The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 35, July 1931 - April, 1932 Page: 114
348 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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southwestern Historical Quarterly
Riding at the docks or at anchor on New Year's Eve, 1862-3,
the Harriet Lane and her consorts suffered a reverse at dawn
which "fired the Southern heart" and sent a wave of fear and
shame throughout the Federal Navy. Even rugged old Farragut
was perhaps unbalanced for the first and only time in his life-
if we except the torpedo scare in Mobile Bay a year later.
While not wishing to go into the New Year's Day episode it
will be of interest to read a few paragraphs from General
Magruder's report to his Richmond superiors. He wrote:
The enemy's fleet lying in the waters of Galveston consisted of
the Harriet Lane, carrying four heavy guns and two 24-pound
howitzers, commanded by Captain Wainwright, U. S. Navy; the
Westfield, flagship of Commodore Renshaw, a large propeller,
mounting eight heavy guns; the Owasco, a similar ship to the
Westfield, mounting eight heavy guns; the Clifton, a steam pro-
peller, four heavy guns; two armed transports, two large barks,
and an armed schooner. The enemy's land forces were stationed
at the end of the wharf, and were crowded into two large build-
ings immediately under the guns of the steamships. The ap-
proaches landward to this position were impeded by two lines of
strong barracades, and communication with the shore was de-
stroyed by the removal of portions of the wharf in front of the
barracades. It thus became necessary for our storming parties
to advance by wading through the water and to enable them to
mount on the end of the wharf, 50 scaling ladders were con-
structed. .
To attain the object in view I had at my disposal 6 siege
pieces, the heaviest weighing 5,400 pounds. I also caused to be
constructed a railroad ram, armed with an VIII-inch Dahlgren
and mounted on a railway flat. This flat and gun were carried
by railway to a point within a few hundred yards of the Harriet
Lane. A large quantity of cotton was transported in the same
way with the view of using it in the making of a breastwork for
this gun should we not succeed in our object before daylight.
In addition I had 14 fieldpieces, some of them rifled and some
smoothbore. . .
Leading the center assault in person, I approached within two
squares of the wharves, at which point I directed the horses of
the field pieces to be removed. . . . After allowing the elapse
of what proved to be ample time for Captain Fontaine to reach
and occupy his more distant position, the guns were placed.
It having been agreed that the fire of the center gun
should furnish signal for a general attack, I proceeded to carry
out this position of the plan by discharging the piece myself.114
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 35, July 1931 - April, 1932, periodical, 1932; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101092/m1/118/: accessed May 3, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.