The Rio Grande Campaign
October 8th, 1863 to August 6th, 1864
From the report of Nathanial Banks as found on the civilwaralbum.com click here to link to the full report. Banks wrote the following after the collapse of his Red River Campaign.
The failure of this expedition having notified the enemy of our poses, it was impracticable to repeat the attempt at that point. The instructions of the Government being imperative, I then endeavored, without delay, to carry out my instructions by a movement toward Alexandria and Shreveport, or, if possible, across the southern part of Louisiana to Niblett's Bluff. The attack upon Sabine Pass was made on the 8th of September. The fleet returned on the 11th; on the 13th, orders were given for the overland movement. The troops were rapidly transferred to the Teche Bayou, and organized for this expedition, but it was soon found impracticable, if not impossible, to enter Texas in that direction. The country between the Teche and the Sabine was without supplies of any kind, and entirely without water, and the march across that country of 300 miles with wagon transportation alone, where we were certain to meet the enemy in full force, was necessarily abandoned. A movement in the direction of Alexandria and Shreveport was equally impracticable. The route lay over a country utterly destitute of supplies, which had been repeatedly overrun by the two armies, and which involved a march of 500 miles from New Orleans and nearly 400 miles from Berwick Bay, with wagon transportation only, in a country without water, forage, or supplies, mostly upon a single road, very thickly wooded, and occupied by a thoroughly hostile population.
Being satisfied that it was impossible to execute the orders of the Government by this route for these reasons, which were stated in my several dispatches, I decided, as the only alternative left me for the execution of the orders of the Government, to attempt the occupation of the Rio Grande, which I had suggested on the 13th September as an alternative if the land route was found impracticable. Leaving the troops opposite Berwick Bay upon the land route into Texas, I organized a small expedition, the troops being placed under command of Maj. Gen. N. J. T. Dana, and sailed on the 26th of October, 1863, for the Rio Grande. A landing was effected at Brazos Santiago, which was occupied by the enemy's cavalry and artillery, the 2d day of November. The enemy was driven from his position the next day, and the troops ordered forward to Brownsville, 30 miles from the mouth of the river. Colonel Dye, of the Ninety-fourth Illinois Volunteers, commanding the advance, occupied Brownsville on the 6th day of November, where, a few hours after his arrival, I made my headquarters. Major-General Dana was left in command of this post. As soon as it was possible to provide for the garrison and obtain transportation for the navigation of the river, which occupied four or five days, I moved, with all the troops which could be spared from that point, for the purpose of occupying the passes on the coast between the Rio Grande and Galveston, intending to complete my original plan by the occupation of Galveston from the coast below instead of above. Point Isabel was occupied on the 8th [6th] of November. By the aid of steamers, obtained on the Rio Grande with the consent of the Mexican Government, we were enabled to transport troops to Mustang Island. The troops were under the command of Brig. Gen. T. E. G. Ransom, who carried the enemy's works commanding Aransas Pass, after a gallant assault, capturing 100 prisoners and the artillery with which the place was defended. The troops instantly moved upon Pass Cavallo, commanding the entrance to Mata-gorda Bay, and which was also defended by strong and extensive fortifications and a force of 2,000 men, artillery, cavalry, and infantry, who could be re-enforced in any emergency from Houston and Galveston. The troops were under command of Maj. Gen. C. C. Washburn, then commanding the Thirteenth Corps.
Fort Esperanza was invested, and, after a most gallant action, the enemy blew up his magazine, partially dismantled his defenses, and evacuated the position, the major part of his men escaping to the mainland by the peninsula near the mouth of the Brazos.
