Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-05-18

| point, the remainder pfOCe0ueu Ou
down the river, surprising the Yankees.
They made spirited but brief resist
ance, some forty of them surrendering,
and the remainder, some forty or more,
escaped to Brownsville. Our loss was
four killed, including Captain Dunn,
in command of an independent scout
ing company, and three wounded.
The Federal loss in killed is not known,
and only three or four were wounded
amongst those surrendered, and none
OF them seriously. The wounded pris-
oners were paroled on the field. The
commissary stores, with transporta-
ton, of course fell into our hands, and
the men did not wait for distribution
of rations but Immediately commenced
cooking food, as we had had nothing
but "jerked beef" for several days-and
hurriedly jerked, too. To get good
meal once more caused general content,
and the usual banter Of camp life was
resumed in as lively manner as ever.
This skirmish Occur red on the 25th
of June, 1864. After destroying what
we did not feel like taking with us, we
commenced our return march. The
Federal prisoners were marched on
foot, but as heavy rain fell about
twelve o'clock, it made the waxy soil
stick so to their feet that it was next to
impossible to proceed, and we went
into camp. The next day the more in
firm were taken up behind those who
were best mounted and we made better
time. Several days were spend on the
return, but we did not trust to guides.
| In July Colonel Ford moved his
whole force down the river, but met no
resistance until right on the thresh-
old of Brownsville, or Fort Brown.
Here we encountered cavalry outposts,
and would have occasional picket skir-
mishes. About the first of August we
could see preparations going on for the
evacuation of the place by the Federal
! force, which was variously estimated at
from fifteen down to three thousand
men. On the third the Federals moved
down the river toward Point Isabel,
and on the fourth the Confederate force
entered Brownsville with great reio;c-
ing. The Federals continued on down
to the coast and occupied the island of
Brazos de Santiago. There was gen
eral satisfaction with our bloodless
victory. Our occupation of this point
was of great pecuniary importance to
the whole Confederacy. It opened a
way for the shipment of thousands OF
bales Of cotton daily into Mexico, Mat
amoras being, for the time, the great
cotton market of America Congresses
we're erected by English and Yankees,
and did thriving business until the
close of the war.
The mass of cotton was shipped by
the Confederate Government. Private
parties also sent cotton through, but
the Confederate authorities exacted
half for protection and safe delivery.
BY this means there was also contin,
ued return of supplies back into the
Confederacy, purchased from the sales
of cotton, or exchanged for it. And
this was the only reason we could see
for the evacuation of Brownsville, tina,
of allowing cotton to cross the border
so as to get into the markets of the
world. A great many Federal army
officers probably had friends and rela
tives engaged in cotton buying or cot
ton manufacturing. and No donht s