Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-20
Rattle Of Blair. Landing.

FLOREsVILLE, TEX, August g.
Woods regiment CThirty-second Texas
Cavalry. after leaving Padre Island,
moved rapidly toward Louisiana. On ar
rlying at Hampstead, Captain Stevens, CT
Company c, Joined the command. He had
been in command of the post of Corpus
Christi. On joining his company he found
that many of his men were missing. 'They
had gone to their homes, as we moNeu
eastward. to have a short visit with thelr
families ard to join the command peiors
reaching Louisiana. The captain Inauo
charges against them as deserters. ana got
an order from Colonel Woods to take
guard and go back and arrest them as
deserters lie had not returned far pc
fore he met them on their way Dack' ne
had them brought before a court-martiai
and the day set for trial. Lieutenant
Colonel Benton appointed the writer as
attorney to defend the men. And now
said he. Il want you to break up that
court-martial, and / will help you all l
can" When the court met / filed excep-
lions 10 the charges and had the case con-
tInued until the following Monday In or
der TO prepare answers to the charges.
THAT night Colonel Benton and myself
wrote q letter TO General Magruder, who
had lately been sent to Texas TO AID III
organizing an army, and whose heau-
quarters were some twelve miles east Oh
us. All the facts were stated about the
men leaving and of their return nearly
10 the command when the guard arrested
them. An express was started with the
letter that night, and returned the next
day with an order, as follows:
"Close that court-martiai forthwith,
and those soldiers under arrest will join
their commands.
Thus ended the celebrated court-martial,
and the command moved on rapidly.
We soon reached louisiana and had
been joined on the way by another Texas
regiment. On arriving a few miles from
Red river a dispatch was received from
General Green for us to hasten on, as
the small force at his command had
virtually surrounded the ironclad fleet or
Commodore Porter whose boats he be
lieved TO be aground. but as they were
some distance apart ii would need
larger force to make a successful attack.
When we arrived within about Ave miles
of Blairs Landng-near which place was
the ironclad fieet-we dismountsd, leav-
ing q few men to care for our horses
We proceeded on foot, and when wlthln
about a mile of the fleet she opened
broadside on us. AS soon as we saw the
fat on the ground until the danger from
the bursting shells had passed. one shell
burst in front of US, killing one man of
Captain Millett's company. He had often
said that he would be killed in the first
fight, as he had been warned in a dream
just before leaving home.
When the men fell to the ground
Polander in Captain Ruckmans COM
pany, from Kansas county. dropped his
gun and broke for the rear. He never
stopped for five miles until he arrived at
the camp, where our horses Mere ltft.
He told them every man was Killed; ne
saw them all fall, and he alone escaped.
Shells now fell thick and fast. one sol
der pulled out a burping fuse of lS-inch
shell that rolled along among US. There
were three ironclads from half mile
10 a mile apart, but the middle one did
most of the shooting, and our two regi-
ments were soon In front of 1t, lying
fiat on the ground, loading as We lay
on our backs and turning over to shoot
into the port holes as the trap-door
opened TO run out the cannon TO shoo..
This was our only chance. The river
was so low that the guns were some ten
feet lower than the top OF the bank where
we lay. Most of the shells went above
us. but some ploughed under the ground
and burst among us, tearing hole like
a cellar. Here we fought for two hours.
General Green, with Colonel Woods,
rode by where we were lying. says
General Green: "Those are brave men
and they don't seem to care for the
danger they are in. These two regiments
shall be brigaded together after this"
But the havoc OF death was doing its
work Men were wounded and dying all
around. Lieutenant-Colonel Benton lost
an arm The adjutant's horse lost his
head and a bursting she'll broke the skull
OF General Green. Brigadier-General Ma
icrs now took command. His first order
was for the men 10 fall back in double
Quick Green's body was laid across his
own horse, with a man on each side ana
one to lead the horse. Our route was one
mile through pasture covered with head
timber, which, with the bursting of shells,
played sad havoc with our men, AS We
left the pasture the ground was much
lower. and we turned TO the left, and IN
an hour were back to the camp where we
left our horses Many were killed ana
" ounded coming through the pasture. the
glnboats sheled the timber for an hour,
thinking we went straight ahead into the
timber.
The mistake of General Green was In
believing the gunboats were aground ana
could be easily taken. The one We were
fighting passed down the river over
hundred yards while we were crossing the
pasture. 4 few days after the battle we
learned from a citizen living near the
battle-ground that they buried twenty
eight before leaving and took away many
more with them, killed and wounded.
+. G. HOUSTON,
Wards Regiment.
Nearly Fatal Mistake.