A LANDING HALTED

On this day the 16th was spending its sixth day on board the steamer St. Mary, now anchored off St. Joseph Island, Texas. The troops on board the St. Mary had just experienced three grueling days of being at sea during a terrific storm.

A Union force was already on St. Joseph Island with the intention of marching on and taking Confederate held Fort Esperanza, about 45 miles to the northeast. The troops on board, including the 16th Ohio and the 69th Indiana, were being landed to join this force in its attack. They had accomplished landing three companies of the 69th Indiana Infantry when it was reported that the Rebels had abandoned the fort. Given this news, the landing on St. Joseph Island was halted and the St. Mary, with remaining troops aboard, steamed east to land them in the now safe location of Decros Point.

The St. Mary sailed east and, again, anchored off Decros Point about dark.

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Detailed 1984 nautical map showing the approximate route of the 16th Ohio on board the steamship St. Mary from November 27 to 30, 1863. The ship is now anchored, for the third time, off Decros Point, Matagorda Peninsula, Texas.

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Modern day map showing the approximate route of the 16th Ohio from November 27 to November 30, 1863.

Red pin - Approximate location of the 16th Ohio late on November 27 and during the 28, 1863, anchored off Decros Point, Matagorda Peninsula, Texas, during a storm.
Aqua pin - Approximate location of the 16th Ohio about 1:00am on November 29, after being blown out to sea by the storm during the day, November 28, 1863.
Green pin - Approximate location of the 16th Ohio on the morning of November 29, 1863, back at its anchorage off Decros Point, Matagorda Peninsula, Texas, after returning from far out at sea where it was blown the night before.
Yellow pin - Approximate location of the 16th Ohio later on November 29, 1863, off St. Joseph Island, Texas, where it was to land the troops on the island the next day.
Blue pushpin - Approximate location of Fort Esperanza, now abandoned by the Confederates.
Green pin - Approximate location of the 16th Ohio on the evening of November 30, 1863, back at its anchorage off Decros Point, Matagorda Peninsula, Texas.