“The next morning the day broke clear, the sun shining bright, with the city and its surroundings in full view. We hoisted pilot-jack and blew the whistle about eight o’clock, which signal was answered by pilot-boat inside the bar, near a schooner, and a bark with American colors flying, which proved to be the bark Cavallo. After the boat came toward us she tacked, apparently running and sounding the bar. She then went toward the bark and lowered her jack, signifying that she had put the pilot on board. In the meantime the pilot-boat shot up alongside and asked: ‘How much water do you draw, captain?’ To which he replied: ‘Nine and a half to ten feet.’ The answer then was: ‘You can go in; there is plenty of water on the bar.’ ‘Are you a pilot?’ was then demanded. Reply.—’No, but you can follow us in.’ Question.—’Where is the pilot?’ Answer.—’On the bark.’ Question.—’Why does he not come out for us?’ Answer.—’Because he had special orders to take the bark out first.’ In the meantime we separated some distance. Again the pilot-boat shot up alongside, when the captain ordered the pilot on board, when he replied: ‘There are too many men there for me.’ He then immediately hauled jib-sheet to windward, slacked off the main-sheet, and put his helm hard to port, with the intention of getting clear. Seeing this, the captain ordered the steamer backed, which placed the steamer between the pilot-boat and the bar. The captain then called out: ‘Stand by your guns, fore and aft, and be ready to fire. Do not open your port-holes before the colonel gives the word.’ The pilot-boat then came to, and the pilot said he would come on board. The colonel asked him who was in command. His immediate reply was: ‘Captain Wainwright.’ After several unimportant questions and answers he was recognized and called by name by one of the refugees, by which he was apparently confused and lost his presence of mind. Seeing that the captain looked upon him with marked suspicion, he said: ’Gentlemen, I cannot lie any longer; Galveston is in the hands of the Confederacy.’ The captain, hearing that the Harriet Lane was in their hands and as she was reported uninjured, immediately put the steamer to sea. The counterfeit pilot, T. W. Paine, was, of course, detained on board as prisoner. The pilot-boat and crew were permitted to depart, as the colonel thought by their returning it would give us more time to escape.
“About nine o’clock on the evening of the fifth instant we met the United States sloop-of-war Brooklyn, and was boarded by an officer from her, to whom we gave the foregoing information. We afterward learned that the boat sent ashore with the six men was detained and the men taken prisoners.
“Respectfully submitted, “LEWIS BACH, “Acting-Purser Steamer Cambria.”
What steps were taken to entrap the Cambria, or any transports unlucky enough to arrive while the United States gunboats fled to New Orleans, is described by General Magruder in his official report of the action. He says: “Having buried the dead, taken care of the wounded, and secured the captured property, my exertions were directed to getting the Harriet Lane to sea. The enemy’s ships fled to New Orleans, to which place one of their steam transports was dispatched during the action. I knew that a large naval force might be expected to return in a few days. I therefore ordered the employment at high wages of all the available mechanics to repair the Harriet Lane, her main shaft having been dislocated and her iron wheel greatly disabled, so that the engine could not work. The United States flags were ordered to remain flying on the custom-house and at the mast-heads of the ships, so as to attract into the harbor any of the enemy’s vessels which might be bound for the port of Galveston. A line of iron buoys, which we had established for the guidance of his ships in the harbor, were displaced and so arranged as to insure their getting aground.
“On the third of January, I being then on board of the Harriet Lane, a yawl-boat, containing several men, in command of a person named Thomas Smith, recently a citizen of Galveston, and who had deserted from our army, was reported alongside. He informed me he was sent from the United States transport-steamship Cambria, then off the bar, for a pilot, and that they had no idea of the occupation of the city by us. I forthwith ordered a pilot-boat, under command of Captain Johnson, to bring in this ship, but, through a most extraordinary combination of circumstances, the vessel which contained E. J. Davis and many other apostate Texans, besides several hundred troops and 2,500 saddles for the use of native sympathizers, succeeded in making her escape. The man Smith, who had, it is said, several times set fire to the city of Galveston before he deserted, had been known as Nicaragua Smith, and was dreaded by every one. He returned to Galveston in order to act as Federal provost-marshal. His arrival produced much excitement, during which some one without orders sent a sail-boat to Pelican Spit, now occupied by our troops, to direct the commanding officer there not fire on our pilot-boat, although she was under Yankee colors. The sail-boat thus sent was at once supposed to be destined for the Yankee transport. The pilot-boat gave chase to her, and the guns from the shore opened on her within hearing of the ship.
“Night coming on, I thought it surer, as the alarm might be taken, to capture her at sea before morning; but the Harriet Lane could not move, and our cotton gunboats could not live on the rough sea on the bar. Therefore one of the barks, the Royal Yacht, a schooner of ours, the pilot-boat and the Leader, a schooner loaded with cotton, which I had ordered to be sent to a foreign port, with a proclamation of the raising of the blockade at Galveston, were directed to be prepared and armed with light artillery. This was done by two o’clock the same night, our little fleet being manned by volunteers, under the command of Captain Mason, of Cook’s regiment of artillery.
“Unfortunately the wind lulled, and none but the pilot-boat could reach the enemy’s ship. The pilot-boat went out under the command of a gallant sailor, Captain Payne, of Galveston. The enemy’s ship proved to be a splendid iron steamer, built in the Clyde. I had ascertained from her men taken ashore that she had only two guns, and they were packed on deck under a large quantity of hay, and I anticipated an easy conquest and one of great political importance, as this ship contained almost all the Texans out of the State who had proved recreant to their duty to the Confederacy and to Texas. The pilot-boat was allowed to get close to the ship, when the boat was hailed and the pilot ordered to come on board. Captain Payne answered that he thought there were rather too many men to trust himself to; whereupon he was directed to come on board, or he would be fired into. He went on board as ordered, and soon after the steamer sailed in all haste seaward, leaving the pilot-boat and hands to return to us.
“I am thus particular in this narration as the friends of Captain Payne fear that he may meet with foul play from the enemy. I shall ascertain, through Commodore Bell, his fate, and act accordingly. Smith, the deserter, was tried regularly the next day before a general court-martial, and, being convicted of deserting to the enemy, was publicly shot in Galveston, in accordance with his sentence. The proceedings, which were formal in all respects, legal and regular, are forwarded.”
The following papers, connected with this action, are here given. The first, a dispatch from William L. Burt, was the first news sent North of the action, and naturally caused many a heart to ache for relatives and friends supposed to be at Galveston: