There was great concern amongst the Union commanders that Jefferson Davis, the Confederate President, and several of his generals might escape with a large body of men and supplies to war torn Mexico. If these battle-hardened soldiers, defeated but not yet conquered, joined forces with Maximilian, there was a good chance the whole border could be plunged into a new war. Mexico would forcibly try to re-annex Texas , only this time European powers would be assisting the Mexican army! The Northern Generals took this matter seriously and in the early part of 1865, General Lew Wallace (author of Ben Hur) was given orders to open secret negotiations between himself, General Slaughter, commanding officer and Colonel John “ R.I.P” Ford, second in command of the Confederate forces at Brownsville , Texas . The Union must establish a presence upon the lower Rio Grande at all costs. Orders were issued to that effect and secret troop movements were set in motion.
Our story starts in February 1865. Colonel Theodore H. Barrett arrives to assume command of the Union forces stationed on the small spit of land called Brazos Santiago. Barrett, whose career had been quite lackluster up to this point, needed some kind of battlefield experience to enable him to continue his military career after the end of the War.
His opportunity presented itself in May of 1865. Informants had reported the lack of morale amongst the Southerners stationed at Fort Brown . Word had it that the Rebel forces were experiencing a 50 % desertion20rate.
News of a large shipment of several thousand bales of cotton reached Barrett and he was told its river crossing was being delayed due to recent heavy rains. It was suggested that if he march upon Brownsville , he could capture a city whose troops would flee, while also obtaining an enormous store of enemy property. He would be in his rights to hold an auction, selling the cotton to the highest bidder. He could profit a little; well a LOT (cotton was going for $1.25 a pound in Bagdad at the time). Accomplishing this, he would ensure his continued military career. Barrett made his decision, he would be a hero!
Brazos Santiago Landing. May 11, 1865 .
A severe storm had arisen and the 250 men of the 62nd U.S. Colored Troops, led by Lieutenant Colonel David Branson, marched through the howling wind to the southern part of the Island . There, small boats waited to carry them across the narrow strip of water that separated Brazos Island ( Boca Chica Beach ) from the mainland. They were to march some 12 miles inland and capture Rebel forces believed to be occupying Palmetto and Whites Ranch. From there the orders were vague. The presence of the 62nd’s band and equipment belied Barrett’s optimism. However, by midday , the troops had accomplished their objective capturing 3 prisoners, 2 horses and 4 cattle. While resting, scouts, returning at a gallop, informed Branson of approaching Rebel forces. Branson ordered his men to retreat. Soon, a running skirmish developed between the Union foot soldiers and the mounted Confederates. Branson made camp at Whites Ranch near dark and sent word of his situation to his commanding officer, Colonel Theodore Barrett. At 10:30 p.m. , Barrett sat tall in the saddle as he led 200 men of the Indiana 34th in the long march across the seven mile prairie, arriving near dawn to reinforce the men at Whites Ranch.
Colonel Rip Ford was mad as ……well; let’s just say he was pretty riled up. His spies on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande spotted the Union troops about 8:00 am in the morning and informed the Rebel commander of the Unions location, more importantly; they relayed the news of the bands presence. Barrett’s intentions were all to plain. He intended on marching into the city at the head of a conquering army. Martial music and martial law would be the order of the day.
(To be fair, Ford had sort of suspected the Union advance to happen regardless of the secret negotiations between himself, General Slaughter and General Lew Wallace. Indeed he had personally met with Wallace several times at Galveston and Point Isabel. Wallace had shown Ford intercepted letters between top Confederate officers and the Maximilian powers now in control of Mexico . The plan was simple. With the Southerners help, Mexico would annex Texas , thereby extending and possibly changing the course of the war.
Ford was against this plan and very desirous of peace. (In a letter dated April 18, 1865 Wallace talks of sending a Mr. Worthington to Matamoros to communicate to Ford and Slaughter of the fall of Richmond , the surrender of Lee and the flight of Jeff Davis. The Official Record is not clear on whether the Confederates at Brownsville ever received the dispatch)
Confederate Commander General Savage, feeling he did not have the men to resist the Union forces, was inclined to evacuate. Ford, second in command, had different thoughts about the situation though. Ford did not like the idea of black soldiers parading through the streets of Brownsville . He had told Wallace that he was ready for peace at all costs except his honor. The insult was too great. He would not surrender his command (Fords home was in Brownsville also) to black troops! A frontiersman at heart, Ford used some choice words to describe his opinion of General Savage, colored troops and the Union in general. Ford called for volunteers.
Commanded by an enraged Rip Ford, the rebel forces soon counter attacked. Several hundred mounted Confederates, backed up with French artillery, joined the fray. (Yup, the French were involved in their own intrigues on the Mexican side of the river and were happy for a little action)
The Union forces now found themselves under attack on several sides as the Rebel Cavalry attempted to outflank the infantry under Branson’s command.
Branson sent word of his predicament to Barrett.
This is where things get a little dicey. Barrett was not a commander of men, but this did not stop him from assuming command of the entire expedition. His contradictory orders soon had the men in a confused retreat. A column of the 62nd was marched directly through the advancing Indiana Volunteers. Barrett ordered skirmishers out to protect his flanks but made no provisions as to the eventual fate of these men. (To further compound the scene, the 34th had just returned from a foraging expedition up Padre Island . The men had been in the field for three days and many of them were suffering from blistered and bleeding feet. The pace set by Barrett, who was upon horseback, was difficult to maintain and the exhausted men were soon falling behind the main column. It was at this time that the color bearer attempted to swim to safety but people on the Mexican side commenced to firing upon the Union troops forcing the man to return to Texas soil. He attempted to hide the color standard in the weeds but the Rebels soon captured him and the flag.
In the meantime, Barrett found himself under constant pressure from a force he would later estimate as being around 650 strong. (In testimony at a general court martial against the commander of the 34th Infantry, Rip Ford would commend the Union troops as “Good fighting men . He made mention of how impressed he was with the orderly retreat conducted by the “bluebellys”, commenting on the fact that the band played music throughout the battle. He would also deny Barrett’s estimate of his force saying “I lead 250 men into battle that day”).
The Union troops, slowly retreating, skirmished with the Rebels throughout that hot muggy day until the fighting ceased near a bluff at Tulosa on the river where the Federal forces camped for the night. About 4:00 am , the Rebels attacked, again shelling the Union troops with small arms and artillery, forcing the beleaguered men to continue their retreat towards the beach. The Union troops finally reached the relative safety of Boca Chica on the eve of the 14th. Their crossing was again accompanied by the music of the indefatigable band.
The Union forces reported one dead, and 120 wounded, while the Rebels admitted to three or four wounded. The Confederates also captured several hundred of the Federal troops but released them in several days. Seems the war had ended some five weeks prior and the North had won. Rip Ford and his men surrendered to their own prisoners. This was the last land battle of the Civil War.
John Jefferson Williams
In his memoirs Ford denied ever receiving the dispatch advising the fall of Richmond and the surrender of Lee. It seems odd though, that with all the shells, both musket, cannon and pistol that were fired by over 1200 men in a running battle that lasted for about 24 hours over approximately 15 miles, only one man was mortally wounded. The Family of private Jefferson Williams, a blacksmith with the Indiana 34th received a medallion from the Regiment commemorating him as the last man killed in the Civil War.
