The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-03-03

ROYAL Yacht, and taken to New York in
chains, where he was condemned to be
hung as pirate; but he was eventually
exchanged.
| was afterwards told that the slave
trading escapade OF which he was accused
consisted in his having hired colored
crew at Boston, and then coolly selling
them at Galveston.
We arrived at Virginia Point, a tete-de
pont at the extremity of the mainland.
Here Bates's battalion was encamped-
called also the swamp angels" on ac-
count of the marshy nature of their quar-
tiers, and Of their predatory and Irregular
habits.
The railroad then traverses a shallow
lagoon called Galveston Bay on treStle
bridge two miles long; this leads to another
| tete-de-pont on Galveston Island, and in a
few minutes the city is reached.
In the train | had received the following
message by telegraph from Col. Debray,
who commands at Galveston VIII Col.
FremantIe sleep TO night at the house Of a
blockaded rebel2' ! had answered-"De-
lighted; and was received at the terminus
! by Capt. Foster OF the staff, who conducted
me in an ambulance TO Headquarters,
which were at the house OF the Roman
Catholic Bishop. ! was received there by
Col. Debray and two very gentlemanlike
French priests.
We sat down to dinner at D. m, but
were soon interrupted by an indignant
drayman, who came 10 complain Of Il mill
tary outrage. 1t appeared that immedi-
ately after ] had left the cars. semi
drunken Texan of Pyron's regiment had
desired this drayman to stop, and upon
the latter declining To do so, the Texan
fired five shots at him from his six
shooter" and the last shot killed the
dray mans horse.
Capt. Foster who is a Louisianian, and
very sarcastic about Texas said that the
reg ment would probably hang the soldier
for being such a dlSgraceiul bad shot.
After dinner Col Debray took me into
the observatory, which commands a good
view Of the city, bay, and gulf.
Galveston is situated near the eastern
! end Of an island 30 miles long by three and
! a half wide. Its houses are well built its
| streets are long, straight, and shaded with
! trees; but the city was now desOlate,
/ blockaded. and under military law. Most
| Of the houses were empty, and bore many
marks OF the i'll directed fire Of the Federal
ships during the night of the lst Of Janu-
AIRY last.
The whole of Galveston Bay is very
shallow. except narrow channel Of about
/ a hundred yards Immediately in front of
/ the now deserted wharves. The entrance
! to This channel is at the northeastern ex-
! trcnlity Of the island and is defended by
! the new works which are now in progress
there. II is also blocked up with piles,
| toTpedoes, and other obstacles.
The blockaders were plainly visible
| about four miles from land; they consisted
OF three gunboats and an ugly paddle
steamer, also two supply vessels.
The wreck Of the Confederate cotton
| steamer Neptune destroyed in her attack
! on the Harriet Lane( was close off one OF
the w,larves. That Of the Westfieid blown
up by the Yankee Commodore) was of
! Pelican Island.
In the night Of the fst Of January, Gen.
| MagTuder suddenly entered Galveston
| placed his feld-pieceS along the line Oh
wharyes, and unexpectedly opened fire in
the dark upon the Yankee war vessels at a
range 81 about one hundred yards; but sc
! heavy Though badly directed1 was the
reply from the ships, that the field pieces
had To be withdrawn. The attack by Col
Cook upon a Massachusetts regiment forti.
fled at the end of "a wharf also failed, and
the Confederates thought themselves
badly whipped"
But after daylight the fortunate surren
der of the Harriet Lane to the cotton boa
Bayou City. converted Confederate dis
asteT into the recapture of Galveston.
Gen. Magruder certainly deserves i'm
mense credit for his holiness in attacI<in,
a heavily armed naval squadron with
! few field pieces and two river steamer:
protected with cotton bales and manned
with Texan cavalry soldiers.
lode with Col. Debrdy To examine Fort:
Scurry, Magruder, Bankhead and Point
These works have been ingeniously de
signed by Col Sulokowski formerly in tn,
Austrian army, and they were being yer,
well constructed by $50 whites and G0l
blacks under that officers superintend
ence, the blacks being lent by the neigh
! boring planters.
Although the blockaders can easily an
| proach 10 within three miles of the works
} and although one shell will always STAN