration the tc,
~ rs4as Sa1 hSSy ha S:yeIp p;sH s;s sa,S a ia. hs
account the linton people there had come 10 loot
upon TIC Government as weak, 1t was deternincd
tie Rio Grandc border. The accomplishment .
this purpose was accompanied with great 1abo
from sa:lons Causes, but 1t was successfully
achieved.
Of tic Depot at Ibis place for The reqnir. mcn.s
The E-stice to be accomplished inc absence q
III NE, cah,e ma.in' and the worthless characse
masters Department. here for the purpose o
crossing The Gull, OF entering the ports OF Texas
tic des1Eucion Of all the wharrcs at III
weston. hy tho Contedesatcs, and The long line Q
communications 70 ilc points occupied in I'll
interior, over which supplies bad to b sent AMI
troops, officers and men, to continue tor 1onge
period IN The service, they Claiming that they hat
fulfilled thrir contrnct with the Government, ant
ra1,n =
The movement Of tl.c Thirteenth Corps Lai
hecn ordered before reached New Orleans. On
DIVISION Of #, under Mnler General FL; Heron
Louisiana, ard Marshall and Je.esron in North
eastern Texas. One division, under Major Gcne
6ns ason on1sk uaer aos deaer ea e
Mower, was q de1c1 to Gatyeston, from thence t
occupy the line Of railroad from Galveston +
who was In command Of tbe corps, Was a:eisne
to general command In Texas.
While these movements OF the ThtHce1t
At Alessndt,a, Iss, a eolnan of eayalsy a6o,
5oo strong, 10 he commanded BY Major Genera
g. A. Custer and another column at Shreveport
Na;'or General Wesley Merritt. These % casals
COLUMNS sS Me,e collected ifom dtiarsn. points !
tEed " Rcd River By =scamboats under s7ca
wsre. slesnixsJ into ai1sions: s. CO equippse
p'heii respective p5ns of
Merrttt's division 10 march ria Marshall 10 s.
antonio; md Clusters division vta Aeupstead
| Austin, Texas, the columns marching ncntly pll
al'ci to each other and something like one hui
ord miles apart
Tucse columns took With them a ama1l po1
| Ind for the additional object OF being able t
cross tho Rio Grande should the Goscrnmet
elYs1 r. tia ~ 11oops IN at ~ dEsc1S t cor
S ~ss cnsafled Il f' city y fon On Virginia, tsr il
81 chf + as pens su d ns ae
lhc kio Grande--most Of the corps, however, b
ing sert to the Isio G.andc line. Great troub
was experienced In the Anling of The troops
tins corps In consequence of tic had haEboEs
TtSas, the great draft Of the yesscls employed {
transports, and the atscnce Of suitable lighters
| convey tic troops ACROSS tile barr.
While The foregoing operations were In pr
ieM men, with ali IT, lcld ifai.aportation, arri
ed in New Orleans. having been o;de;cd 10 sepo
to me for service IN 1e1as. md was transpotte
a. rapidly ~ possible 10 iudianola, from ihent
p Victoria, and ordered 10 occupy Tie lice tso
The troops ou The lino ilom Gulscston 10 Auati
were supplied With comparative ease, ~ The y
The whsTvc1, althoas ii in Bad condition. sstii -
t1ced; the railsoad from Hampstead TO Breuha
wus in condition to transfer our necessary SUI
rtics, and from BRENNAN to Auttin there was
he landing q lie troops at 1rdnno'a was diff
eult on account OF TIC dangerous nas. wtscn b.
coneequ, nee Of The destruction ofthc wharycs !.
li:hfcran- had TO be, in most caacs, to the eho
in smell boats. Then when 'he troops were lands
. tuiles, ard The, had 10 be hurried over this di
) tsnce A. soon as landed, aud from ,hcnce 70 "
, in abuntlancc. yicto:ia is distant from Indiana
ahont tl!Irty:fvc OF forty niles. After these dill
, culties had been overcome 1t was fonud that Il
! | pnssat'le for wagons ~ tho MinieE. and the sa
road frnn Lasaca to Victoria had to be 1eraire
10 T.
! 1.av1ca and IndlanaIa. where there was no watc
Therefore ordered the rai!foad repaired, aud /
coy. r1us thc cost i tepslir. II he wlia,l ar
,ianrla had also 10 be built enusc, And when COL
rlsted sold, to cover the expenses 11carted.
But on account Of ihcee obstacles. ard especial
J the difficulty Of c, oseinE the outer bar. which
about twensy niles from ,he laadirc, come Of =
hd t. 1c,95n f Ssx ", osas Or
: t.onps ard coal for the transports. :,
al Erazos Santiago the wharf has been dcstrc
soe % of Se lad also 10
! urn to New Orleans and the monta of the Mss
5 sIppi River tor supplies OF coal aad "
tsncd ap W The fSp: Rp c1anie "a % ~ E IL as lard
!, p!aced 4 wharf had Is be built at D1azos. aoi
!. by email stcamets which We had sent TO II
river but the difficulties Of cntEancc 1t the moe
er the RIG G,arde made ~ lin; T., Of zuprls y
d :roops, ind W eonetimes j transport could moi p:
$ thc bar =, The month Of lne river fo1 ming Or
rass qSad nom Srasos % Wbi,e Il Ranehe, "a he
O irande River, distance OF eleven miles, a
y lids gave security to the supply Of tlle tsoo
T. over th. actual expense OF construction. All III
l. difficulties in the movement of t'oups were o.
z. cen.e, ard IN eho:t period OF TING.
&c The ciTt ct Of thl- largo movement Of troops
T. the destiny Of Imperialism in Mexico has not bt
u trllS appreciated by our people. II Is. sowes
'tSbieon s s1at asans @ isbs
Ut aud When nearly al! the heads Of the Govcenme
as e Europe (e1e:p ?. Knssis1 wished, and did
1p | cess, the EMPEROR OF the French undertook
o. bolu expedition to snbsc!t ihe R=2ua!t:
Ae3!eo. Ihefe vas ~ r. .errito:lal gHss!!on 70
annhi1ation ct ralion on l.e plea o. non.7
mcut 0! a million or two OF debts due. II
til Of .ichts, mud he history, Of impe. t4'E=n
Mexico is only the history Q: the buccaueer y
a, / gan on rsose extended scale, WHO at one 4
h. he he could hold 1t no longer So that when
- Increment OF our troops IN Texas and the
Il. GEande took place We found ne 1tne q tnai Il
~ F1alIsm Gosernznen. which collected no "a:
:" tad TO system OF government. and supported
q, i,ioniions On ihe poor iahaeit.nts; nut the
u rea.anee Of onr troops and the knowledge
,rx friends were OH the border went hSe elects1
u The rebels wlo kad escaped from Cur countf,
m. ceIved 20 sympathy. md IN lees than year
~, ~ hardy teoplc. wi.hons money, without arne
e5' nutritious OF war, and without supplies. b
ncaptured MatamoFaA, CamAsEo. Ptssldto de
Ursndc. Lan,ptssas. MontereJ. salhllo. Aoael'
Durango, chihuahua, and 1t isct, held neaE!y
"a Of Tie ec'1ntry. ru:tiug the invaders on the dc
lad / rt,h 3si1 n1rsSect NJ fhnir :nrcdy ertrr;o
w | ton.
ali have felt much interest IN this event. beeau
at- have always believed that the occupa lon q
:eu | tco Was faf1 oI tne scuclaon. auu 9c!le
,tnd!caiion ct repub1icanf*m, 1 did not Il
tl1t 1bat v.uLica.ion would be complete
Naxiujl,ap was compelled 10 lcare.