Tenth. No person who is or has been engaged ORDERED BY THE PRESIDENT, That the Chief in the rebellion against the Government of the of the Bureau for the Organization of Colored United States, or who in any way has or shall Troops shall establish recruiting stations at con- give aid or comfort to the enemies of the Governvenient places within said States, and give pub-ment, shall be permitted to present any claim or lic notice thereof, and be governed by the following regulations:

Doc. 6.

THE TEXAN EXPEDITION.

A NATIONAL ACCOUNT.

FLAG-SHIP MCCLELLAN,

OFF BRAZOS DE SANTIAGO, TEXAS, Nov. 2, 1863. [ AGAIN an army of American soldiers is on Texas soil, and once more in the neighborhood! of the almost sacred battle-fields of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma.

The following account of the expedition from the time it left South-West Pass to the successful landing of troops on the Texan coast, at Brazos de Santiago, nine miles from the mouth of the Rio Grande del Norte, will be read with interest by all.

An expedition was fitted out at New-Orleans under the command of Major-General Dana. General Banks and staff also accompanied it.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, all went well, the vessels keeping in line at their proper distances; weather fine, sea a little rough.

On Friday morning, October thirtieth, at half past four o'clock, there was a sudden and great change. The weather, up to this time, (night and day,) had been uncomfortably hot, but at the hour mentioned a "heavy norther" struck us; the fleet could no longer be kept together, many vessels being compelled to separate and run before the wind, which soon blew a gale. The weather all day was bitter cold.

lieutenant on board. In towing the steamship Empire City, she proved so heavy that she strained the upper works of the Union to such an extent as to cause her to leak badly. About eleven o'clock on Friday night, Captain Baxter was hailed by Captain Mayhood, who reported that the Union was sinking. The former immediately ordered a boat to be lowered and manned, Mr. Ward, the second mate of the Empire City, taking charge of her. This, with the life-boat from the Union, rescued the crew and negroes, and all were saved before the steamer sank, though many of the latter were so overcome by fear that they were unable to spring into the boats as they approached the side of the vessel, and to save them from going down with her it was found necessary to throw them overboard, and trust to those in the boats to pick them up. Five trips were made to the sinking steamer, by Mr. Ward and the boats' crews of the Empire City. Captain Baxter and his gallant fellows deserve great praise for their coolness, bravery, and perseverance in this trying hour. The Union was a light-draught steamer, of about one hundred and fifty tons burden, between eight and nine years old, and was worth probably about seven thousand dollars.

Nothing of further interest occurred up to four o'clock P.M. At that hour we again spoke the Empire City, she having been absent from the fleet several hours. She answered to our inquiry if all were well on board: "All well, sir." The For nearly twelve hours the storm raged, and captain then informed us that a few hours prelong after the wind had ceased to blow, the waves vious, he had picked up, forty miles off Pass Caran "mountains high." We had, perhaps, the vallo, a small boat with two deserters from the best fleet of sea-going vessels, of any expedition enemy, they having been at sea forty hours. The which has left port during this war, and fears poor fellows were ordered to be sent on board the were entertained for the safety of only three or McClellan in a boat, but they were so weak and four light-draught steamers, which we were under stiff from exposure, hunger, and the want of sleep the necessity of taking along-the Zephyr, Bagley, as to be perfectly helpless, each requiring the asUnion, etc. There was also great danger of the sistance of two men. They stated that they be sinking of the schooners in tow, and it was not longed to company B, Eighth Texas infantry, but until this morning that we learned the full extent on the twenty-sixth of August, they, with eight of the loss which the fleet had sustained. The others, were detailed to serve on board the John Union and two schooners went down. The Zephyr F. Carr, (rebel gunboat.) On Thursday night had her machinery broken, and was taken in tow last, about nine o'clock, they saw a small boat by the gunboat Owasco. The Bagley was com- lying between the gunboat and Fort Esperanze, pelled to run before the wind, and up to this morn- and thinking this a good opportunity to desert, ing it was feared that she had sunk, with all on they entered it, rowed out to sea, and started for board; but at an early hour we spoke the United the mouth of Brazos River, where they learned States brig Bahia, off Aranzas Pass. She report- were some of our blockaders; but a norther comed having spoke the Bagley last evening, and her ing up, they were unable to manage the boat, captain requested the blockader to report to the and let her drift before the wind. All day Friflag-ship: "All's well; we shall remain at the day, through that terrible storm, all night, and rendezvous for instruction." This was glorious up to ten o'clock on Saturday morning, they were news, for, though three vessels have sunk, not a driven in every direction in their frail boat, which life has been lost nor a man injured. I may here could only be kept afloat by constant baling. state that it was arranged that, if a storm oc- They were thus exposed for about forty hours, curred, or if any of the steamers should by any and, as I before observed, without rest or a means become separated from the fleet, they mouthful to eat. They were received by all on should assemble at a place appointed on the board the Empire City and McClellan with a Texas coast, and there wait for orders. hearty welcome, and several of the staff-officers offered the poor, ragged, and barefooted deserters their beds, and furnished them with food and drink, both of which they were sadly in need of.

