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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.

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For nearly twelve hours the storm raged, and long after the wind had ceased to blow, the waves "mountains high." We had, perhaps, the best fleet of sea-going vessels, of any expedition which has left port during this war, and fears were entertained for the safety of only three or four light-draught steamers, which we were under the necessity of taking along—the Zephyr, Bagley, Union, etc. There was also great danger of the sinking of the schooners in tow, and it was not until this morning that we learned the full extent of the loss which the fleet had sustained. The Union and two schooners went down. The Zephyr had her machinery broken, and was taken in tow by the gunboat Owasco. The Bagley was compelled to run before the wind, and up to this morning it was feared that she had sunk, with all on board; but at an early hour we spoke the United States brig Bahia, off Aranzas Pass. She reported having spoke the Bagley last evening, and her captain requested the blockader to report to the flag-ship: "All's well; we shall remain at the rendezvous for instruction." This was glorious news, for, though three vessels have sunk, not a life has been lost nor a man injured. I may here state that it was arranged that, if a storm occurred, or if any of the steamers should by any means become separated from the fleet, they should assemble at a place appointed on the Texas coast, and there wait for orders.

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

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, tak ing 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.

The

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." captain then informed us that a few hours previous, he had picked up, forty miles off Pass Cavallo, a small boat with two deserters from the enemy, they having been at sea forty hours. The poor fellows were ordered to be sent on board the McClellan in a boat, but they were so weak and stiff from exposure, hunger, and the want of sleep as to be perfectly helpless, each requiring the assistance of two men. They stated that they be longed to company B, Eighth Texas infantry, but on the twenty-sixth of August, they, with eight others, were detailed to serve on board the John F. Carr, (rebel gunboat.) On Thursday night last, about nine o'clock, they saw a small boat lying between the gunboat and Fort Esperanze, and thinking this a good opportunity to desert, they entered it, rowed out to sea, and started for the mouth of Brazos River, where they learned were some of our blockaders; but a norther coming up, they were unable to manage the boat, and let her drift before the wind. All day Friday, through that terrible storm, all night, and up to ten o'clock on Saturday morning, they were driven in every direction in their frail boat, which could only be kept afloat by constant baling. They were thus exposed for about forty hours, and, as I before observed, without rest or a mouthful to eat. They were received by all on board the Empire City and McClellan with a 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.

When these men were able to converse, it was

discovered that they knew much that was of and a half fathoms, and a close examination was great importance to the generals commanding. made of the mouths of the Brazos and Boca They said that revolvers and powder in large Chica Passes. We then steamed slowly along quantities were manufactured at New-Browns- the shore, running in about five fathoms, when, ville, and that the former sold at two hundred once more joining the fleet, we headed for Brazos and fifty dollars each, rebel money. General Santiago bar, and anchored for the night about a Magruder, they say, is now at Houston. He has mile distant-sea running high, weather sultry. only two thousand troops (cavalry) there, the re- At an early hour this morning the bar was exmainder of his army being scattered about at amined, and casks laid down as buoys. Nine various places, the most being at Galveston and feet of water was found upon the bar, and once Sabine Pass. At the former city there is also a over, navigation was easy. We accordingly comregiment of heavy artillery. There is a formida- menced preparing to enter the harbor, and the ble fort near Brownsville, on the Rio Grande, light-draught steamer General Banks, with the called Fort Brown. Brigadier-General Bee is in Nineteenth Iowa on board, got under way, and command. Since receiving this news, I learn was soon rising and falling amid the foam of the from another party that General Bee has been huge breakers; but as she steamed gallantly on superseded, and Brigadier-General Slaughter ap- and crossed the bar in safety, the soldiers on pointed to the command. About the time we board gave three hearty cheers, which were heard picked up these men, we could see along the on the flag-ship and answered by the waving of Texas coast the sand-hills of Isla del Padre. The hats and handkerchiefs. She crossed the bar at distance, however, was very great, and even with precisely twelve o'clock noon, and from that mothe aid of a glass they looked dark, and resembled ment Texas was ours. The General's despatchtrees in appearance. As the sun was setting, we boat-the little steamer Drew-followed, and she approached nearer land, and though no human went capering along like a frisky young coquette habitation was seen, we were observed from the of sixteen, bounding over the bar like a cork. shore, as a column of dense smoke was seen to The Clinton, with the Thirteenth and Fifteenth rise from the sand-hills immediately in our front, Maine regiments on board, was the third to cross, instantly followed by a second and a third, and and it was her good fortune to be the first to though each of the latter rose far to our right, disembark her troops, the soldiers of the Fifthey were plainly visible from the steamer's deck. teenth Maine first touching Texas soil. The About seven o'clock, when the sun had disap- next moment, the flag of this regiment, followed, peared, and hills and sea were enveloped in dark-by that of the Nineteenth Iowa, was raised. ness, far as the eye could reach, a bright light was Thus the men from the extreme northern point seen, and a moment later the heavens were illu- of the Union were the first to raise the flag of minated by the answering signal-fires along the America over the soil of the extreme southern coast, reminding one of "Bonnie Scotland" in point, and finish the work so gloriously begun, feudal times, when the beacon-lights burst forth of planting the banner of freedom in the last in a blaze from every hill-top, calling to arms the State in rebellion, over which the Stars and clans of the numerous chiefs, or warning them Stripes have not waved for some time. 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.

