Battle of Galveston

The Battle of Galveston was a naval and land battle of the American Civil War, when Confederate forces under Major Gen. John B. Magruder expelled occupying Union troops from the city of Galveston, Texas on January 1, 1863.

Battle of Galveston
Part of the American Civil War

CS Bayou City captures USS Harriet Lane during the Battle of Galveston
DateJanuary 1, 1863 (1863-01-01)
Result Confederate victory
United States (Union) Confederate States (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
Isaac S. Burrell
William B. Renshaw 
John B. Magruder
Leon Smith
Units involved
West Gulf Blockading Squadron
42nd Massachusetts Infantry
Department of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona
Texas Marine Department
6 gunboats
unknown infantry
2 gunboats
unknown infantry
Casualties and losses
ca. 420 captured
1 gunboat captured
1 gunboat destroyed
26 killed, 117 wounded

After the loss of the cutter Harriet Lane, the Union Fleet Commander William B. Renshaw blew up the stranded vessel USS Westfield to save it from falling into enemy hands. Union troops on shore thought the fleet was surrendering, and laid down their arms.

The battle is sometimes called the Second Battle of Galveston, as the Battle of Galveston Harbor (October 1862) is sometimes called the First Battle of Galveston.


Two Confederate cottonclads, CS Bayou City and the CS Neptune commanded by Leon Smith, sailed from Houston to Galveston in an effort to engage the Union Fleet in Galveston Harbor, which consisted of USS Clifton, USS Harriet Lane, USS Westfield, USS Owasco, USS Corypheus and USS Sachem.[1] Outnumbered six to two by the Northern ships, Neptune was severely damaged by the Union Fleet and eventually sank. While Neptune was quickly disabled, Bayou City succeeded in capturing USS Harriet Lane.[2]

During this time, USS Westfield was grounded on a sandbar. A three-hour truce was called for by Magruder, but Union Fleet Commander William B. Renshaw, ignoring the negotiation offer, attempted to destroy the grounded Westfield with explosives rather than let it fall into enemy hands.



The Union blockade around the city of Galveston was lifted temporarily for four days, and Galveston remained the only major port that remained in Confederate hands at the end of the war. The Confederate Congress stated this on the successful recapture of Galveston:


See also


  2. "Confederate Ships - C.S. Army gun boat Bayou City". Naval Historical Center, Department of the U.S. Navy (13 October 2000), Archived from the original on 2001-11-15. Retrieved 2007-04-10.
  3. Alwyn Barr. "Galveston, Battle of". The Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Assoc. (June 6, 2001), Archived from the original on November 7, 2010. Retrieved 2007-04-10.
