or has made, a new demonstration on Corpus Christi. If so, Debray's regiment is still near Alleyton and might be called. I have not ordered it to move.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

X. B. DEBRAY,

Colonel, Commanding Sub-Military District of Houston, Tex.

Captain C. M. MASON,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

No. 2. Report of Lieutenant Col. A. W. Spaight, Spaight's Texas Battalion.

HEADQUARTERS SPAIGHT'S BATTALION,
Beaumont, Tex., September 26, 1862.

SIR: On the 23rd instant (Major J. S. Irvine, commanding at Sabine Pass during my absence under orders at Houston) two armed sail vessels and one steam propeller came to anchor just outside the bar.

Early the next morning, the two sail vessels, having crossed the bar, took position and opened fire on our works, to which we promptly replied; but the shots from both sides fell far short. They then approached nearer, when a brisk fire from both sides was resumed and continued until dark. To the chagrin of officers and men our shot still fell short, while the enemy was enabled, with his longer-range guns, to throw shot and shell around and into our works. I take pleasure in stating that our men, fighting at this immense odds, and seeing that they could inflict no inquiry whatever on the enemy and while his shell were bursting over their heads and within the works, stood to their guns and served them with great coolness. They could not be restrained from mounting the works and shouting and waving their hats in defiance.

In pursuance to orders Captain G. W. O'Bryan, of Company E, with Lieutenant W. A. Junker and a detachment of 26 of his company, arrived at the fort at night-fall.

When night came on Major Irvine determined that it would be a fruitless exposure of the men and public property to attempt to hold the works another day, and commenced at once to remove the ordnance stores and other property, and spiked the guns, consisting of two 32-pounders and two 18-pounders. The evacuation was completed by daylight the next morning and all the Government property saved. I regret, however, to state that two of the men recently attacked by yellow fever were not in a condition to be removed, and were left in the hospital in the care of competent nurses.

It should be mentioned here that on the breaking out of the yellow fever among the troops at Sabine City they were withdrawn, with the exception of a detachment of artillery (Company B) to garrison the works. It is now manifest that the result must have been the same, no matter what the number of the force there.

To Major Irvine, in command of the post, and to Captain K. D. Keith, in the immediate command of the battery, great praise is due for the gallantry of the resistance offered with such wholly inadequate means, and not less for the orderly manner in which the evacuation was conducted,