The record-union., 1894-09-01
ADMIRAL JOUETT'O BRAVERY
A Most Exciting War Incident
Now First Fully Told.

Cutting Ont OF the Rebel Schooner
Thrilling Struggle Against Not
Only the Enemy, But the Cowardice
of Sailors and the Mistaken Fire of
Friends-Viotory Won Under Terri
Bile Odds by the Wounded odioer.
| Among the papers which have been
found by the officers of the navy who are
preparing the records of the rebellion for
publication is an account by Rear Ad-
miral Jouett, retired, of an incident that
was not fully related until after the re-
bellion was long over, writes the Wash
ington correspondent of the New York
Times Reasons which do not appear to
be clearly stated led to the suppression OF
the details at the time the original report
was made.
| The incident of the cutting out of the
rebel schooner Royal Yacht. in Galveston
harbor, and the capture, by Jouett and
the crew of a launch, of thirteen prison
ers, furnishes one of the most exciting
incidents of the war and an illustration OF
dogged bravery that is characteristic OF
the "old sea dog" that everybody knows
Jouett to be. His report tells the story in
sufficiently stirring language.
Il respectfully beg leave" he says in
his report, ''to lay before you a full and
detailed account of an affair that occurred
during the late war and in which / had
the honor to be principal actor. After a
silence of eighteen years deem it due to
myself and the truth of history that ali
the facts, hitherto published only in part,
relating TO the cutting out and destroying
OF the rebel armed vessel Royal Yacht in
the harbor of Galveston, November Z.
1861, should be made known.
| I'm the report OF the Secretary of War
| for 1862 will be found an exceedingly
brief account of this expedition which.
under the concentrated fire of four of the
/ enemy's forts and one rebel vessel, re-
suited IN the destruction of the Royal
Yacht and the capture of all her crew.
The meagerness of the official report OF
this affair submitted by me at that time
| to my superior officer, Captain Henry
Eagle, commanding the Santee, is espe-
| cially notable. You will note that in
this report limit myself to the briefesI
| possible statement of the conduct and
results OF the expedition. Not the least
comment is made upon the manner in
which any part of the plan was executed,
and not one word is said as to the CON
duct and bearing OF single officer or
/ man.
sit was the shortest, simplest account
that could be penned, and, as intended
at the time, it gave only in part the true
history of the affair. My duty seemed
| imperative to suppress that portion OF the
story which reflected upon the conduct
| OF others. and SO avoid at that critical
| period of the war the scandal that would
have resulted in an injury to the service.
by pursuing this course l belittled
the enterprise in the estimation of both
the department and the public, and
| caused my associates and myself to re-
ceive less credit than the real importance
and danger of the expedition deserved
| Now that so many years have elapsed
since this affair occurred, l deem il
| proper that this true history should be
| written.
''In the month of November, 1861
when attached to the United States ship
Santee, then lying Oft the harbor of Gal
| weston, Texas, | volunteered to take
command of an expedition for the purpose
of destroying the rebel vessels General
! Rusk and Royal Yacht, then lying In
that port. My request was granted, and
/ the Santee's two launches, with about
forty men, were placed under my COM
mand for this purpose. Lieutenant Mitch
ell was put in charge of the second
launch, assisted by Mate Adams. Gun
ner Carter aud myself went in the first
| launch. The latter boat was provided
with twelve-pound howitzer. Loaded
shells. with long fuses, to be thrown
| down the hatchways and portfires, fire
| balls, etc., for the purpose of burning the
vessels, were also supplied to the boats.
Everything being ready on the even
| ing of the 7th. we started up the harboI
| to attack the rebel vessels. then lying
about seven miles distant from the San
| tee. Our plan was TO surprise the Gen
| eral Rusk under cover of the darkness
| that being the larger craft, and afterwaro
TO capture the Royal Yacht. In case we
were discovered. our orders were not &c
| attempt to capture the General Rusk, thai
vessel being too strong to warrant an at
/ tack by our small force, unless we could
surprise her. Pulling up the harbor, we
passed the Royal Yacht, which guarded
| the channel, and got abeam of the Gen.
eral Rusk, when my boat grounded on q
| shoal or spit. The second launch ran into
| my boat, breaking my oars and making g
noise. This discovered US to the crew ol
the General Rusk.
| 1.-THE attempt at surprise being frus-
trated, I deemed it unwise to attack the
General Rusk. as she carried four guns
and had a large crew. Moreover, this
craft quickly commenced to fire upon us
| and the enemy throughout the harbor and
on shore were made aware of our pres
| ence. L therefore, in accordance with the
promise had made Captain Eagle, aban-
doned the attack on the General Rusk and
gave the order: Pull for the schooner
second launch board on the starboard
| bow; first launch on the star board beam.
at should be noted that the tide, which
had been against US in coming up the
| @
| word was spoken until we were within
200 yards of the schooner Royal Yacht
| when / was hailed, Boat shoy = to which
hail gave no reply, but called to my
crew, Give way, strong, men; ready
with the gun, Mr.. Carter.' Again came
to which my only answer was Give
| way, strong, boys; fire. Mr.. Carter 7
The primer being damp, the gun failed
to go Oft. Trail oars; stand by to board,
| were the next orders given.
"Mr. Carter, the gunner, ever quick
and ready, at this moment reprimed and
fired the gun, and the shell pierced the
schooner below the water line. The re.
coil of the gun sent the boat astern and
frustrated the attempt to board. Mr.
Carter, alone, of ali the party, succeeded
in reaching the schooner, leaping upon
her deck, pistol in hand, at the moment
of firing his gun. In approaching the
schooner / had taken the tiller myself
to keep the boat steady, when the boat
with oars trailing, was driven back by
the gun recoil. quickly got the foul
after men at their cars, while the rest o.
the crew opened fire upon the schooner
| with their revolyers.
Meanwhile Mr.. Carter, on reaching
the deck, had dropped behind ths
schooner's bits and commenced an en-
filading fire upon the crew with his re-
voiver. During all this time the launch
/ was driven aStarn of the schnnnar INC