The National tribune., 1907-12-26
THE BATTLE AT GALVESTON.
Chapter of MismanaGement, If Not
Worse.

Editor National Tribune: Please give
a brief description at the battle of
Galveston. / am told by an ex-Con-
federate that 20 Johnnies sunk two of
our gunboats and captured three 9TH
ers, besides taking a lot of prisoners.
would like to know the straight of
Iit.-GeOrge W. Rains 54th ILL.,, Tioga.
Tex.
We had occupied Galveston without
resistance May Il, 1862, by a naval
force of four steam SunboatS, under
Commander Renshaw. Gen. Banks at
the request of Renshaw, sent down the
i2d Mass, of which three companies
actually disem barked' and went into
camp on the wharf. For months Rem
shaw had kept his feet lying idle. and
was enjoying intimate s6ciaI relations
with the people on sh3rt, leaving them
the free use of their port, without nav
ing TO defend it. Gen. y! b. Magruder
had been appointed TO Command in
Texas, and was anxious to do some
thing to siSnaliZe his advent. He went
down to Galveston, and c6olly surveyed
the situation without t'interference He
found the MaSSaC ChuSctts' men campsd
on the wharf at thd eta of the long
wooden causeway l6adifg from the
mainland, which they had not taken
the trouble to brealpI uij or even OBJ
struct. lie made his arrahgements with
great skill, collecting Ynefl, muskets and
artillery, six siege ara 1fl field pieces
from the positions in the heighborhood
and with these he eqGpped three or
four ordinary steamboats,, protecting
them with barriers or cotton bales 1t
will require much evidence which has
not yet been furnished to exculpate
Renshaw from the charge of treason
able completely. 1t was known that an
attack was contemplated, and every
thing around Galveston indicated it,
particularly the mystery and reticence
maintained by the citizens. yet no
guards were thrown out and the Long
Bridge was not burned barricaded or
even guarded. At o'clock on the
morning OF Jan. l, 1863. Magruder fired
the signal gun, at which Col. Cook led
a stormlng party of 800 to the assault
upon the Massachusetts men, Some
thing in the meanwhile had impelled
the Massachusetts men to make a bar
ricade, and they were able to drive off
their assailants, which they did with
aid from the guns of the fleet Just
about daybreak the Confederate steam
ers appeared. They We're ably handled
Iby Commodore Leon Smith, and manned
by volunteers from Sibley's Brigade
They dashed boldly down or either side
OF the Harriet Lane, ramming her and
sweeping her decks with a deadly rifle
i'i =. L4iS iiSlI Lame, ufutE capt.
Wainwright, made d brave defense, and
Disabled one of the vessels, sinking her
in eight feet of water. one of the other
steamers succeeded in disabling tine
Lane. however, when Smith boarded
and oVerpowered our men, killing
Wainwright and Lieut.. Lee in the strug-
gle. The Owasco had been coaling
iurther down, but got under way and
started up to help the Lane when she
grounded, and as soon as she was re-
leased from this fell back to fight the
Shorc batteries The Westfield Rem
ShaWs flagship, Started up to meet the
enemy, but got hard and fast aground
lhe Confederate commander demand
"a the surrender of our fleet, but Rem
shaw rejected this, ordered the vessels
aHoat to get out of harms way, and
started to blow up the Westfeld. The
explosion seems to have been prema-
tufe, and RenShaW, with Lieut. Zim-
norman, Engineer Green and 10 or
10 OF the crew, was killed. Deprived
OF the assistance of the feet the Mas
sachusettS men were compelled TO sIIr
render. Magruder reported his entire
loss az 70 killed and III wounded. with
the steamer Neptune sunk He saws
mat he captured $50 prisoners, two or
three vessels and the splendid battery
of eight he wy rified guns of the West
held.-Editor National Tribune.
Two Iron Bri,:,ites.
II. X. Reed, Co. II. I'd Wis. Madison.
WIS, agrees with Comrade Dow i'm his
statement with regard to the two Iron
BrIeades in the Army of the Potomac.
one of which was composed of Hatch's
hed Legs and other New York regi-
inehts and the other the Iron Brigade
OF the West, made up of the 2d, 9th
and 7th Wis, 9Th Ind. and Battery =
4th U. $. Art. known rs Gihhnn,s Rri.