war.

first call, signed by irresponsible secessionists. Living in a State but little blessed with railroads and telegraphs, they possessed no intimation of the action of the Legislature until long after the day of election had gone by. In nearly half the counties no election was held at all; in oth

stances not more than a quarter of the legal voters went at all to the polls. A Convention thus elected was almost unanimously for secession. An ordinance was passed in less than a week after it assembled. Delegates were elect

But Governor Houston dreaded the conflict which he saw was impending. He took, unwittingly, the very measures to hasten it. He had resisted importunity. He had not the cour-ers it was but the merest pretense; in many inage to face revolution. He convened the Legislature, but urged them to delay calling a State Convention, and endeavor still to preserve, if possible, the Union. His recommendations were contemptuously disregarded. He should have expected nothing else. They legalized the il-ed to the Southern Congress. A Committee of legal call for a Convention already issued. They laid on the table resolutions for delay in the secession movements. They condemned coercion. They provided that if an ordinance of secession were passed by the Convention it should be submitted to the people.

The Convention assembled one week after the act of the Legislature legalizing it. The Union party in the State had paid no attention to the

Safety was appointed, who effectually took the Government out of the hands of General Houston. In eighteen days after the passage of this ordinance it was submitted to the people. It was carried by a large majority. But many voters either refused to vote or were prevented doing so. The vote was 17,000 less than at the Presidential election. The Governor refusing to acquiesce in the action of the Convention,

the gubernatorial chair was declared vacant in | were released on parole. The revenue cutter March, 1861, and Lieutenant-Governor Clark upon the coast was seized, and a vessel which was directed to assume the place of Governor had come to Texas from the North to supply Houston. Thus cavalierly treated by the se- the light-houses was also taken possession of. cessionists, and despised by the Union party, All citizens of the North were warned to leave whose cause his weakness had betrayed, he lived the State. The payment of all debts due the a few months in disgrace at the capital of the North was suspended. State, vainly endeavored to retrieve his fallen fortunes by yielding a tardy acquiescence to the secession cause, and died six months after his expulsion from the chief office of the State, neither honored by his friends nor respected by his foes.

The most cruel and relentless persecution of all loyal men was commenced. The German residents of the western counties were driven from their homes, and in many instances cruelly massacred for no other crime than their loyalty and their Free State principles. The General Government, surprised by the treachery of General Twiggs, and compelled to concentrate all their troops for the defense of the national capital, was obliged to leave the citizens of Texas to protect themselves. The Federal fleet, however, blockaded the coast soon aft

The military operations in the State of Texas were of some importance in their results, but of little in their intrinsic character. At the time of Mr. Lincoln's election General David E. Twiggs was in command of the United States forces in the State of Texas. Before as yet the secession of the State had been accomplish-er the consummation of the State's secession. ed he surrendered the entire army and property of the United States to the traitors in the State, and received as the reward of his treason a commission as Major-General in the Confederate Army. Other detachments of United States troops were easily made prisoners, but

The surrender of Galveston was demanded in May, but no attempt was made to enforce compliance with the demand until October, when Commander Renshaw, with a fleet of four steamers, took possession of the place. No attempt at its recapture was anticipated. No sufficient

precautions were taken to guard against such a The last boat awaited the Commodore's presence. possible catastrophe.

The city of Galveston is situated on a long, low, narrow island of sand. It is connected with the main land by a bridge, some two miles in length. Upon the shore commanding this bridge the rebels had planted batteries. No attempt had been made to dislodge them from this position. The bridge even had not been destroyed. For a considerable time no infantry even occupied the town. It was considered to be sufficiently guarded by the presence of the Federal fleet. The Harriet Lane, a revenue cutter converted into a gun-boat, stood sentinel at the island end of the bridge. It probably afforded a sufficient protection against any land attack. No attack by water seems to have been anticipated or even thought of. The latter part of December, 1862, some regiments of infantry were ordered from New Orleans to Galveston. Not quite three hundred had already arrived. More were on their way. The previous fleet of four vessels was increased by two more. In a few days the Federal force would have been strong enough to have assumed themselves the offensive. But those few days were not allowed them.

Another, filled with men and baggage, waited close at hand. The Commodore was the last to leave the vessel. He stepped down the stairway into the waiting gig. A few minutes more and all would have been well. But he had hardly taken his seat when a thick cloud of smoke rolled up from the hatches of the vessel. A bright flame leaping up followed close upon it. Then in an instant there followed an explosion which shook the bay, as though an earthquake trembled underneath it. The air was filled with the fragments of the ill-fated vessel, and dark with the smoke of its explosion. For some unexplained cause the explosion had taken place prematurely, and when the smoke had lifted neither boat was to be seen. The Commodore had perished with his ship. The rest of the fleet immediately abandoned a harbor which was no longer tenable.

