774 



TEXAS. 



Commander Renshaw replied that he had 

 come for the purpose of taking possession of 

 the city ; that it was at his mercy under 

 his guns ; that he should not interfere in the 

 municipal affairs of the city ; that the citizens 

 might go on and conduct their business as here- 

 tofore ; that he did not intend to occupy the city 

 for the present, or until the arrival of a mili- 

 tary commander ; but that he intended to hoist 

 the United States flag upon the public buildings, 

 and that his flag should be respected. "Where- 

 upon the mayor pro tern, answered that he 

 could not guarantee to him the protection of 

 the flag ; that he would do everything in his 

 power, but that persons over whom he had no 

 control might take down the flag and create a 

 difficulty. 



Commander Eenshaw replied that, although 

 in his previous communications with the mili- 

 tary commander he had insisted that the flag 

 should be protected by the city, still he thought 

 it would be onerous upon the good citizens ; 

 and, to avoid any difficulty like that which 

 occurred in New Orleans, he would waive that 

 point, and when he sent the flag ashore he 

 would send a sufficient force to protect it, and 

 that he would not keep the flag flying for more 

 than a quarter or half an hour sufficient to 

 show the absolute possession. 



Commander Renshaw further said that he 

 would insist tipon the right for any of his men 

 in charge of an officer to come on shore and 

 walk the streets of the city, but that he would 

 not permit his men to come on shore indis- 

 criminately or in the night ; that, should his men 

 insult citizens, he gave the mayor the right to 

 arrest and report them to him, when he would 

 punish them more rigidly than the mayor 

 possibly could ; but, on the other hand, should 

 any of his men be insulted or shot at in the 

 streets of Galveston, or any of his ships or 

 boats be shot at from the land or wharves, he 

 would hold the city responsible and open his 

 broadsides on the same instantly ; that his 

 guns were kept shotted and double shotted for 

 that purpose ; that it was the determination of 

 his Government to hold Galveston at all haz- 

 ards until the end of the war. 



Commander Renshaw thus held the city, in 

 which a small military force was placed, until 

 the 1st of January, when it was captured by 

 the Texans. The Federal naval force in pos- 

 session at this time consisted of the gunboats 

 "Westfield, Harriet Lane, Clifton, Owasco, Cory- 

 pheus, and Sachem, the latter being broken 

 down. The troops on shore were two hun- 

 dred and fifty men under Col. Burnel, of the 

 Massachusetts 42d regiment. On the night 

 previous, information was received by the 

 commanding officers of both the land and 

 naval forces that such an attack would be 

 made. At 1 30 A. M. on the night of the 1st 

 two or three Confederate steamers were dis- 

 covered in the bay by the Clifton and "West- 

 field. Soon after the force on shore was 

 informed by their pickets that the Confederate 



artillery was in possession of the market place, 

 about one quarter of a mile distant from the 

 wharf on which they were quartered. 



The attack commenced on shore about 3 

 A. M., by the 'enemy, upon the Federal troops, 

 which were defended by the Sachem and 

 Corypheus, with great energy, the troops only 

 replying with musketry, having no artillery. 

 About dawn the Harriet Lane was attacked, or, 

 rather, attacked two Confederate steamers, one 

 of which, the Bayou City, was armed with 68- 

 pounder rifle guns, had 200 troops, and was 

 barricaded with cotton bales, some twenty 

 feet from the water line. The other, the Nep- 

 tune, was similarly barricaded, and was armed 

 with two small brass pieces and 160 men 

 (both were common river steamers). The 

 Harriet Lane was under way in time, and went 

 up to the attack, firing her bow gun, which 

 was answered by the Confederates, but their 

 68 pounder burst at the third fire. 



The Harriet Lane then ran into the Bayou 

 City, carrying away her whole guard, passed 

 her and gave her a broadside that did her 

 little or no damage. The other Confederate 

 steamer then ran into the Harriet Lane, but 

 was so disabled by the collision that she was 

 soon afterward obliged to back in on the flats, 

 where she sunk in about eight feet of water, 

 near to the scene of action. The Bayou City 

 turned into the Harriet Lane, and she remain- 

 ed secured to her by catching under her guard, 

 pouring in incessant volleys of musketry, as 

 did the other steamer, which was returned by 

 the Harriet Lane, with musketry. This drove 

 the Harriet Lane's men from her guns, and 

 probably wounded Commander "Wainwright 

 and Lieutenant Commander Lee the latter 

 mortally. She was then carried by boarding, 

 by the Bayou City; her commander was sum- 

 moned to surrender, which he refused to do, 

 gallantly defending himself with his revolver 

 until killed. But five of the Harriet Lane's 

 men were killed, and five wounded. One 

 hundred and ten, inclusive of officers and 

 wounded men, were landed on shore, prison- 

 ers. 



The Owasco, which had been anchored be- 

 low the town, moved up at the commencement 

 of the attack, and engaged the Confederate 

 artillery on shore. When it was light enough 

 for her to observe the two Confederate steam- 

 ers alongside of the Harriet Lane, she moved 

 up to her assistance, grounding several times, 

 owing to the narrowness of the channel. Oc- 

 casionally she brought her 11-inch gun to bear, 

 but was soon driven off by the fire of the 

 Confederate musketry. Soon the howitzers of 

 the Harriet Lane opened on her, and she back- 

 ed down below, continuing her engagement on 

 shore. All her rifle gun crew were wounded. 



The Clifton, before the action commenced, 

 went around into Bolivar Channel to render 

 assistance to the steamer "Westfield, which had 

 got under weigh when the Confederate steam- 

 ers were first discovered. Soon after, she got 