The occupation of Brownsville, Brazos Santiago, the capture of the works and garrison at Aransas Pass, and the defeat of the enemy and the capture of his works at Fort Esperanza by our troops, left nothing on the coast in his possession but the works at the mouth of Brazos River and on the Island of Galveston, which were formidable, and defended by all the forces of the enemy in Texas. The command of General Magruder had been withdrawn from different parts of the State and concentrated on the coast between Houston, Galveston, and Indianola, in consequence of our movement against the works at Sabine Pass, the occupation of the Rio Grande, and the capture of the works constructed for the defense of Aransas Pass and Pass Cavallo, on the Texas coast. To carry the works at the mouth of Brazos River, it was necessary to move inland and to attack the enemy in the rear, in which w e necessarily encountered the entire strength of the rebel forces, then greatly superior in number to ours.
Preparations were made for more extended operations on the mainland from Indianola at Matagorda Bay or on the peninsula connecting with the mainland at Brazos River, and notice given to the War Department of the plan of operations, with the request for an increase of the forces for extended operations in Texas, if it was found expedient. The troops on the Teche, under command of Major-General Franklin, would have been transferred to the coast in such force as to make certain the occupation of Houston or Galveston. From this point I intended to withdraw my troops to the Island of Galveston, which could have been held with perfect security by less than 1,000 men, which would have left me free to resume my operations, suggested in August and September, against Mobile. The Rio Grande and the Island of Galveston could have been held with 2,000 or 3,000 men. This would have cut off the contraband trade of the enemy at Matamoras and on the Texas coast. The forces occupying the Island of Galveston could have been strengthened by sea at any moment from Berwick Bay, connecting with New Orleans by railway, or with New Orleans by the river, compelling the enemy to maintain an army near Houston, and preventing his concentrating his forces for the invasion of Louisiana, Arkansas, or Missouri.
The occupation of the Rio Grande, Galveston, and Mobile would have led to the capture or destruction of all the enemy's river and sea transportation on the Gulf coast, and left the west gulf blockading squadron, numbering one hundred and fifty vessels and mounting four hundred and fifty guns, free to pursue the pirates that infested our coast and preyed upon our commerce.
The army would have been at liberty to operate on the Mississippi or to co-operate with the Army of the Tennessee, by the Alabama River and Montgomery, in the campaign against Atlanta.
These general views are substantially expressed in my dispatches of the 12th and 30th December, 1863.
If successfully accomplished, it would have enabled the Government to concentrate the entire forces of the Department of the Gulf, as occasion should require, at any point on the river or coast against an enemy without water transportation or other means of operation than by heavy land marches, or to move by land into the rebel States east or west of the Mississippi. The winter months offered a favorable opportunity for such enterprise.
James Anthony participated in the whole Rio Grande Campaign. He wrote without puntcuation and I have copied his letters exactly as written. I have them as photographs on CDs so I have listed them by plate instead of by page.
Camp of the 20th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry First Brigade (Vandevers) Second Division (Herrons) Thirteenth Army Corps (Ords) Department of the Gulf (Banks) on the west bank of the Mississippi thirty miles below the mouth of Red River Louisianna September 19th 1863
Camp of the 20th regiment Iowa Volunteers Morgansa Louisiana October 8th 1863
Plate 203-204
That day all who were able had to turn out to a grand review at which Generals Grant and Banks were present on our return from that parade we had to prepare for our departure up the river which kept those who were going quite busy during the balance of our stay in camp At the time we left camp to go on board the transports I supposed he would be on his way up the river before the close of the day and it took us all by surprise when we heard of his death not more than a half an hour after we left camp
Plate 209-212
Mouth of the Rio Grande Texas November 6th 1863
