Robinson did more than hold on. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (Washington: GPO, 18801901). In the wee hours of May 11, Barrett summoned his lieutenant colonel, David Branson, and gave him instructions that would lead to the last clash of arms between organized Union and Confederate forces. Fish and Wildlife Services South Texas Refuge Complex, and with support from the Brownsville Historical Association, and the Cameron County Historical Commission, have worked together to increase visitorship to the battlefield. Colonel Ford, at Fort Brown, had ordered Robinson to maintain contact with Branson's column and promised to reinforce him as soon as possible. It was doubtlessly upsetting for many in the North to realize that the last battle in the Civil War (or at least the last time that casualties were claimed) would go down in history as a Confederate victory. Following his service in the Mexican War, Cortina actively protested the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and its treatment of ethnically Mexican landowners, leading to a series of violent clashes along the U.S.-Mexico Border (Cortina Wars, 1859-1863). He was killed at the Battle of Palmito Ranch, the last land battle of the Civil War, and is generally recognized as the last soldier killed in the American Civil War. Resources from our collections include links to digital collections and books from our library catalog. He backpedaled to Whites Ranch, losing one Texan. Still trotting at the double-quick, the 34th overtook the 62nd despite having the longer road around a bend in the river, and when the white regiment reached the far side of Palmetto Hill, it had taken the lead in the retreat. 25 57.568 N, 97 18.203 W. Marker is in Brownsville, Texas, in Cameron County. The sixteen essays (eleven of them new) from some of the leading historians in the field in the second edition of Lone Star Blue and Gray illustrate the rich traditions and continuing vitality of Texas Civil War scholarship. The sun had just set when the first of Morrisons men reached the landing, rushing into the water to secure their places in the skiffs. In addition, nearly 30 stragglers from the 34th fell into enemy hands while their regiment raced toward Palmetto Ranch. Anyone who preferred to leave the country would be given time to gather up property and family before doing so. Photo from UTRGV CHAPS, courtesy of Jerry Thompson. The Confederates chased the federals for seven miles to Brazos Island.   Texas, the Dark Corner of the Confederacy. On the evening of May 11, 1865, Barrett ordered 250 men from the 62nd U.S. The First American President: Setting the Precedent, African Americans During the Revolutionary War, Help Save 125 Battlefield Acres in Virginia, Help Restore History at Gettysburg, Cold Harbor & More, Help Us Save Hallowed Ground in Tennessee and Kentucky, Help Save 820 Acres at Five Virginia Battlefields, Save 343 Acres at FIVE Battlefields in FOUR Western Theater States, Save 42 Historic Acres at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Support the American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act, Stop the Largest Rezoning in Orange County History, American Battlefield Trust's Map Reprint Permission Policy, Spotsylvania Court House | May 10, 1864 | 5-10 pm, Gettysburg | McPherson's, Oak and Seminary Ridges | Now and Then. A few days later federal officers from Brazos Santiago visited Brownsville to arrange a truce with General Slaughter and Colonel Ford. Barrett later reported that "Having no artillery to oppose the enemy's six twelve-pounder field pieces our position became untenable. And yet, most accounts of this long and bloody conflict give short shrift to the complexities of the ethnic tensions, political maneuvering, and international diplomacy that vividly colored the Civil War in this region. One black soldier, Sergeant David Clark, evidently fell out on the retreat and spent the night of May 13 huddled in the chaparral a mile below Palmetto Ranch. Entrance to Palmito Hill Ranch site. They established a base at Brazos Santiago on Brazos Island from which to blockade the Rio Grande and Brownsville. On May 1, 1865, a passenger on a steamer heading up the Rio Grande towards Brownsville tossed a copy of the New Orleans Times to some Confederates at Palmito Ranch. The 2015 ABPP grant lists the geographic coordinates spanning the extent of the extended NRHP area as 255441"N and 972228"W at the southwestern corner and 255915"N . Riding around in civilian dress, Ford placed one section of the battery on either end of his line and kept two guns in reserve. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. When Cocke and Gibbons opened fire on his right, Barrett started his main body to the rear at the double-quick. Along with the slight elevation change, the site also includes ranches, hills, and prairie grasslands that remain largely unchanged. UConn received a subaward from TTU. The enemy was no longer in sight by now, so there was no need for such frenzy. Overview of Preservation Efforts | Palmito Ranch Battlefield The Battle of Palmito Ranch took place from May 12th to the 13th in 1865 as a campaign of expedition from Brazos Santiago, Texas, and is the last land battle of the Civil War. Ford argued against it, but Slaughter insisted and threw out such a heavy line of skirmishers that the Federals feared he meant to charge. With mounted cavalry and artillery, Ford had the perfect force to deal with Barrett's infantry on the flat, open land around Palmito Ranch. Now, Christopher L. Miller, Russell K. Skowronek, and Roseann Bacha-Garza have woven together the history and archaeology of the Lower Rio Grande Valley into a densely illustrated travel guide featuring important historical and military sites of the Civil War period. The federals, meanwhile, had received an erroneous report that the southerners were preparing to evacuate Brownsville and move east of Corpus Christi. A few of the laggards did manage to swim the Rio Grande without interference. Gabriel Culver, Palmito Ranch Battlefield,. Colored Infantry, the 34th Indiana and a few dozen loyal Texans who had