The steamer Union, Captain Mayhood, sunk between seven and eight o'clock on Saturday morning. In addition to the crew, there were forty-six negroes of the Corps d'Afrique and one

When these men were able to converse, it was

discovered that they knew much that was of great importance to the generals commanding. They said that revolvers and powder in large quantities were manufactured at New-Brownsville, and that the former sold at two hundred and fifty dollars each, rebel money. General Magruder, they say, is now at Houston. He has only two thousand troops (cavalry) there, the remainder of his army being scattered about at various places, the most being at Galveston and Sabine Pass. At the former city there is also a regiment of heavy artillery. There is a formidable fort near Brownsville, on the Rio Grande, called Fort Brown. Brigadier-General Bee is in command. Since receiving this news, I learn from another party that General Bee has been superseded, and Brigadier-General Slaughter appointed to the command. About the time we picked up these men, we could see along the Texas coast the sand-hills of Isla del Padre. The distance, however, was very great, and even with the aid of a glass they looked dark, and resembled trees in appearance. As the sun was setting, we approached nearer land, and though no human habitation was seen, we were observed from the shore, as a column of dense smoke was seen to rise from the sand-hills immediately in our front, instantly followed by a second and a third, and though each of the latter rose far to our right, they were plainly visible from the steamer's deck. About seven o'clock, when the sun had disappeared, and hills and sea were enveloped in darkness, far as the eye could reach, a bright light was seen, and a moment later the heavens were illuminated by the answering signal-fires along the coast, reminding one of "Bonnie Scotland" in feudal times, when the beacon-lights burst forth in a blaze from every hill-top, calling to arms the clans of the numerous chiefs, or warning them of threatened danger. I have no hesitation whatever in saying that in less than one hour the whole South was startled with the news of our arrival off the mouth of the Rio Grande.

and a half fathoms, and a close examination was made of the mouths of the Brazos and Boca Chica Passes. We then steamed slowly along the shore, running in about five fathoms, when, once more joining the fleet, we headed for Brazos Santiago bar, and anchored for the night about a mile distant-sea running high, weather sultry. At an early hour this morning the bar was examined, and casks laid down as buoys. Nine feet of water was found upon the bar, and once over, navigation was easy. We accordingly commenced preparing to enter the harbor, and the light-draught steamer General Banks, with the Nineteenth Iowa on board, got under way, and was soon rising and falling amid the foam of the huge breakers; but as she steamed gallantly on and crossed the bar in safety, the soldiers on board gave three hearty cheers, which were heard on the flag-ship and answered by the waving of hats and handkerchiefs. She crossed the bar at precisely twelve o'clock noon, and from that moment Texas was ours. The General's despatchboat-the little steamer Drew-followed, and she went capering along like a frisky young coquette of sixteen, bounding over the bar like a cork. The Clinton, with the Thirteenth and Fifteenth Maine regiments on board, was the third to cross, and it was her good fortune to be the first to disembark her troops, the soldiers of the Fif teenth Maine first touching Texas soil. The next moment, the flag of this regiment, followed by that of the Nineteenth Iowa, was raised. Thus the men from the extreme northern point of the Union were the first to raise the flag of America over the soil of the extreme southern point, and finish the work so gloriously begun, of planting the banner of freedom in the last State in rebellion, over which the Stars and Stripes have not waved for some time.

