Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-01-08
Saint Maru's beacon.
FIom Tie Dallas Nsgs.

The writer was a member of company
E, Col. G. II. Giddings' battalion, and
was in the little fight. The western
subdistrict was at that tins COM
manded BY Gen. Slaughter. The
forces in the field were commanded
by Col. j. s. Ford. known as "0ld
Rip" among the soldiers. II would
not be an undessrved tribute to say
that he was always on hand when
Texas needed brave soldier in the
southwest. The duty of the soldiers
was to protect the trade through
Brownsville with Mexico.
The town eff Brownsville changed
hands five or six times during the
war. For twelve months or more
previous to the close OF the war the
confederates had possession and q
large trade was carried on with
Matamoros.
The fight alluded to came off at
Palmstto ranch on the Rio Grande,
about three miles above Blanco. on
May IL, 1865. Col. Giddings' bat
talon was doing picket duty at Pal
mstto ranch at the time. The camp
of the battalion was few miles above.
Capt. Robinson Of company A Was in
command. On the morning of the
18th the federals advanced from Bra.
zos Santiago, drove IN the advance
pickets, captured the picket camp and
two of the men who were without
horses. Capt. Robinson came down
on them in the evening with the en-
tire battalion. When his force came
in sight the federals set fire to
the Mexican houses at Palmetto and
retired down the river. Capt. Robin.
son left force for picket duty and
returned to his camp. The federals
were met by reinforcements and re-
turned on the morning of the 18th,
as before, driving the picket force
some distance above Palmetto. Capt.
Robinson again confronted them with
Giddings' battalion, and a skirmish
was kept up with them until about 4
o'clock in the evening, when Col.
Ford arrived from Brownsville with
force of three small companies of
cavarly and Capt. Jones' battery of
four pieces.
The old soldier in a very brief time
had his arrangements made for an
advance on the enemy. The cavalry
reinforcements were formed on the
left of Giddings' battalion; Jones
battery was divided into two sections
and placed at different points on the
line. Capt. Robinson, now under the
orders of Col. Ford, advanced the
column thus formed on the enemy.
The battle was opened by Capt. Jones
battery firing in quick succession
few rounds. The whole column Of
cavalry fred volley and made a
charge on the snemY's line of skiru.
ishers, which broke and made a run
for their main line. The federal
commander commenced a retreat as
coon as he saw Col. Ford's advance
movement, so the flying skirmishers
were overtaksn and captured before
they could gain the main line. The
cavalry from this time on were in a
confused condition, but large num-
Der of them, led by Capt. Robinson,
together with Jones battery, contin.
ned to follow and harass the enemy
for several miles below Palmetto ranch.
Jones battery displayed great cour.
age and activity in the fight. The
commander dashed up to within short
musket-range several times and slim
ulated the retreat of the enemy by
rounds from his pieces. Several mem.
bers of his company participated in
the brilliant victory at Sabine Pass
earlier in the war. Col. Giddines'
battalion furnished majority of the
cavalry in the fight. They continued
picket duty at this point until they
disbanded, about the 1st of June.
The number engaged on the CON.
federats side was about $50. The
federal force was about 1000. 1t was
made up of detachments from the
thirty-fourth Indiana infantry, the
sixty-sscond colored infantry and the
second Texas union cavalry mot
mounted). The Federals lost eighty.
live prisoners, about six or eight
killed and wounded. They also lost
two oftheir reg!mental colore. Among
the prisoners was a captain and a
lieutenant. The confederate loss was
two prisoners at the picket camp on
the morning of the 18th; two men
were slightly and one mortally wound
ed; the latter died soon afterward.
This laat within of coofa1arato k...1