The National tribune., 1899-06-22
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What the Veterans Have to Say
About Their Campaigns.
iHE SANTEE EXPEDITION.
Night Attack on Rebel Vessels n Galveston .rbor ia
.-. u.s. November, 1851, ss.r.a

Night Attack on Rebel VESSELS IA Galveston li.rbor II
u.s. November, 1851. ts.''
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Abou
the middle of July, 1861, the United State:
Frigate Santee dropped anchor five mile.
from shore, blockading the inlet to Calves
ton Harbor, which commanded great dea
of Gulf trading, especially with the Wes
India Islands.
The Santee was commanded by Capt
Henry Eagle. James E. Jouett was Firs
Lieutenant, John j. Mitchell Second Lieu
tenant and c. NJ Adams Acting Masters
Mate. The crew consisted of 434 men.
The vessel carried two batteries, known
as the gun-deck and spar-deck batteries
which consisted of two 64-pounder pivots
on the spar deck, and 21 1S-pounders broad
side and 26 32-pounders on the gun deck
poses, and two 12-pounder howitZers for the
launches.
During the month of September it ap
peared to lis that the rebels in Galveston
and Houston were preparing some kind of a
plan, perhaps, to make little glory fol
| themselves at the expense of the Yankees
Steamers were frequently seen moving
about inside of the bay, from Galveston
wharf out to Fort Magruder. which com
Emanded the channel leading into the harbor
| One of these steamers we subsequently
learned from deserters was gunboat by
| Tile ndLle OI NTeH INtSh- "A schooner also nD-
peared nightly at sllndown and would take
it's station near the fort. This schooner,
we learned, was known as the Royal Yacht.
She also was armed, with the intention of
running out to sea at the frs: chance.
| On the morning of Nov. Z, 1861, the sky
was clear, with light breeze from the
northwest, which enabled us by the aid of
glasses to see that the smokestack of the
rebel seamer Gen. Rusk had been hosted
out of it's place, which indicated to us that
the mechanics were at work on the machin-
cry or the boilers. The Royal Yacht was
lying near, evidently waiting for a breeze
to come from the north.
Capt. Eagle had an eye to the rebel move
ments, with view to frustrating their plan.
He consulted with Lieut.. j. E. Jouett about
an expedition to leave ship at eight bells at
night, go into Galveston Bay and try to
capture the steamer and the schooner or to
edestroy them there. A volunteer crew of
40 was called for and set to work to get all
things in readiness for the time set at night
The first and second launches were low
cred and armed with a 12-pounder howitZer
in the bow of each. The first and the sec
Ond cutters also were lowered and the volun-
teer crew took their stations in each boat as
ordered.
A full understanding was made between
Capt. Eagle and Lieut.. Jouett to the effect
that during the night lights should be dis
played from each masthead and rockets
fired at intervals; that the crew of the ex-
petition should have two countersigns, one
for challenging sign. wabash" and that
of retreat, "Santee. Each man and officer
should have white cover on his cap, bv
which We should know one another from
the enemy. nd. ~
At eight bells the expedition, consisting
OF A officers and men,waS ready, and Lieut..
Jouett ordered "let go.71 The sea was
smooth, but the nearer we approached the
bank the stronger became the current
against us. 1t was abOut11 o'clock when
we passed the Lighthouse Point near Fort
McGruder, when we turned our bows to the
southwest with a sharp lookout for the
steamer; but we had gone "a little too near
the shore of small island \ upon which we
almost grounded. We cleared ourselves,
however, and instead of sighting the steam,
er we came in sight of the ROYAL Yacht.
The first launch and the first cutter were
in charge of Lieut.i Jouett, with w. w.
Carter as gunner. This launch had the lead
of the boats. The second launch and the
second cutter were in charge of Lieut.. John
j. Mitchell. &c, l,.l
The first launch approached the ROYAL
Yacht, from which came a challenge twice
over, "WhO comes thereT The second
challenge was answered by shell from the
that went through the bow of the
schooner.
This shell drew all the rebels on deck in
such confused state that few had time TO
reach their guns and bowie-knives The |
first launch now got hold on the railing of
the schooner, and Jouett called out to board. |
The rebels met us with all kinds of weap-
ons, and the fight had now become general |
between the Yankee cutlasses and revolvers |
and the rebel boarding-pikes, rifles, shot |
guns and knives. Jouett went off as if TO |
look for Mitchel's command on board, but !
he was met by a rebel who charged him |
with boarding-pike that entered Jouett's
arm.
The boat keepers in the first launch were
Harry Cash, a Frenchman, and Thomas !
BlellOck, Scotchman. AS they were
letting the launch go past her astern the |
second launch came up and took hold of the |
irst, which made the keepers call out to let |
go and catch on to the schooner rail. Some
one in the second launch called out, from
some imaginary sign, "The steamer is com
ng." Lieut.. Mitchell called out to LET 90.
and the second launch disappeared.
At this moment the writer got on board
of the schooner, where he found Lieut..
)ouett standing against the railing. He
ooked as If wounded. / went to the pivot
gun, where l recognized some of our own
men, who were in the act of throwing the
gun off its pivot, but the rebels did not give
Is time to do so. We got hold of a spike
which we rammed into the prime-hole. and
made the gun useless.
A bullet came along. glanced from tho
gun and struck me in the head The bleed
ng actually blinded me for awhile. GIn-
Ter Carter, who had become little excited
anne up and challenged Watson. who had
ost his cap-cover The countersign came
n good time, for it saved James Watson
rom Carriers bullet
About this time rebel bullet made n hole
n Carriers arm, and Jouett had been
by one of the rebel bullets. He
old me to go into the boat, and so ordered
I'll OF our men, and to get away before the
ky would be too much illuminated by the
ire of the schooner.
Many OF the rebels had jumped into the
water and were picked up by our men: some
wan ashore, or were drowned Shot and
hell from the rebel forts and from the
teamer had become thick, but the johnny
ebs fired too high to do us any harm. Harry
lash was stabbed by one of the rebels, and
le fell into my arms, dead. We left the
wreck with IL prisoners, four of whom were
Wounded Among our fnen one was
Tiled and seven were wounded, one of
vhom subsequently died. !, We passed out
o sea in safety, with our prisoners, and
cached the :Santee at about eight o'clock
n the morning. ,o =,
In July, 1895, statement relating to the
,antee expedition was published in a New
York paper, and was reproduced in st.
Ic MS, which purported to: be a COPY of !
lieut.. (now Admirably James E. Jouett's
'fficial report. filed in the Navy Department
ome 81 years after the seEyice mentioned.