The same

On landing on Brazos Island, the Fifteenth Maine, Colonel Dwyer, accompanied by Major Von Hermann, of General Banks's staff, started for Boca Chica, took possession of the Pass, and Sunday was a bright and beautiful day, though encamped there, throwing out pickets. No rethe heavy swell was not very agreeable to those sistance whatever was offered, and no human who had not yet recovered from sea-sickness, and beings have yet been seen on the island or elsemany of the officers in consequence were in where, if I except the repulse of two companies danger of throwing up their commissions. The of cavalry by the guns of the T. A. Scott, Capflag-ship cruised around for several hours in tain O'Brien, which anchored off the mouth of search of the steamers which had lost the fleet Boca Chica this morning, and opened upon the in the night, and we approached within four rebels who had attempted to cross. miles of the mouth of the Rio Grande del Norte. | transport the night previous anchored off the To the left, in Mexican waters, I counted thirty-mouth of the Rio Grande, and amused herself by seven sail of blockade-runners; but could not keeping up an almost constant fire upon the see a single steamer, though toward evening an officer from one of the gunboats reported that later in the day a French man-of-war and another steamer were with the fleet of blockaderunners. The Leviathan had assisted the McClellan in searching for the missing vessels of the fleet, and at three o'clock in the afternoon the whole, with the exception of the Monongahela, Owasco, (the latter having the Zephyr in tow,) the Pocahontas, and the Bagley, were together and lying opposite Brazos Santiago. The McClellan approached close in shore, in three

Mexican vessels crossing and recrossing the river. The old salt was a few miles wrong in his reckoning; for he afterward stated that he "thought he was peppering away at the damned rebels in Boca Chica instead of the harmless Mexicans on the Rio Grande," so that we shall probably have to make an apology for the slight mistake of firing upon their vessels while engaged in a contraband trade with the rebels on the Texan shore.

Those of your readers who have ever visited Ship Island can have a good idea of this barren,

hela and Owasco, with the transport Scott-the latter with troops on board started for the mouth of the Rio Grande on a reconnoissance, for the purpose of landing soldiers on the Texas shore. Captain J. S. Crosby, of General Banks's staff, Captain Griffin, (fleet-captain,) and Captain Strong, of the Monongahela, entered a small boat and reconnoitred the Texas coast. Finding all clear, with no enemy in sight, the order for disembarking the troops was given. The boats of the three steamers were at once lowered, making nine in all. One hundred and forty soldiers then entered them, each man being armed. After the sailors (sixty) had taken charge of the boats, they started for the shore, but in crossing the bar four were capsized, and seven soldiers and two of the crew of the Owasco were drowned. One of the boats, after returning from landing her men, succeeded in picking up a large number of those in the water, and the Mexican shore being much nearer than the other, the bow of the boat was turned toward it; but the Mexicans would not allow it to land, and the boat was compelled to cross the river to the Texas side, where all were placed safely on shore. The landing of the troops in the other boats was effected without difficulty, and during the whole time not an armed rebel was seen. None of the boats of the Monongahela were capsized.

