Palmito Ranch TX005

disputedunresolved Branson says people on the Mexican shore saw his hidden command and gave the alarm, while Imperial Mexican soldiers marched up that bank. Barrett says his men were fired on from the Mexican side and reports, on what seemed good authority, that Imperial cavalry crossed during the engagement; NPS calls these reports unproven.

Knowledge attributed in interested reports; the Imperial crossing is a report, not established.

supportedunresolved Branson says a storm and a broken ferry steamer forced the crossing at Boca Chica, with 100 rounds of ammunition and rations cut from seven days to five by Barrett's order. Barrett says the stores that escaped burning on the 12th were destroyed on the 13th.

Supply statements from interested reports; not returns.

supportedunresolved NPS says the expedition was sent to attack reported outposts and camps despite an informal agreement since March 1865 that precluded fighting on the Rio Grande. The inspected Union reports do not mention such an agreement; Barrett says he ordered the advance renewed toward Palmetto Ranch on the 13th, and Branson hoped to capture the White's Ranch outpost.

The agreement is stated only in the NPS summary; no Confederate account was inspected.

supportedpost_outcome The frozen and live results read Confederate victory. Barrett says his force fell back fighting for three hours under fire from front and flank and believes the last volley of the war was fired by the 62nd; NPS calls it the last battle of the war.

Retain the original result and engagement interval; later movements and campaign contribution are different measures. No new probabilities or individual causal credit.

disputedpost_outcome The frozen casualty text reads US 118 and CS unknown; the live field reads 148 (US 30; CS 118), placing 118 on the Confederate side. Barrett gives his entire loss in killed, wounded and captured as 4 officers and 111 men, including 48 men of the 34th Indiana captured as skirmishers. Branson gives two men missing, and the compiler's note on his omitted list shows five wounded.

Original casualty returns were not inspected; preserve totals, categories, cutoffs and differences. No canonical reconciliation or casualty-based opening count; related actions must not be added without resolving population overlap. Barrett's 115 and the frozen 118 differ; the live side assignment conflicts with the frozen table.

supportedunresolved The frozen commanders are Colonel Theodore H. Barrett and Colonel John S. 'Rip' Ford. Branson commanded on the 12th; Barrett assumed command in person on the 13th and ordered the retreat. The inspected reports do not name Ford; only NPS places the Confederate cavalry under him.

Command roles from interested Union reports and the NPS summary; no automatic sole credit.

unknownunresolved

No inspected return establishes matched personnel at a common opening boundary. The frozen side-specific numerical strength bounds are blank (missing_numeric_strength). No figure in this pass is adopted as a simultaneous opening force.

supportedunresolved The frozen force field names detachments of the 62nd U.S. Colored Infantry, 2nd Texas Cavalry and 34th Indiana, and of Gidding's regiment, Anderson's battalion and others, without figures; the live field reads 0. Barrett and Branson give 250 of the 62nd and 50 dismounted men of the 2nd Texas Cavalry crossing on May 11, and Barrett about 200 of the 34th Indiana joining on the 13th. Branson expected an outpost of sixty-five at White's Ranch, says the Palmetto Ranch camp had held about 190 men and horses, and that the nearest enemy body in the retreat was 250 strong with two guns; Barrett says the enemy had six 12-pounder field pieces.

Union column figures and opponents' estimates of parts of the Confederate force: 250 and 50 crossed on May 11; 200 joined on May 13; the outpost of sixty-five was expected on May 12; about 190 had occupied the camp before noon on May 12; the 250 with two guns and the six field pieces refer to the afternoon of May 13. Barrett wrote in August 1865, after reports in detail had gone to New Orleans; his column figures may depend on Branson's report, so their agreement on the 250 and 50 is not independent. No Confederate report was inspected. None is adopted as a matched opening strength.

supportedinherited Barrett says the afternoon fight was in the chaparral and that in the last position the Rio Grande was on his left and the enemy's flanking force under cover of thick chaparral on his right; Branson says the force fell back to a bluff on the river about twelve miles from Boca Chica.

Natural ground from interested reports; no map verification.