Sunday was a bright and beautiful day, though the heavy swell was not very agreeable to those who had not yet recovered from sea-sickness, and many of the officers in consequence were in danger of throwing up their commissions. The flag-ship cruised around for several hours in search of the steamers which had lost the fleet in the night, and we approached within four miles of the mouth of the Rio Grande del Norte. To the left, in Mexican waters, I counted thirtyseven sail of blockade-runners; but could not 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 Mononga hela, 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

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 encamped there, throwing out pickets. No resistance whatever was offered, and no human beings have yet been seen on the island or elsewhere, if I except the repulse of two companies of cavalry by the guns of the T. A. Scott, Captain O'Brien, which anchored off the mouth of Boca Chica this morning, and opened upon the rebels who had attempted to cross. The same transport the night previous anchored off the mouth of the Rio Grande, and amused herself by keeping up an almost constant fire upon the Mexican vessels crossing and recrossing the river. The old salt was a few miles wrong in his reckoning; for he afterward stated that he

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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. The 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, suspicious-be placed on the bar, so that vessels could cross looking three-masted schooner, ten miles from in the night. While running a hawser from the Cavello. She proved to be the gunboat Kittatin- General Banks to the schooner, the boat capsized We took her for a prize, and she took us in the surf, and as she floated, bottom up, among for the Alabama. the breakers, every man succeeded in clinging to It has been said that the French occupy Met-it. This occurred about five o'clock. The Genamoras. This is not true. There are no French troops in the city.

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Tuesday, November 3.-This morning the remainder of the fleet joined us. They are the transports Bagley, Pocahontas, and Zephyr, and the war-vessels Monongahela and Owasco. The whole had been waiting nearly three days at the rendezvous. Several rebels have been discovered at work erecting a fort at Point Isabel. They have already two guns mounted, bearing in the direction of the fleet. Their case will be attended 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

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

eral Banks could not assist them, as she had no boat on board, but, steaming to the McClellan, the facts were communicated to Captain Gray, when a boat was lowered in an instant, and as she left the side of the vessel, Captain Gray said, "Give way, men, give way; do your duty;" to which the boatswain, Mr. Lewis, replied: “Ay, ay, sir; we'll not come back without them. Well, the gallant fellow kept his word, for every man was saved, though they had been in the water over two hours, and it was dark before the 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

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.

complete, but two or three regiments yet remaining upon steamers drawing too much water to go over the bar. They are being transferred on board schooners and light-draught boats as rapidly as possible, and before to-morrow night every 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 mystery, the work of transferring them from one boat to another outside the bar being considered im- large part of the public newspapers, upon the Disparaging remarks having appeared in a possible on account of the swell. The Peabody management of this affair, by Major-General yesterday morning approached as near the shore Washburn, I beg to call attention to the report as possible, when eight or ten were lowered into of that officer, to that of General Burbridge, the water in the hope that they would swim Colonel Guppy, Twenty-third Wisconsin volunashore, but as soon as they arrived at the break-teers, and the order of march of Major-General ers they became frightened, and more than half Franklin, by which it will be seen that General were drowned. If the sea subsides, the horses Washburne was at his prescribed post, with will be placed in slings and transferred in a few his command, on the morning of the attack, and the rear-guard, when attacked, were reënforced that it was owing to his zeal and diligence that promptly, and the enemy driven away discom

hours.

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 this war ever met with a single soldier in such a

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.

Fire 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.

The Fifteenth Maine, which was in the advance at 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.