None of the military movements which have taken place in Texas can be considered of great importance. It was too far removed from the seat of war to afford a field for very active operations by either side. Texas has indeed furnished to the Confederate army as many soldiers in proportion to her population as any other rebel State. But they have fought chiefly upon other fields. Texas has furnished large quantities of supplies to the rebel armies. The chief object of the national Government seemed to be to cut off these supplies, while the rebels endeavored to open some one of the harbors which lie along her coast to the commerce of other nations.

For in the mean time the Confederate General Magruder had been preparing to attack the place. Two steam-packets, running between Galveston and Houston, were fitted up as gunboats. They were protected by bulwarks of cotton bales. One of them was manned by a squad of sharp-shooters. Early in the morning of the 1st of January the rebel batteries opened on the Immediately after the recapture of Galveston Harriet Lane and the infantry in the city. The General Magruder issued a proclamation declarlatter could only reply with their musketry, having the blockade raised, and inviting commerce ing no guns. The former replied with a vigor- to the port. But it is hardly necessary to say ous fire. Almost at the same time she discov- that the national fleet was too vigilant to allow ered the rebel gun-boats coming from the bay. the invitation to be accepted. On the 21st of She signaled for assistance. The Westfield, January the blockading vessels off Sabine Pass, flag-ship, started to her aid, ran aground, and two in number, were captured, during a dead was thus left hors du combat in the very begin- calm, by two rebel steamers with cotton bulning of the engagement. The Clifton exhausted warks. They were instantly pursued by the her energies in vain efforts to pull the Westfield Union gun-boats. One of the captured prizes off the bar. The Owasco dared not venture up was burned to prevent its recapture. Again the uncertain channel, which had already proved General Magruder, by public proclamation, deso perilous to her companion, and contented her-clared the blockade raised; and Commodore self with engaging the enemy's batteries on shore. The rebel steamers built for these shallow waters had the Harriet Lane at their mercy. Struck amidships with a tremendous blow, boarded by an overwhelming force, she was In September, 1863, General Banks fitted out not surrendered until her commander had fallen an expedition under General Franklin, to occudead, bravely defending his vessel to the last. py the mouth of the Sabine River. It consisted The defense of the town thus destroyed, it fell of four thousand men, and four steamers. The necessarily into the rebel hands without further expedition proved an entire failure. Two of the struggle. The gallant commander of the fleet, gun-boats, disabled by a shot through the boilCommodore Renshaw, finding all efforts to res-ers, at almost the first fire, fell into the rebel cue his flag-ship vain, determined it should not fall into the rebel hands. He allowed his men fifteen minutes to transfer themselves and their baggage to a neighboring transport. He himself prepared the vessel for destruction. For fifteen minutes the most intense activity prevailed. Then all were ordered out of the ship.

Bell, by counter proclamation, warned all concerned that it was as effectual as ever, and that merchant vessels attempting to carry on illicit traffic would do so at their peril.

hands. Another ran aground and escaped with difficulty. The expedition returned without effecting any injury whatever upon the enemy.

A month later General Banks took command in person of an expedition the object of which was the occupation of the Texan coast. Не landed at the mouth of the Rio Grande River,

and successfully occupied, without serious oppo- | ern empire. It is certain that the national consition, most of the coast of Texas, from its west- trol of the Mississippi River forever separates ern boundary nearly to the city of Galveston. This campaign, however, produced no important influence upon the general results of the war, and was marked by no striking incidents or important battles.

them from the heart of the Southern Confeder-
acy. In truth the battles of Texas and Arkan-
sas were fought on that river. Their fate was
determined at Vicksburg and Port Hudson.
THE RED RIVER EXPEDITION.

The rebel leaders in Texas complain bitterly of the manner in which their State has been Northwestern Louisiana, rich in all agricultreated by the Confederate authorities at Rich-tural products, had long supplied the Southern mond. They say her troops have been sum- Confederacy with various products. Apparentmoned to other fields, and she herself has been ly beyond the reach of the Federal armies, it was left defenseless. They even threaten to secede stored with immense quantities of cotton. A from Secessia, and set up an independent South-railroad runs from Shreveport at the extreme

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WESTFIELD.