TEXAS. 



691 



several men, accompanied by an individual call- 

 ing himself General Sherman, claiming to act by 

 authority, and under the orders of the " Com- 

 mittee of Safety at Galvestmi.'' These men pot 

 the vessel under weigh, and proceeded with her 

 nearer the cutter, where she was detained. 



Subsequently, in the Convention, an ordi- 

 nance wa> passed requiring the State officers 

 to appear before that body and take an oath, 

 or that they, or either of them, who might re- 

 fuse, should be considered as no longer in office. 

 The Governor and the Secretary of State,negleet- 

 ing or refusing to comply, the Convention, on 

 the 20th of March, passed an ordinance declar- 

 ing vacant the Gubernatorial chair, and that of 

 the Secretary of State, on account of the re- 

 fusal of those holding these offices to appear 

 before the Convention, as did the other State 

 officers, to take the oath of allegiance to the Con- 

 federate States. Lieut.-Governor Clark was re- 

 quired to assume the functions of Governor at 

 once, and the Secretary of State called on to 

 hand over the great seal of office and his offi- 

 cial records. 



The Legislature of the State met again on 

 the 18th. The members of the House and 

 Senate took the new oath of allegiance. The 

 archives, seal, &c., were surrendered by the 

 Governor and Secretary of State. 



Some detachments of United States troops 

 still remained in the State, and these were made 

 prisoners, and released upon parole. On the 

 24th of April, Colonel Van Dorn, with a Texan 

 force on steamers, came down from Indianola 

 to Salnria, and anchored near the schooners 

 having on board the United States troops un- 

 der Major Sibley, numbering 450. An inter- 

 view took place during the next day between 

 the commanding officers, which ended in the 

 surrender of the entire Federal force as prison- 

 ers of war. The officers were to be released 

 on parole, and the men on their oaths that they 

 would not take up arms against the Southern 

 Confederacy, after surrendering their arms and 

 all the property of the companies ; such of the 

 men and officers as desired were to be received 

 into the Confederate army. Private property 

 was not to be molested, and the soldiers were 

 not permitted to leave the State except by 

 way of Galveston and the Mississippi River. 



On the 9th of May, six companies of the 8th 

 United States Infantry, under command of 

 Lieut.-Colonel Reeve, surrendered to a Con- 

 federate force under Colonel Van Dora, near 

 San Lucas Springs, about twenty-two miles 

 west of San Antonio, and on the Castroville 

 road. Colonel Reeve's command consisted of 

 366 rank and file, with their appropriate officers, 

 together with Colonel Bumford and several 

 other officers who were on leave, or under 

 orders to report at other points, and who, taking 

 advantage of the troops coming to San Anto- 

 nio, sought and obtained the escort of the same. 



Colonel Van Dorn left his camp on the Leon 

 at four o'clock on Thursday morning, the 8th, 

 and took a position previously selected, about 



two miles to the westward on the road leading 

 to Castroville, where he formed his command 

 into line of battle. Shortly after daylight the 

 pickets and spies reported Colonel Reeve as 

 having left his ramp at two o'clock, A. M., as 

 had been his custom on this march, and 1 

 reached the high ridge of land near San 1 

 Springs, and at the ranche of Mr. Adams, 

 where he had halted his command, taken po- 

 session of the large stone house, barricaded the 

 road with his wagons, and placed his troops in 

 position behind the strong corral fences and in 

 the stone house, apparently to await the assault. 



Upon this being announced to the colonel 

 commanding the Confederate troops, he ordered 

 a forward movement of the whole command 

 and gave directions for the forming of the line 

 of battle. The infantry, under the command 

 of Lieut.-Colonel Duff, were placed on the 

 right; the battery of flying artillery six 

 pieces. 12-pounders under Captain Edgar, in 

 the centre, with the cavalry and mounted troops 

 under Colonel H. E. McCulloch on the left. 

 The whole command, numbering some 1,500 

 troops of all arms, presenting a very fine ap- 

 pearance, with banners flying, drums beating, 

 sabres and bayonets glittering in the meridian 

 sun. horses pawing and neighing, the field 

 officers flying from one end of the field to 

 another, carrying the commands of their chief. 



Under a flag of truce, borne by Capts. Wil- 

 cox and Majors, a demand was made of an un- 

 conditional surrender of the United States 

 troops as prisoners of war, and five minutes 

 given to answer it. Col. Reeve would not agree 

 to the terms unless Col. Van Dorn would con- 

 vince him that he had sufficient strength to en- 

 force them, by permitting an officer of his com- 

 mand, whom he would designate, to see the 

 troops and report to him ; the prompt answer 

 returned was. that he should have that oppor- 

 tunity to see the troops, and the more he saw 

 of them the less he would like it. The officer 

 designated by Col. Reeve was Lieut. Bliss, 

 a young officer of distinguished bravery, well 

 known in the United States army, who mount- 

 ed a horse, rode down the line of Confederate 

 troops, and was repeatedly cheered. Suffice it 

 to say, on his report, Col. Reeve surrendered 

 with his command, together with all the public 

 property in his possession, unconditionally, as 

 prisoners of war, giving his word of honor that 

 he would report himself and command at Col. 

 Van Dora's camp on the Leon that evening at 

 6 o'clock. 



The Confederates then retired to camp, 

 where they arrived about 3 o'clock p. M. At 5 

 o'clock P. M. Col. Reeve's command arrived in 

 camp, and their ground being designated by 

 the proper officer, they pitched their tents as 

 orderly, and stacked their arms with as much 

 precision as if on inspection parade. Xex: 

 morning at 5 o'clock the infantry and cavalry 

 struck their tents and marched into San Anto- 

 nio, where they arrived in good condition at 6 

 o'clock. Col. Reeve's command marched to 