inhospitable shore. Brazos, as well as all the islands along the Texan coast, is a sandy desert. One house (deserted) stands to our right, and a mile or so farther toward the interior are two lighthouses, one on each side. Charred ruins show that three dwellings were destroyed by fire some time ago. Nothing but the chimneys remain standing. The foundations of the buildings used by General Taylor for stores can yet be seen; but no other vestige remains. Sand and sand-hills meet the eye in every direction, and for miles there is no covering from the rays of the burning sun by day, nor the heavy, chilly dews by night. Four wells were discovered by our soldiers, but the water is brackish and unpalatable. Around these were collected from thirty to forty head of poor cattle. They were suffering terribly from thirst, and drank with avidity the miserable water that our men gave to them from the wells. The few inhabitants who lived on this desert probably fled as soon as our fleet anchored off the shore; for, as I have before stated, not a human being was to be seen. This morning, the Exact, one of the transports of the fleet, was discovered by the gunboat Virginia while cruising, about twenty miles from the mouth of the Rio Grande. Thinking her to be a blockade-runner, she gave chase, the Exact running from her as if attempting to escape. The Virginia, however, approached her rapidly, One of the schooners belonging to the fleet and fired a gun across her bow. This brought drifted from the channel and struck on the bar off the supposed prize to; but on the Virginia hail- Brazos Santiago. A boat's crew was immediately ing, "What steamer's that?" was rather disap-sent to her assistance from the McClellan. pointed when the answer was given, "The Exact, of the transport fleet;" for by this time she had discovered that she was being chased by one of our own war-vessels. Each took the other for an enemy. A similar mistake to this occurred on the evening of the storm. About seven o'clock the McClellan hailed a dark-painted, suspiciouslooking three-masted schooner, ten miles from Cavello. She proved to be the gunboat Kittatinny. We took her for a prize, and she took us for the Alabama.

The

executive officer, Mr. Comstock, was in charge, Captain Phillips, coast pilot, Mr. McHood, Master of Transportation, and Mr. Harvey, Quartermaster of the McClellan, were also in the boat, together with five sailors. Besides rescuing the schooner, it was intended that range lights should be placed on the bar, so that vessels could cross in the night. While running a hawser from the General Banks to the schooner, the boat capsized in the surf, and as she floated, bottom up, among the breakers, every man succeeded in clinging to

It has been said that the French occupy Met-it. amoras. This is not true. There are no French troops in the city.

This occurred about five o'clock. The General Banks could not assist them, as she had no boat on board, but, steaming to the McClellan, Tuesday, November 3.-This morning the re- the facts were communicated to Captain Gray, mainder of the fleet joined us. They are the when a boat was lowered in an instant, and as transports Bagley, Pocahontas, and Zephyr, and she left the side of the vessel, Captain Gray said, the war-vessels Monongahela and Owasco. The "Give way, men, give way; do your duty;" to whole had been waiting nearly three days at the which the boatswain, Mr. Lewis, replied: Ay, rendezvous. Several rebels have been discovered ay, sir; we'll not come back without them." at work erecting a fort at Point Isabel. They Well, the gallant fellow kept his word, for every have already two guns mounted, bearing in the man was saved, though they had been in the direction of the fleet. Their case will be attend-water over two hours, and it was dark before the ed to. On Thursday last the Monongahela and the McClellan chased a schooner for several hours, but were unable to come up with her. She was believed to have been a blockade-runner. One of the transports which arrived here this morning reports having spoken the schooner. She proved to have been a prize to the Granite City at the time that we were pursuing her. She had nearly five hundred bales of cotton on board. About one o'clock P.M., the gunboats Mononga

boat reached them. While relating this, I must not forget to do justice to the Virginia's boat's crew, who have been stationed constantly on board the McClellan. Master's Mate Rogers immediately manned his boat, and also started to their assistance. On the arrival of the fleet off Brazos Santiago, Mr. Comstock and Captain Phillips volunteered their services for the purpose of sounding the bar.

The work of disembarking the troops is nearly

complete, but two or three regiments yet remain-
ing upon steamers drawing too much water to
go over the bar. They are being transferred on
board schooners and light-draught boats as rap-
idly as possible, and before to-morrow night ev-
ery man will be ashore. We have had great
trouble with the horses, and a large number yet
remain upon the steamers. Those which were
upon the light-draught vessels were disembarked
on Brazos Island without difficulty; but how to
get those safely ashore on the others is a mys-
tery, the work of transferring them from one boat
to another outside the bar being considered im-
possible on account of the swell. The Peabody
yesterday morning approached as near the shore
as possible, when eight or ten were lowered into
the water in the hope that they would swim
ashore, but as soon as they arrived at the break-
ers they became frightened, and more than half
were drowned.
If the sea subsides, the horses
will be placed in slings and transferred in a few

hours.