Dear Wife you will see by this that we are now in the extreme southwestern portion of the United States We went on board the Propeller T A Scott in the afternoon of the twenty third of October during a severe rainstorm and on the following day started down the river and anchored in the evening of the same day near the mouth of the Mississippi where we lay till the morning of the twenty seventh when we weighed anchor and passed out of the river crossed the bar and cast anchor till the balance of the fleet composing the expedition should join us In a few hours they had all come up including the flag ship with General Banks on board whom we saluted with a discharge of thirteen guns as he passed by us which they returned We soon after to the number of about twenty sail weighed anchor and shaped our course to the westward We had good weather till the morning of the thirtieth when we had some rough weather During the day we lost a sailor overboard and early in the evening after taking off the crew cast off a small schooner we had been towing and which was already swamped and her masts cut away We arrived off Point Isabel about five oclock PM on the first day of November and anchored The next day we sailed along shore a few miles and threw a few shells on shore which scared up a small squad of cavalry and anxiously waited foe orders to go ashore At last in the afternoon of the third Companies A and F were ordered to get ready to go ashore Some eight or ten boats from the ships soon came alongside and about four oclock a part of both companies descended into them with a portion of two companies of the Twentieth Wisconsin the Colonel of the Twentieth Wisconsin having command of the whole We were now laying about a mile and a half from shore opposite the mouth of the Rio Grande and in the midst of a fleet of foreign merchantmen of about forty sail laying at anchor Fourteen of company A with Lieutenant Carver of company I in command occupied one boat Including the crew we had twenty six men on board with our arms accouterments and equipments Company F had twenty men in two boats We soon started for the shore with high hopes and bright anticipations A few minutes brought us up to and within the breakers shortly a wave broke over the stern of our boat partially welling us swiftly followed by another of giant size which swept over our heads and more than half filled our boat I was sitting in the stern of our boat with Lieutenant Carver as soon as the water cleared away I saw the water was covered with swamped boats floating men knapsacks hats and some called for us to take them in but that was impossible Some knapsacks were thrown overboard when all who could instantly commenced bailing out the boat We finally entered the mouth of the river and landed first on the Mexican side where we staid for a short time and then crossed over into Texas Company F lost two men drowned and one of the boats crew lost two at the same time and in the same manner yours as ever J R Anthony I saved my knapsack and have dried all my things and feel once more in working order J C Lewis lost his knapsack
Plate 213
On the passage one of our Transports the Union went down not however till the troops had been removed from her to other boats The General Banks is also partially broken in two and will never return to New Orleans I understand she has been run aground We have lost a great many horses and mules They threw fifteen mules overboard from the Union in hopes of saving her but all in vain I have always had strong anxiety to see and taste the salt water My curiosity has been gratified
Mouth of the Rio Grande Texas November 14th 1863
Plate 215-216
Our regiment is at Point Isabel about twelve miles north of here We are having very good times at present Yesterday we unloaded a schooner which got beached through the ignorance of the Pilot We have her cargo here under guard She was a foreign vessel and last night another small one came ashore which after unloading will be got off on the rise of the tide I saved nearly a pail full of coffee which came ashore from her and we got about three pecks of potatoes from the same source I am drying the coffee which I intend to take over to Bagdad and sell to the Mexicans The town on the Mexican side of the river is called Bagdad while the town on the side is called The Mouth of the Rio Grande
Plate 217
… Our forces occupied Brownsville without opposition The rebels partially burned the place before evacuating it According to reports the common people had been long anxiously and hopefully looking for us as their deliverers from the power of the rebels
Aransas Pass Texas April 19th 1864
Plate 267-268
Dear Wife The St Mary on her passage from Brazos to New Orleans was boarded yesterday afternoon by a small boat sent out from here which soon returned with our mail and two soldiers for Company F one of them a new recruit The mail proved to be an old one I got one letter mailed the twenty fifth of March I had three packages of papers including the one containing the Tracts and papers for distribution I shall endeavor to give them to those who I am quite sure will read them We have lately had an accession of two companies of black troops to man our forts and serve as artillerists They are a fine looking body of men from the fourteenth Rhode Island I think they stand a fair chance of getting some of those tracks and papers The government sent a vessel here a few days ago charged with the repair of the Light House So it seems this place is to be held permanently I was out on a little scout a few days since We had about a hundred men and three sailboats with eight days rations We went after lumber after obtaining which at a place called Ingleside about ten miles from and in sight of Corpus Christi we were intending to run down to that place and take on board the family of a refugee who accompanied the expedition We were to leave Ingleside at three oclock in the morning but a perfect tempest of wind and rain set in about an hour before we were to start which completely frustrated that part of the programe However we made the attempt the next morning but was compelled on account of the high wind and rough sea to abandon it and steer toward camp where we arrived the next day The refugee was very anxious to get his family consisting of his wife and three children as the last time he heard from them all they had to live on was less than two quarts of corn
