Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 12.djvu/562

 552 Southern Historical Society Papers.

the foot of streets leading to the bay, and on the ist of January, 1863, at day-break, General Magruder pointed and fired the first gun. In less than two minutes the Federal gunboats opened their fire, which, in a short tine, silenced that of our artillery, over which they had the advantage in metal. Several of our gunners were mangled or killed at their pieces, which had to be withdrawn. Our troops were sorely disappointed at what they considered a failure ; not so General Magruder, whose only object in attacking by land was to divert the enemy's attention from the attack by water.

Our brave little crafts, upon hearing the discharges of artillery, has- tened to join in the fight, and singled out the " Harriet Lane," which was the nearest ship to them. The "Bayou City," in the lead, missed her aim and glided along the ship's side; the "Neptune," fol- lowing close by, with a full head of steam, struck the ship, but crip- pled herself and backed off to sink in shallow water. The " Bayou City," returning to the attack, entangled herself in one of the wheel- houses of the "Harriet Lane," holding her fast, while General Green's men opened a galling musketry fire upon the ship's crew, with their knives cut her boarding net, boarded her and compelled the crew to seek shelter below, while one of the Federal officers hoisted the flag of truce in sign of surrender. The other Federal gunboats, unaccountably to us, hoisted the white flag too, and under it, two of them fled out of sight in the gulf; a third ship, stranding in her flight, was blown up by her commander, who lost his life in the act. Finally, the Federal infantry quartered on the wharf surren- dered. This brilliant, but bloody engagement was over in less than two hours.

Revilers were not wanting who called this victory a scratch ; but they were soon silenced by the success of a scheme of the same kind, planned by the General, to drive ofl" the Federals from Sabine Lake. On both occasions the General relied upon the confusion created among the enemy's ships by the unexpected appearance in their waters of strange looking crafts boldly steaming down to them.

General Magruder's success far exceeded public expectation, and for a time he was the idol of the people of Texas. But States as well as Republics are ungrateful. Brave, generous, warm-hearted Magruder died at Houston in want and almost friendless. Much was said and written, but nothing done towards erecting a monument to him. His body was interred in the burial ground of the Hadley family, his friends in life and in death ; but several citizens of Galveston, in an evanescent fit of gratitude, claiming the honor of possessing his re-