[
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Gulf operations in 1862 and 1863.1
The regular monotony of the blockade of
Mobile by the West Gulf squadron was interrupted only by the two successful passages of the
Oreto or
Florida, under
Commander J. N. Maffitt, C. S. N., past the blockading squadron, inward on the 4th of September, 1862, and outward on the 16th of January, 1863.
The first passage was made in broad daylight, under the disguise of an English gun-vessel, at a time when the
Oreto was short-handed, the captain and crew ill, and the battery incapable of resistance.
As a bold dash, it was hardly paralleled during the war. The second passage was made at night, without disguise, after the squadron had received full warning, and had been reenforced specially to capture the cruiser.
On the
Texas coast the blockade was only of moderate efficiency, and in the summer of 1862
Farragut determined to convert it at the principal points into an occupation.
With this object, he sent out three expeditions.
The first, under
Acting-Lieutenant J. W. Kittredge, successfully attacked
Corpus Christi August 16th-18th, but having no troops to hold the place withdrew to the bay. The second expedition, composed of the
Kensington and
Rachel Seaman, under
Acting-Master Frederick Crocker, was sent in September to
Sabine Pass, a point of great importance in blockade-running operations on account of the neighboring railroad, and at that time under purely formal blockade.
Crocker ascended the river, captured the fort at
Sabine City, destroyed the railroad bridge, and broke up a Confederate camp.
Raids in the passes resulted in the capture of the steamer
Dan and the schooner
Velocity, which were left with the
Rachel Seaman to maintain the blockade.
The third and most important expedition, under
Commander W. B. Renshaw, composed of the ferry-boats
Westfield and
Clifton, the latter under
Lieutenant-Commander R. L. Law; the
Harriet Lane,
Commander J. M. Wainwright, and the
Owasco,
Lieutenant-Commander John Guest, took possession of
Galveston in October without a conflict.
Colonel Burrell, with only 260 men, was sent — to hold the town.
The flotilla, which carried a heavy armament, was disposed about the harbor and bay, and held the town for two months, but without proper precautions against attack.
At daybreak on the 1st of January, 1863,
General Magruder, commanding the Confederate forces in
Texas, made a vigorous attack on the city.
The bridge by which alone troops could march to the town, and which might easily have been destroyed, was left unguarded.
The Confederates, early in the night, planted batteries unobserved just out-side the town, and abreast of the
Harriet Lane, which lay in a narrow channel near the shore.
A little farther to the eastward, abreast of the town, were the gun-boat
Sachem and the yacht
Corypheus.
A mile farther down the bay were the
Clifton and
Owasco, and two miles away the
Westfield,
Renshaw's vessel.
The enemy had two cotton-clad steamers, the
Bayou City and
Neptune, the first carrying a rifled 32-pounder, and the second two howitzers.
Each had from 150 to 200 sharp-shooters.
Of the vessels the
Harriet Lane bore the brunt of the attack, the
Owasco being the only one of her consorts that lent any assistance.
The
Bayou City's rifle burst at the third fire, and the
Neptune stove in her bow in an attempt to ram, and sank on the flats.
The
Bayou City then ran alongside the
Harriet Lane and opened a withering musketry fire from behind the cotton-bales, in which
Commander Wainwright was killed and his first-lieutenant,
Lea, mortally wounded.
The Confederates then carried the
Lane by boarding, the officer in command surrendering without serious attempt at resistance.
Hostilities were now suspended awaiting an answer from
Renshaw to the demand for a surrender of all the vessels.
The
Clifton carried this message to the
Westfield, and took back
Renshaw's refusal, after which she executed her orders, which were to take the vessels out of the harbor.
Meantime the enemy had moved up their lines.
Burrell surrendered the town, and the
Westfield, getting aground, was set on fire at
Renshaw's order, and blew up prematurely, killing
Renshaw and several of his men. Law, of the
Clifton, now the
senior officer, immediately steamed away, and the blockade was raised.
(See also pp. 586-7.)
On the 8th the blockade was resumed by
Commodore Bell, with the
Brooklyn,
Hatteras, and several gun-boats.
On the 11th the
Hatteras was sent after the
Alabama, supposed to be a blockade-runner.
The
Alabama, after drawing the
Hatteras away from her consorts, sank her in a fifteen-minute fight.
On the 21st of January the blockading force at
Sabine Pass, composed of the sailing-ship
Morning Light, and the schooner
Velocity, was attacked by two cotton-clad steamers, and, being unable to manoeuvre, surrendered.
The blockade was resumed the next day by the
New London and
Cayuga.
After the fall of
Port Hudson,
General Banks took up the question of
Texas.
His first plan was to land at
Sabine Pass and strike the railroad.
The expedition was composed of troops under
Franklin, and the
Clifton,
Sachem,
Granite City, and
Arizona under
Lieutenant Crocker.
On the 8th of September the gun-boats moved up the pass to attack the enemy's fort.
The
Clifton ran ashore, and soon after got a shot in her boiler.
The
Sachem's boiler also was penetrated, and both vessels surrendered after heavy loss.
The remainder retreated.
Banks now decided to attack
Texas near the
Rio Grande, and his troops, escorted by the
Monongahela and other vessels under
Commander J. H. Strong, landed at
Brazos November 2d.
Brownsville,
Corpus Christi,
Aransas, and
Fort Esperanza at Pass
Cavallo, were captured, but owing to the lack of troops to hold the various points, no further operations were attempted.