Aransas Pass Texas June 11th 1864
Plate 280
Do you think in the massacre at Fort Pillow the rebels indulged for the first time in the pastime of slaughtering innocent and defenseless men women and children Surely not Why they have been brought up to it as the Romans were to the Gladiatorial Shows the consequence of which was they could see harmless Christians thrown to wild beasts with a kind of savage ecstacy We have been sowing the wind we are now reaping the whirlwind I should not be surprised to see a proclamation from the rebel president for a day of thanksgiving and prayer to almighty God for their great victory and uneseampled(?) destruction of their enemies at Fort Pillow and to hear it echoed in Cedar Rapids
Aransas Pass Texas June 23rd 1864
Plate 284-285
Dear Wife A boat came in from Brazos on the twenty first with orders for us to be in readiness to march on the next morning We shall probably leave tomorrow morning for Brazos Santiago where we will land march up to the mouth of the Rio Grande and take a boat for Brownsville which is reported to be threatened by Margruder with sixty thousand men which may and may not be true
Plate 286
The probability is the line of the Rio Grande is to be better guarded in order to stop the rebels from taking cotton in to Mexico There cab be but little if any come out this way If it does it is liable to fall into the hands of the gun boats who are occasionally patrolling along here
Brownsville Texas July 1st 1864
Plate 288-
Dear Wife We evacuated Mustang Island on the twenty fourth ult(?) and embarked on the Alabama which landed us at Brazos Santiago soon after noon of the next day Being off duty I did not go with the regiment any further but passed the night on board the Alabama The next morning we went on board the Matamoras and were soon on our way for the mouth of the Rio Grande which this time we entered without difficuly where we found the Mustang to which we was transferred and the same day left for this place which we reached on the afternoon of the twenty seventh of June The distance from this place to the mouth of the river is eighty five miles by the river and twenty eight by land We met with human habitations occasionally along the banks I can scarcely call them houses which appeared to be principally occupied by Mexicans on both sides of the river We saw numbers of cattle on both sides of the river and numbers in the river dead They were all poor very poor totally unfit for butchering and I did not see anything in the shape of grain or vegetables on the entire route We camped about a mile above Brownsville within the intrenchments and arebrigaded with the 38th Iowa and the 91st Illinois We are in the First Brigade Second Division I can not say whether we are in the Thirteenth Army Corps or not…The regiment marched from Brazos and arrived here on the morning of the twenty eighth of June in the afternoon of that day we drew our shelter tents and pitched them on the banks of the Rio Grande within gun shot of Mexico In consequence of being out in the sun too much for the last few days I have not improved much during that time in fact I lost ground but since we got up our tents I am gaining again
New Orleans August 8th 1864
Plate 300-301
Dear Wife We left Brownsville on the twenty eighth ult(?) and arrived at Brazos Santiago on the thirtieth of July Early the next morning we were taken on board the ship Binama laying outside by the Steamer Matamoras During the night following we were taken in tow by the Propeller City of Richmond which tool us far as the bar off the mouth of the Mississippi where we struck bottom the hawser parted and the gallant Steamer City of Richmond left us stuck fast on the bar and proceeded on her way up the river A tugboat vainly tried to pull us off that day but the next morning was more successful and we entered the Mississippi by the South west Pass and shortly was on fresh water again to the joy of all concerned We landed above the city on the sixth of August and pitched our tents near Carrollton Early next morning we had orders to be ready to march at eight oclock which was soon changed to six oclock soon after which hour our regiment started for the landing destination unknown Later in the day we ascertained it to be Mobile which according to all accounts will be ours in a very few days at furthest Over twenty of our regiment including myself and Cornelius Andross were sent to the University Hospital It is in the midst of the city