Hdqrs Sub-Military District of
Houston |
Beaumont, Tex., September 25, 1862 |
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Capt. C. M. Mason |
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, &c.
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Captain,
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I have the honor to report
that I received to-day at 7 a.m. An express from Beaumont, bearer of
a verbal message, that one gunboat and three or four transports had
entered the Sabine; that Major Irvine, commanding at Sabine Pass,
applied for assistance from the people of Beaumont and Liberty, and
that the messenger from Sabine Pass had heard at 8 or 10 miles from
that place a heavy cannonade. Major Irvine has at the fort near
Sabine Pass only 30 men, and about 25 mounted men 3½ miles from the
fort.
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*****
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Meanwhile, in order to be
ready to meet the enemy, should he have attempted a landing or foray
up the river, I ordered Wilson's light battery and the available men
of Griffin's battalion, garrisoned here (80 men), to start at once
by an extra train for Beaumont {on the Texas
& New Orleans RR}. They left at 1 p.m. to-day. I sent an
express to Colonel Elmore at Hempstead to move with his regiment to
Houston {down the Houston & Texas Central
RR} by an extra train which I sent to him. I expect them
to-night, and should the reports which I await by the Beaumont train
at 5 o'clock confirm the news of the presence of the enemy, I shall
start with that regiment for Sabine Pass to-night by a train {on
the Eastern Texas RR} which I ordered to be kept in
readiness. I have also ordered a train to be ready on the Buffalo
Bayou, Brazos & Colorado Railroad to start, if necessary, to
take a squadron of Debray's regiment at the same time that the rest
of the regiment shall move on along the railroad, to take
transportation so soon as it can be sent to them. I cannot draw
troops from Galveston, which I will not leave unprotected. |
8.30 P. M. The Orange train {of
the Texas & New Orleans RR} has arrived without any
further news, except the report of heavy cannonading this morning in
the direction of Sabine Pass. Elmore's regiment arrived at 6 p.m.,
700 strong. This, the men of Griffin's battalion, and some citizens
of Liberty and Beaumont, said to have moved forward, will give me a
force of about 900 men, exclusive of Wilson's battery. I start at 12
o'clock to-night with Elmore's regiment.
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***** Debray's regiment is still near Alleyton {on
the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos & Colorado RR} and might be
called. I have not ordered it to move.
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I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
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X. B. Debray |
Colonel, Commanding Sub-Military District of
Houston, Tex. |
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