GALVESTON, Military and Naval Oper ations at. In the summer of 1862 Farragut sent several light squadrons to cruise along the coast of Texas, and a blockade was maintained against Galveston, which was abandoned by the Confederate military forces, and 8 October sur rendered by its civil authorities to Commander Renshaw of the United States navy. Six United States vessels lay in the bay, command ing the city. Lieutenant Jouen, with two launches, captured and burned the privateer Royal Yacht, carrying one heavy gun, and took 13 prisoners, with a Union loss of two killed and seven wounded, 7 November. On 24 De cember 260 men of the 42d Massachusetts regi ment were landed and encamped on the city wharf. At daybreak, 1 Jan. 1863, General Ma gruder, the Confederate commander in that de partment, made a combined naval and land at tack upon the Union fleet in the bay and the military in the city. He secured four steamers from the adjacent rivers, used cotton-bales for armor, mounted them with guns and filled them with sharpshooters, and attacked the six United States vessels. The Westfield was blown up and destroyed by her officers to prevent capture; the Harriet Lane was boarded, and surrendered after her captain and executive officer had been killed. One of Magruder's boats went to the
bottom in its encounter with the Harriet Lane. The land force was attacked by a largely supe rior force and, after a stout resistance, in which it had 20 men killed and wounded, surrendered. Magruder reported his loss as 26 killed and 117 wounded. The other United States vessels then abandoned the blockade, but Farragut quickly restored it. Soon afterward (11 January) a strange vessel was seen outside and the Hat teras was sent to overhaul her. She proved to be the noted Alabama, and after a short and hot fight She sunk the Hatteras, saving her crew. Ten days later the Union gunboats Ve locity and Morning Light, blockading Sabine Pass, were attacked by Confederate steamers, driven out to sea, and captured, with guns, prisoners and a large amount of stores. Gal veston remained in Confederate possession until the close of the war. Consult 'Official Records' (Vol. XV) ; Mahan, 'The Gulf and Inland Waters' ; Maclay, 'History of the Navy> (Vol. II) ; Lossing, 'Field Book of the Civil War' (Vol. II) ; the Century Company's 'Battles and Leaders of the Civil War) (Vol. III).