Renshaw's Last Orders
Commander Renshaw ordered his remaining vessels to leave the harbor rather than surrender, and had explosives set to scuttle the immobile Westfield. Tragically, the resulting explosion not only destroyed the Westfield, but also killed Renshaw and some of his men.
Following Renshaw's last orders the remaining Union ships sailed away, escaping Confederate capture, but were forced to abandon the Union infantrymen on shore. Those soldiers were taken prisoner, and Galveston remained under Confederate control until the end of the Civil War.
References
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