I paid a long visit this morning to Mr Lynn the British
Consul, who told me that he had great difficulty in communicating with the
outer world, and had seen no British man-of-war since the Immortalite.
At 1.30 I saw Pyron's regiment embark for Niblitt's Bluff to
meet Banks. This corps is now dismounted cavalry, and the procession was a
droll one. First came eight or ten instruments braying discordantly, then an
enormous Confederate flag, followed by about four hundred men moving by fours —
dressed in every variety of costume, and armed with every variety of weapon;
about sixty had Enfield rifles; the remainder carried shot-guns
(fowling-pieces), carbines, or long rifles of a peculiar and antiquated
manufacture. None had swords or bayonets — all had six-shooters and bowie-knives.
The men were a fine, determined-looking lot; and I saw amongst them a short
stout boy of fourteen who had served through the Arizona campaign. I saw many
of the soldiers take off their hats to the French priests, who seemed much
respected in Galveston. This regiment is considered down here to be a very good
one, and its colonel is spoken of as one of the bravest ofiicers in the army.
The regiment was to be harangued by Old Houston before it embarked.*
In getting into the cars to return to Houston I was nearly
forced to step over the dead body of the horse shot by the soldier yesterday,
and which the authorities had not thought necessary to remove.
I got back to General Scurry's house at Houston at 4.30 P.M.
The general took me out for a drive in his ambulance, and I saw innumerable
negroes and negresses parading about the streets in the most outrageously grand
costumes — silks, satins, crinolines, hats with feathers, lace mantles, &c,
forming an absurd contrast to the simple dresses of their mistresses. Many were
driving about in their masters' carriages, or riding on horses which are often
lent to them on Sunday afternoons; all seemed intensely happy and satisfied
with themselves.
—— told me that old Sam Houston lived for several years
amongst the Cherokee Indians, who used to call him “the Raven” or the “Big
Drunk.” He married an Indian squaw when he was with them.
Colonel Ives, aide-de-camp to the President, has just
arrived from Richmond, and he seems a very well informed and agreeable man.
I have settled to take the route to Shrieveport tomorrow, as
it seems doubtful whether Alexandria will or will not fall.
_______________
* At the outbreak of the war it was found very difficult to
raise infantry in Texas, as no Texan walks a yard if he can help it. Many
mounted regiments were therefore organised, and afterwards dismounted.
SOURCE: Sir Arthur James Lyon Fremantle, Three
months in the southern states: April-June, 1863, p. 71-3
No comments:
Post a Comment