The National tribune., 1883-09-13
TIE LAST FIGHT.
The True Story of the Affair Told
by a Survivor.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:


In your issue of July 26 l notice an account
of the Last Battle of the War" If you will
permit me, | will venture word about that
"last battle" | must differ from the veracious
Colonel Branson, land | wonder If the
Albuquerque man can tell us what this Bran
son was colonel Off Colonel, not General,
Barrett was in command of the expedition on
the 18th and 18th of May, 1865. The troops
consisted of two U. S. colored resiments-the
Eighty first and Eighty -fifth,-part of the Sec
ond Texas Federal cavalry. and the Thirty
fourth Indiana on BraZos Island, and no more.
Barrett was colonel of one of the coored regi-
ments-I do not remember which one. The
expedition was composed OF some two hundred
of the Thirty fourth II was member of COM
pany H), Major MIN Haddington in command,
about thirty of the cavalry dismOunted, and
details from the two coiored rcgimentS-in all
some three hundred men On the 18th we
suddenly came on the rebel camp of one hun
dred or less men. They skirmished a little
and fell back in the direction OF brownsville,
up the river. Early on the 18th they came on
us in force with six pieces of artillery, and
| kicked up quite a muss with the guard,
| under Captain Templar, of con- pany of my
| regiment. The main column under Colonel
| Barrett, continued on down the river, and IN
| about two hours we were fired on from the rear
/ aud from the Mexican side Of the river. The
| Johnnies had surrounded us or the identical
| Palo Alto-and just nineteen years before to
! day Two men in my company were serving
| in Taylor's army at the time. 1t Was on a
| ridge running back from the river, the highest
| ground between the rivers mouth and Browns
| vile. The only officers ] saw after the main
| body fell back were Captain Templar and
| Lieutenant JONES' of company G, who was, /
| think, the leader of the band and the very first
man to FIRE at the enemy across the river. He
| took my gun and fred at man up tree and
| rolled him cut, too. We continued to send them
| our regards for some fifteen or twenty minutes,
| when they left We took position in dry
gully (arroyo) and under the river bank and
stood them Off as long as we had a cartridge,
and then rrendered-sixty two men. We
| lost four killed and seven wounded. We were
taken to Brownsville and guarded IN an old
slaye-pen until June 26, when we were paroled
and escorted to BrazOs.
James Williams, of company B. Thirty fourth
Indiana, was the last man OF the Union army
killed i'll fair fight with the Confederates.
Now, about that man-of-war" in the otfing
and the news of Kirby Smiths surrender. We
had word of Lees surrender more than week
before the expedition started. 1t came by the
regular transport from New Orleans-no man
of-war about it-and Kirby Smith did not sur
render at all. His army got drunk and went
MISREPRESENTATION the middle of June.
Sheridan'S expedition to Br6zos with an army
corps to suppress Kirby Smith did not reach
| there until the last of June. How many OF
the boys saw the redoubtable Colonel" Bran
son sheathe his bloody blade and heard his
famous order to cease fringe" If this grand
finale OF q "cruel war" was witnessed by in
terested crowds of men perched in the rigging OF
eighty men-of-war," when not man of them
WAS nearer than fifteen miles from the scene
of action they must have had very powerful
glasses Palo Alto, or Palmetto, is twelve miles
from the mouth Of the river and tue beach Is
four to eight miles wide. which is as near as g
ship can come. From the top of the hill where
the fight took place not even the topmasts of 6
ship can be seen. Now, Dir. Editor, | know
whereof / speak. / was there and did not get
my information, as you suggest much wal
news is obtained-two miles in the rear. /
Colonel" Branson had been an ot,.cer for five
years. it was high time be sheatbed his sword
In the chronological table | see no mention
of little trouble we had at Gainesville, Va.
August %, 1862 1t was not much of a row, t.
be sure, but it took more than 1900 men,
lives to settle it. My old regiment, the Nine
teenth Indiana, lost 6S7 men and the SeeonC
Wisconsin over 400. Ask Commissioner Dude!
about it. A. z. CARR,
Co. B, 10th Ind, and Co. II, 34th Ind
TACOMA, WASH. TER.
I'VE are afraid your eyes are not as keen a
they used to be, eomrade. Turn to cur issu
of August 10th, 9TH page, 9th column. YoI
| viii find the affair at Gainesville duly men
toned under the proper date.-ED.