Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 24.djvu/317

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[From the Dallas, Texas, A>WJ, December. 1*96.]

LAST BATTLE OF THE WAR.

It Was Fought on the Rio Grande in Texas.

The Last Volley of the War Said to Have Been Fired by the Black

Boys in Blue.

In the November, 1896, issue of the Confederate Veteran, W. J. SlattiT givrs an interesting and well-written article on the battle of West Point, Ga., which occurred April 16, 1865, and which he says was ' ' really the last battle of the war between regularly organized forces." With all due respect to the brave heroes of that battle, history does not bear the writer out in the fact that the West Point battle was the last battle of the war. The last battle of the war between regularly organized forces was fought in Texas May 13, 1865, and called "the battle of Palmetto Ranch," near the city of Brownsville, Texas, on the Rio Grande. This battle was fought between the 3d Brigade, ist Division, 25th Army Corps, United Suites Troops, commanded by Colonel Theodore H. Barrett, of the 62d United States Colored Troops, and the Southern Division, of the Western sub-district of Texas, commanded by Brigadier-General James E. Slaughter, C. S. A. The United States troops actually engaged were as follows: 34th Indiana Veteran Volunteers (Morton Rifles) Infantry, under Lieutenant-Colonel Robert G. Morrison; 62d United States Troops, under Lieutenant-Colonel David Branson; 2cl United States Texas Cavalry (not mounted), Lieutenant James W. Hancock. Colonel Barrett, in his official report Vol. 48, Part i, p.ige 266, Official Reports, Union and Confederate Armies says the above regiments were engaged and under him, but fails to give the whole number of his troops engaged, while Colonel John S. Ford and Captain W. H. D. Carrington, Confederate officers and both participants in the battle, say the Federal force was between i, 600 and 1,700 strong.

From Lieutenant-Colonel David Branson's report, page 267, same official report mentioned above, I draw this fact, that at least 250 men of the 62d United States, fifty-two men of the 2d United States Texas, and 200 men of 34th Indiana Regiments were actually en-