Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-08-15
CAREER OF A FAMOUS SHIP.


sea in water-logged condition, was the
once well-known Federal cruiser Harriet
Lane, and this interesting account of her
career during the war is added
During the presidency of Mr.. Buchanan
she was built as revenue cutter and named
for the accomplished and elegant niece of
the President, who so gracefully did the
honors of the White House in the last days
of the old regime Of the Republic before the
war. The Lane was fine ship of her class
and was very fleet
When the war came OH the demand for
swift sailers to catch the blockade runners
induced the government to tit her out as 4
war vessel and she was placed on duty with
the West Gulf squadron, on the coast Of
Texas. Galveston had been abandoned by
the Confederate forces, which had retired
to Houston, and the Federal fleet lay ut its
ease in the sunny waters OF Galveston Bay.
The Harriet Lane was one Of this fleet
On the morning OF January |, 1862, she
was tied to the Galveston wharf, while the
rest of the squadron lay at anchor in the
bay not far oil. The fortysecond Massa-
chusetls regiment lay asleep on the wharf
near the Lane There were no thoughts OF
an enemy near, when soon after sunrise Il
sudden change of scene was announced by
the volleys Of Confederate sharpshooters
firing from the roofs and windows Of the
neighboring warehouses upon the unsuspect-
ing troops and shipping.
The attack mad been organized by General
j. B. Magruder, who commanded the Con-
federates ut Houston, and who had moved
his troops down during the previous day
and night, and had silently marched them
over the railroad bridge across the bay, and
had during the night of December 81 OF the
old year, occupied the city unknown TO the
federal garrison.
Simultaneous with the attack from the
landslide, two Confederate steamboats,, the
BAYOU City and Neptune, which had been
fitted up at Houston as gunboats and ar
mored with cotton bales, steamed rapidly
out of the fog which enveioped the surface
Of the water and engaged the Harriet Lane,
the first vessel they met. The Neptune was
pierced by shell from the Lane which
completely disabled her, when she dritted
on the shadows and sunk. Her con-
sort. the Bayou City, ran alongside the Lane
aud was entangled in her rigging when the
CoufcGlerates swarmed aboard the decks of
the man-of war. where Il desperate hand.to
hand fight took place resulting III the cap
turc of the Lane after her commander. Capt.
Wainwright, and his principal officers and
4 number Of men had been laid dead OH her
decks
Commodore Renshaw, while cndeavoring
to free his snip, the Wariieid, from her
anchors and TO get her into action, had the
misfortune to ground her on the flats of
Pelican Island. The commanders then aban-
donci his ship, after putting match to her
magazine, and escaped with his crew III
boat: but after waiting sometime, and find.
ing hat the vessel did not explode, he re-
turned with y boats crew of fifteen men TO
see what was the matter. This was fatal
move, for scarcely had Commodore Renshaw
again boarded his flagship when she blew
NJ with terrible explosion, and not soul
escared The balance of the squadron put
to sea. while the federal garrison had no
option but TO surrender 10 Il victorious and
superior force.
The FederalS never retook Galveston dur
ing the war, and the Harriet Lane remained
in the hands Of the Confederates until to-
ward the close of hostilities, when she was
retaken by the Federal fleet as n blockade
runner.
After the war she was sold into the mer-
chant service, her engines were taken out
and she was converted into Il four -masted
schooner. She has often visited different ports
she was war ship, and she was in the
fleet with which Admiral Farragut cap
tured New Orleans in 1863.
a most pathetic and tragic incident oc-
Cured at the time ofthe capture of the Lane
ut Galveston. and it was realization of one
of these terrible possibilities of civil war;
but which happily did not often occur
during the conflict between the American
States.
Among the officers of the Lane was gal
liant aud handsome young Lieutenant
named Lea Among the Confederate Of
fects who composed the forces that boarded
the Lane and engaged in the bloody struS-
ole on her deck was Major Albert Miller Lea,
once all officer Of the United States army,
but then fighting for his native South. When
the ship struck her flag and the desperate
battle was won Major Lea, the Confederate
saw living at the foot of the mainmast a
Young officer, whose life blood was escaping
from a gaping wound in his breast. This
was Lieutenant Lea, gasping his last breath
for the Union and the old flag for which he
had given his life. They were father and
son.
They had followed diverse roads IN the
line of duty, but now death had brought
them together The young man died IN the
arms of his father, to whom the glory OF
that victory was but rs dust and ashes, ana
the splendor of that New Years Day was
!; only gloom and darkness and not only to
him was there mourning, for some OF the
best and brvaest of the Texans fell that day
! Among them was young lieutenant, son Of
| General Sidney Sherman: one OF the heroes
| Of Texas independence. These two young
! soldiers, the one who died for the Union and
! the one who died for the South, were ialo
i in the same grave. They were buried Will
military honors, and a great concourse o
civil lans, chiefly ladies, followed them tt
! their last resting place, and covered thei