Report (on the bottom of this page) dated January 29, 1863, by Rear-Admiral Farragut, U.S. Navy, transmitting reports of the capture of the U.S.S. Morning Light and U.S. schooner Velocity by Confederate steamers off of Sabine Pass, Texas, on January 21, 1863 (Page 1 of 2 pages). This report is in Volume 19 of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion.
Capture by Confederate steamers of U.S. ship Morning Light and U.S. schooner Velocity, off Sabine Pass, January 21, 1863.
Report of Rear-Admiral Farragut, U.S. Navy, transmitting reports.
[No. 31]
Flagship Hartford
New Orleans, January 29, 1863
Sir: I have received dispatches from Commodore Bell and Lieutenant-Commander Read, on the coast of Texas, extracts and copy of which I hereby enclose, by which you will see that our disasters on that coast are not yet ended.
As I had already anticipated, it appears that the enemy came out of Sabine Pass with two cotton-fortified steamers, on a calm morning, ran out to sea some 12 or 14 miles to where the Morning Light was. The latter soon got underway, but by the rebel account (and we have no other), they gave chase, soon came up with, and captured her without losing a man. The same course of nonresistance appears to have been pursued by the officers and crew of that vessel as was pursued by those of the Westfield and Harriet Lane. The schooner Velocity was soon made, also, to surrender, and was taken into port.
I am very thankful that they did not get the guns of the Morning Light, as it would have enabled them to erect a battery of great strength in such a shallow pass.
You will notice that the guns of the Morning Light were loaded and went off when they became heated, by which circumstance I judge the men did not even fire their last charge, but surrendered without a struggle. (This report is continued on page 554)
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