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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 a view of being where they could be moved rapidly 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,

with the Bayou Cutableau. On the morning of compelled to give way before overwhelming the first instant, by order of Major-General numbers. Here it was that we lost most of our Franklin, the troops of the Third division were men in killed and wounded. The Twenty-third ordered to march and encamp at Carrion Crow Wisconsin, Colonel Guppy commanding, NinetyBayou, while General Burbridge, with the troops sixth Ohio, Lieutenant-Colonel Brown commandunder his command, was ordered to march down ing, and Sixtieth Indiana, commanded by Capthe Teche and cross it, and move by way of tain Gatzler, and Seventeenth Ohio battery, "Grand Coteau," where the road from Vermil- Captain Rice commanding, fought with the greatlion to Opelousas crosses Muddy Bayou, about est desperation, holding the enemy in check for three miles from Carrion Crow Bayou, in the di-a considerable length of time, but for which our rection of Opelousas, and go into camp there on entire train, with our artillery, would have been the north side of the bayou. Colonel Fonda, captured. As it was, General Burbridge was with about five hundred mounted infantry, was enabled to bring off every wagon, and all Govalso ordered to encamp near him. The troops ernment property, with the exception of one tenall moved and went into camp as ordered. The pounder Parrott gun, which was captured just Nineteenth corps on the same day moved back as it was crossing the bayou, the horses having to Carrion Crow Bayou, and on the following been shot. The bringing off of the section of day to Vermillionville, leaving the Third and First Nimms's battery, commanded by Lieutenant Marbrigades of the Fourth division of the Thirteenth land, after the regiment sent to its support had corps, to hold the positions before named. The surrendered, extorted the admiration of every beposition of the troops, on the morning of the third holder. While the fight was proceeding, the instant, was then as follows: Brigadier-General Third division came up on a double-quick, but Burbridge, with one brigade of the Fourth division, by the time they had reached the middle of the about one thousand two hundred strong, with one prairie, and one and a half miles from the scene six-gun battery of ten-pounder Parrotts, and Colo- of action, General Burbridge's command had nel Fonda, with about five hundred mounted infan- been driven entirely out of the woods, while the try and a section o fNimms's battery, on the north rebel cavalry, in great force, charged through the side of Muddy Bayou; and the Third division, narrow belt of timber on the left, and were comGeneral McGinnis commanding, three thousanding down on his rear. By this time, the Third divistrong, with one battery, at Carrion Crow Bayou, three miles in the rear of General Burbridge. The two bayous before named run, in an easterly direction, nearly parallel with each other, and along the stream there is a belt of timber about a hundred and fifty yards in width, while between the two is smooth level prairie. To the right of General Burbridge's position was an extensive and dense tract of woods, while on his front and left the country was high open prairie. About nine o'clock in the morning of the third, I received a note from General Burbridge, saying that the enemy had shown himself in some force. I immediately ordered out the Third division, and just as I got them into line, I received another note from General Burbridge, saying that the enemy had entirely disappeared. Ordering the division to remain under arms, I rode rapidly to the front, and learning from General Burbridge and Colonel Fonda that all was quiet, and that such troops of the enemy as had shown themselves had all fallen back, I started to return to my headquarters, near the Third division. When I had arrived at about midway between the two camps, I heard a rapid cannonade. Sending two members of my staff to the rear, to bring up the Third division, I rode back to the front, and crossing the bayou, and passing through the timber to the open ground, I soon discovered that we were assailed with terrible energy, by an overwhelming force, in front and on both flanks. Many of the troops had broken and were scattered over the ield, and the utter destruction or capture of the whole force seemed imminent.

The attack on the right through the woods was made by infantry, and though our troops fought most gallantly on that wing, they were

sion had come within range, formed in line, and commenced shelling them, which immediately checked their further advance, while General Burbridge, who had again got his guns into position, opened a raking cross-fire upon them, when the whole force of the enemy retreated to the cover of the woods. Our whole force was deployed in line of battle, and moved as rapidly as possible through the woods, driving the enemy out of it, who retreated rapidly. I moved the troops up on their line of retreat about one and one half miles, while the cavalry pursued about three miles; my men having been brought up at a double-quick, were very much exhausted, and it was not possible to pursue farther. Our losses are twenty-six killed, one hundred and twentyfour wounded, and five hundred and sixty-six missing. The loss of the enemy in killed was about sixty; number of wounded not known, as they carried all but twelve off the ground; but wounded officers, who were taken prisoners, represent the number of wounded as being very large. We took sixty-five prisoners.

The

Brigadier-General McGinnis, being very ill, was not able to be on the field. The troops of the division behaved admirably under the command of Brigadier-General Cameron, of the First, and Colonel Slack, of the Second brigade. action of General Burbridge was gallant and judicious, from the time I first saw him until the close of the engagement. The conduct of the Sixty-seventh regiment Indiana infantry was inexplicable, and their surrender can only be attributed to the incompetency or cowardice of the commanding officer. They had not a single man killed. Our mounted force, under Colonels Fonda and Robinson, though very small, be

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