At the Battle of Galveston, on October 4, 1862, the Union blockading force at Galveston harbor sent a representative to inform the Confederate command that if they did not surrender the town, U.S. Navy ships would attack. Colonel Cook, the Confederate commanding officer at Galveston, refused to receive the representative. Eventually, the Union ships disabled the one Confederate gun at Fort Point and fired at other targets. The boat that Colonel Cook had dispatched now approached the Union vessels and two Confederate officers boarded U.S.S. Westfield. Renshaw demanded an unconditional surrender of Galveston or he would begin shelling. At first, Cook refused the terms, but eventually, he agreed to a truce and the Confederates evacuated the town, taking all of their weapons, ammunition, and supplies.