volunteered for cavalry service but remained dismounted. Company E was the color company of the 34th, and the prisoners included the men who carried the national and state flags. Early in the war the Union army had briefly occupied Brownsville but had been unable to hold the city. An informal truce was arranged while Ford and Slaughter sent Wallace's proposals up the chain of command, and Wallace informed Grant that the rebels in Texas would soon be surrendering. It was fought May 12 and 13, 1865, on the banks of the Rio Grande east of Brownsville, Texas, and a few miles from the seaport of Los Brazos de Santiago, at the southern tip of Texas. Union Colonel Theodore H. Barrett gave the dying Confederacy the satisfaction of one last victory. Jones six-gun battery were stationed at Fort Brown. Slaughter, a Virginia native who had served in the U.S. Army from the Mexican War until Texas seceded, had been assigned his post some eight months before by Maj. Gen. John G. Walker, whom Slaughter had previously served as chief of staff. The battle of Palmito Ranch took place from May 12th to 13th, 1865, under the Union command of Colonel Theodore H. Barrett. At participating sites, volunteers receive a free water bottle (while supplies last) and have the opportunity to hear historians interpret the battle. Stay up-to-date on our FREE educational resources & professional development opportunities, all designed to support your work teaching American history. The Texans eased their horses forward again, but the last shots of the Civil War had been fired. It was fought May 12 and 13, 1865, on the banks of the Rio Grande east of Brownsville, Texas, and a few miles from the seaport of Los Brazos de Santiago, at the southern tip of Texas. Sign up to receive the latest information on the American Battlefield Trust's efforts to blaze The Liberty Trail in South Carolina. Clarence R. Geier (Editor); Douglas D. Scott (Editor); Lawrence E. Babits (Editor). In February 1865 the Union commander at Brazos Island, Col. Theodore H. Barrett, reported to his superiors that his base was secure from attack and that with permission he could take Brownsville. The battle was fought on the banks of the Rio Grande about twelve miles east of Brownsville, Texas. Three miles from Boca Chica, one of the Federal wagons became mired in a bog, but the Indiana regiment filed around it and made for the boats. Two companies under Captains J.B. Cocke and John Gibbons strung out parallel to the Rio Grande, but wary Yankees saw the movement. Palmito Ranch Battlefield State Historic Site - THC.Texas.gov Battle of Palmito Ranch map.jpg 3,264 2,448; 3.4 MB Battle of Palmito Ranch marker South Texas.jpg 3,024 4,032; 3.43 MB Battle of Palmito Ranch marker.jpg 3,264 2,448; 2.77 MB For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. This diorama depicts the critical moment of the Battle of Palmetto Ranch, the last land action of the Civil War, which was fought near Brownsville, by Union and Confederate forces well aware of the surrender of Robert E. Lee four weeks earlier. In an effort to continue the enhanced interpretation and preservation of the "Last Land Battle" of the American Civil War, the THC hosts Park Day at Palmito Ranch Battlefield National Historic Landmark. Learn more here. The Battle of Palmito Ranch took place from May 12th to the 13th in 1865 as a campaign of expedition from Brazos Santiago, Texas, and is the last land battle of the Civil War. Gen. This article was written by William Marvel and originally published in the February 2006 issue of Civil War Times Magazine. Though Barrett still commanded 500 officers and men, he started falling back before the 300 Texans. 1 2 3 3 km 2 mi + Leaflet Click to view and interact with the map Full Map 1 Civil War | Battlefield Palmito Ranch Battlefield Brownsville, TX 2 Civil War | Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park Brownsville, TX 3 Civil War | Fort Brown and Historic Brownsville Museum Brownsville, TX Fords Confederates pursued doggedly, but from there the narrow peninsula foiled any flanking maneuvers. The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education. As he recreates the events of the fighting that pitted the United States' 62nd Colored Troops and the 34th Indiana Veteran Volunteer Infantry against Texas cavalry and artillery battalions commanded by Colonel John S. "Rip" Ford, Hunt lays to rest many misconceptions about the battle. The Confederates in Texas were aware of the fate of the Confederacy's eastern armies. Category:Battle of Palmito Ranch - Wikimedia Commons We therefore fell back fighting." Through another successful project with the U.S. More than one month after Lee's surrender to Grant at Appomattox, the battle of Palmito Ranch represented the last known land engagement fought as part of the Civil War and the ongoing conflict between the Confederacy's Trans-Mississippi Department and the Union army. Only by deploying 140 men of the Sixty-second Colored in a line running from the Rio Grande to three-quarters of a mile inland did the Union troops slow the Confederate attack enough to allow the northerners to get away. Jeffrey William Hunt, In addition, three more unassigned companies and Captain O.G. Lieutenant Hancock, his second lieutenant and 20 of their Union Texans also surrendered when they were cut off. At Palmito Ranch the federals encountered Capt. An envelope addressed to Lieutenant Colonel David Branson, Commanding Officer 62nd U.S. Theodore Harvey Barrett had the distinction of commanding Union forces in the last battle of the Civil War. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Library, Special Collections & University Archives, History of LRGV Public Health & Healthcare, Lynching of Ethnic Mexicans (1915 - 1920), Palo Alto Battlefield (1846) / Mexican-American War, Continuing studies in Rio Grande Valley history. Join us online July 24-26! Ford, popularly known as Old Rip, had been appointed colonel of Texas troops early in 1861, when Slaughter was still a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. The commander of the post at Bagdad, Mexico, turned it over to an Indiana lieutenant.