Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 24.djvu/318

 310 Southern Hixl<>i-'n-<il Nor/,/// Papers.

gaged, making 500, though from Colonel Barrett's report I would draw the fact that the 200 men detached and mentioned above by Branson were driven or had retired to a hill were the 34th Indiana had already taken position, leaving the impression that the entire 34th Indiana Regiment was in the fight. Colonel Ford, I think, was about correct in the number of troops engaged on the Federal side.

Confederate States Army troops under Slaughter engaged: Bena- vides' Regiment, five companies cavalry, Colonel John S. Ford; Carter's Battalion, three companies, Captain W. H. D. Carrington; Giddings' Battalion, six companies, Captain William Robinson; Jones' Light Battery, Captain O. G. Jones; Wilson's Cavalry, one company (unattached), Captain T. R. Wilson; Cocke's Cavalry, one company (unattached), Captain J. B. (?) Cocke.

If these companies were full, there would be about 1,500 men, but Captain Carrington, in his report of the battle, says that on May i, 1865, there were about 500 Confederate troops of all arms on the Rio Grande, and Colonel Ford says this is substantially correct, and that Captain Carrington is also correct when he says that there were only about 300 Confederates engaged in the battle of May 13, 1865. Lieutenant-Colonel Branson says the attacking force was about 250. From the light before me, then, there about 300 Confederates to 500 Federals, and probably the latter were 1,700 strong in this, the last battle of the war. From the official records mentioned above I wish to quote partly from the reports of the Union colonels, Barrett and Branson.

Extract from the report of Colonel T. H. Barrett, 62d United States Troops:

HEADQUARTERS THIRD BRIGADE, FIRST DIVISION

TWENTY-FIFTH ARMY CORPS, CAMP (near) BROWNSVILLE, TEX., August 10, 1865.

General I have the honor to submit the following report of the action at Palmetto Ranch, Tex., May 13, 1865, the last engagement of the war. * * * (The report is a long one, and as the first part relates only to the battle of the day before I omit, and simply quote that which relates to the last battle.) "Nearly the entire forenoon (May 13) was spent in skirmishing. The enemy, though taking advantage of every favorable position, was everywhere driven back. Early in the afternoon a sharp engagement took place, which, being in the chaparral, was attended with comparatively little