The Battle of Galveston - Civil War - 20th Street between Strand and Harborside

👂Listen: Kuhn's Wharf

📍Visit our interactive map!

Interested in information covered in this episode? Dive deeper into the links below! :
Battle of Galveston

Transcript:
The American Civil war made its mark in Galveston. During the Civil War, Galveston was a key port to the confederate supply lines. Although the Union Navy had organized blockades at the port; blockade runners were still able to traverse the unions effort to cut off the confederates flow of shipments.In October of 1862, The Union Navy had finally seized control of the Port of Galveston. on New Year’s Day 1863, A joint effort between the confederate army, and a makeshift confederate naval force attacked the Union vessels in the harbor. The confederacy hatched a plan to use cotton clad warships. These vessels were essentially steam powered barges, with pressed cotton stacked up around the edges as armor.The confederate army, Led by General John Bankhead Magruder, utilized the Hendley building, and other smaller buildings on 20th Street. With cannon fire from the Hendley Building and the cotton clad steamers coming in Hot from Houston, the confederate forces got a jump on the Union Navy. The battle was short as the Union Navy was not prepared and the confederacy once again claimed Galveston. After this battle, the union was never successfully able  to maintain control of the port of Galveston, making Galveston the only confederate port not successfully captured during the Civil War. The Henley building located on the corner of 20th and Strand is still standing today. If you look closely at the 20th St. facing wall, you may be able to spot cannonball or shell damage on one of the pillars. While standing in between Harborside and Strand on 20th St. you are standing on a Civil War battle ground.

Contact us: [email protected]