The only major battle of the Civil War was over control of Galveston.  That didn’t exactly happen on this day.  However, in 1862, Union Commander William B. Renshaw led a squadron of eight ships into Galveston harbor and demanded surrender of the only important Texas. Brig. Gen Paul O. Hebert had already removed most of the heavy artillery from Galveston Island wisely believing it to be indefensible.  In return, the garrison at Fort Point fired on the Union ships, which responded with volleys that dismounted the Confederate guns. The Confederate commander Col. Joseph J. Cook arranged a four-day truce and used it to evacuate his men to the mainland.