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A Union Soldier's Account of the Battle of Sabine Pass

Algiers, Louisiana September 14, 1863

We left Baton Rouge on Sept. 3d, 1863 to make a landing at the mouth of the Sabine River. We arrived at New Orleans on the 4th and left at evening on the steamship "Continental." General Emory in command of our division. Our expedition to Sabine Pass on the mouth of the Sabine River was an ill-starred one, so there is nothing in the localpapers as a result. We had the ship "Graham Polly" in tow, and on the 6th, she parted both hawsers and ran into us amidships, letting the lightin upon us at the second deck. About noon on the 7th of Sept., we came to anchor off the bar. The next morning the gunboats shelled the small forts without eliciting any response, which gave the impression that they were deserted, but when the gunboats got opposite, in an attempt to run by, the enemy opened fire and soon had the "Clifton" and "Sachem" at their mercy and took 180 prisoners. Our fleet of transports started off in a hurry, in the panic the steamer "Suffolk" ran into us and was so damaged her crew left and boarded us -- the excitement was intense. Many jumped overboard thinking the ships were sinking and were drowned. I ate all my "Hoss and Hardtack" so as to save it and kept still knowing it would be no use to run around and yell. Somehow some of us poor fellows were saved but almighty scared.

General Nathaniel P. Banks, USA

The transport "Cresent" grounded, got off by sacrificing #1000 worth of commissary stores. Signal was made to leave for the Southwest Pass, but night and a gale came on and the river steamers were at a disadvantage. We were sixty hours getting back to the passes horses nearly ruined for want of water for four days. The "Suffolk" managed to get into New Orleans the same day that we did; that is, on the 12th. Camped at Algiers on the 12th.

Serg't Jacob F. Chandler
Co. D 8th New Hampshire Volunteers

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reunion.omnica.com

The next day, about 50 or more dead soldiers and sailors, which included 22 liberated slaves, whose names are unknown, were buried at Mesquite Point on Sabine Lake. During the battle, the Confederate "heroines of Sabine Pass," Kate Dorman and Sarah Vosburg, drove a buggy down to the fort and delivered coffee, doughnuts and a gallon of whiskey to the weary and grimy soldiers.

The Confederates at Sabine Pass had hardly had time to savor and appreciate their victory, but others quickly did, as the story of the "Alamo in reverse" battle was carried back to Houston and Galveston, and eventually back to the Confederate Congress in Richmond, Va., who quickly ordered that a special Davis Guard medal be cast for each of the men in the fort. The battle had saved Upper Texas from Union occupation until the end of the war and allowed East Texas to continue shipping cotton through the blockade and to act as the bread basket for all the Confederates fighting in Louisiana.

Within a short time, Lt. Dick Dowling was promoted to major in command of all Houston recruitment. But despite his great victory at Sabine Pass, the outcome of the great war had to be decided on the fields of Virginia. Each of the Davis Guards could only watch in horror and disgust as General Lee surrendered all Confederate forces at Appomattox Court House. But there was still another disaster which soon faced the Davis Guard soldiers. During the great yellow fever epidemic of 1867, which killed 3,000 people in Harris and Galveston counties, the beloved Dick Dowling and about half of his Sabine Pass veterans fell victim to the "yellowjack," after having survived the agonies of gunpowder and exploding shells at the battle at Sabine Pass.

However, the death of each of those men will never be in vain as long as there is a Sabine Pass, Texas, to remember them. Its citizens will always cherish the memories of those 47 valiant men, who stood so bravely in the face of death and against such astronomical odds to keep East Texas free of a Federal occupation army.