Doc. 7.

BATTLE OF GRAND COTEAU, LA.*

MAJOR-GENERAL ORD'S REPORT.

HEADQUARTERS THIRTEENTH ARMY CORPS, NEW-ORLEANS, LA., January 18, 1864.

Brigadier-General L. Thomas, Adjutant-General U. S. A., Washington, D. C.:

SIR: I have the honor to inclose sub-reports, just received, of the affair at Bayou Bourbeaux, of November third, 1863.

large part of the public newspapers, upon the Disparaging remarks having appeared in a management of this affair, by Major-General Washburn, I beg to call attention to the report of that officer, to that of General Burbridge, Colonel Guppy, Twenty-third Wisconsin volunteers, and the order of march of Major-General Washburne was at his prescribed post, with Franklin, by which it will be seen that General his command, on the morning of the attack, and that it was owing to his zeal and diligence that

the rear-guard, when attacked, were reënforced promptly, and the enemy driven away discom

fited.

Wednesday, November 4.-The troops are all safely disembarked. The men are in excellent health and spirits, and, though ready to meet the enemy when called upon, I must say that they are not "dying" for a fight; nor have I during Washburne reports guilty of conduct attributathis war ever met with a single soldier in such able to cowardice or incompetence, will be brought

lamentable situation.

The horses are being slowly transferred from one steamer to another, the motion of the sea outside the bar rendering it both difficult and dangerous. We have had fine weather the last three or four days. This is necessary, as, if a storm of long duration had occurred, nearly all the horses on the steamers drawing more than nine feet must have perished.

Five o'clock P.M.-We have just received official news of the greatest importance.

The government buildings at Fort Brown were burned to the ground yesterday by the rebel garrison, preparatory to their evacuating the Fort.

From the same source we learned that about this time (three o'clock on Tuesday afternoon) a squad of sixty rebel cavalry, which had witnessed the landing of the soldiers under the guns of the Monongahela, at the mouth of the Rio Grande, dashed into Brownsville and commenced setting fire to the buildings, with the intention of destroying the town. The property-holders and Union men resisted them, when the secessionists joined the cavalry, and a bloody streetfight took place, which lasted all the afternoon, the buildings burning in every direction around them. The fight was still going on when the messenger left for the purpose of communicating the news to the General Commanding.

Lieutenant-Colonel Buhler, whom General

before a commission for examination for competency, as soon as he joins the corps. He is at present (I am unofficially informed) at a camp of paroled or exchanged prisoners, somewhere in this Department.

ant,

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient serv
E. O. C. ORD,
Major-General Vols., Commanding Thirteenth Army Corps.
Official Copy.

C. A. NICHOLS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

GENERAL WASHBURN'S REPORT.
HEADQUARTERS DETACHMENT THIRTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
VERMILLION BRIDGE, November 7, 1863.

Major William Hoffman, Assistant Adjutant-
General:

MAJOR: I inclose herewith report of BrigadierGeneral Burbridge, in regard to the battle of "Grand Coteau," on the third instant. Also of Lieutenant-Colonel Robinson, commanding Second Louisiana cavalry, and statements of Captain Simms, Sixty-seventh Indiana, and Lieutenant Gorman, Second Louisiana cavalry, who were wounded and taken prisoners, but who were supposed to be privates, and were delivered over, under a flag of truce, with other wounded. On the twenty-seventh instant, the First division of this corps, under Brigadier-General Lawler, moved from Opelousas back to New-Iberia, with The Fifteenth Maine, which was in the advance a view of being where they could be moved rapat the time, at once received orders to march without delay, and by daylight to-morrow morning, this regiment, with others in supporting distance, will be in Brownsville.

idly to Brashear City, should circumstances require it. That left at Opelousas the Third division, under General McKinnis, and one brigade of the Fourth division, under General Burbridge, at Barras Landing, eight miles east of Opelousas, and east of the Bayou Teche, near its juncture

* Also known as the battle of Bayou Bourbeaux,