We have a Texas attraction and an historical site that you'll find interesting.
A site in far southeastern Jefferson County Texas was the location of a significant Civil War battle that proved, for the time, to be a resounding victory for the Confederacy against lopsided odds. It's one of the unique historical Texas attractions found throughout the Lone Star State.
Visit the Sabine Pass Battlefield State Historic Site
If your Texas vacation plans take you to far southeast Texas along the Gulf coast, make a note to visit the Sabine Pass Battlefield State Historic Site. This is at an area where the Sabine River enters the Gulf of Mexico. Today, the site is operated by the Texas Historical Commission and features a statue that honors the service of the Confederate commander of this battle.
The Sabine Pass Battlefield Historic Site is about a ninety minute drive east of Houston, TX and about a twenty minute drive south of the city of Port Arthur, Texas.
While in this area of Texas you may also want to visit nearby Sea Rim State Park. Sea Rim State Park has 5.2 miles of Gulf shoreline and 4,000 acres of marshlands. Plenty of fun things to do at this park that doesn't break the pocketbook plus camping sites are offered. Activities include birding and beach combing, paddling in a canoe or kayak, swimming and fishing. Also a nature trail along a boardwalk through the marsh land. The park is located 20 miles south of Port Arthur on State Highway 87. The park is 10 miles west of Sabine Pass.
Why Sabine Pass Was Important
The battle described below was the Second Battle of Sabine Pass.
Earlier, in 1862, the Union Navy was able to penetrate troops and three vessels about twelve miles up the Sabine River and destroy several Confederate positions including Fort Sabine. When they were eventually faced with a much superior Confederate force they had to back down the river and escape into the gulf.
In 1863 the Union forces still wanted to find a way to invade Texas from within. The Sabine River again presented that opportunity since the river ran north from the Gulf making it the border between Texas and Louisiana. Texas on the west and Louisiana on the east. Land enough Union troops on the west bank of the Sabine River, the Union planned, and they would begin their offensive marching west toward San Antonio and Austin.
The Confederates Face Off Against the Union Navy
The battle of Sabine Pass would take place on September 8, 1863. One of the significant facts about the Battle of Sabine Pass was the difference in troop strength between the two sides. The Union assault on Texas involved Navy vessels.and Army troops. The Army had four infantry brigades, six artillery batteries, one squadron of the Texas Union Cavalry. The U.S.Navy came to the battle with four gunboats and twenty-seven transports.
The Confederate side consisted of forty-seven men of Company F, Texas Heavy Artillery, known as the Davis Guards in honor of President Jefferson Davis.
This looked to be a lopsided battle such as that at the Alamo decades earlier, but with a far different outcome. The Battle of Sabine Pass stands out today as being probably the most interesting Civil War battle on Texas soil.
The battle plans for the Union, which were altered several times, was to essentially go up the river and disembark the Army infantry and artillery batteries after securing the area with their gunboats. The Confederate troops, led by Lieutenant Richard William Dowling, a Houston businessman, occupied Fort Griffin along the Texas side of the Sabine River a short way upstream from the Gulf of Mexico. They would fire on Union vessels making their way up river from the pass.
Gunfire was exchanged between the Confederates at Fort Griffin and the Union gunboats. Two Union boats were to attract fire from the fort while another two were to rain cannon fire on the fort position. The Davis Guards did not waste shots but chose to pick their targets. One such target was the gunboat Sachem which was exchanging fire with Fort Griffin.
The Famous Shot
Stories about the Battle of Sabine Pass tell of a famous shot taken by Confederate Private Michael McKernan. McKernan was credited with putting a round from a 24 pound cannon round through the midships of the Sachem that ruptured the boiler. Many of the crew panicked and abandoned the vessel to escape the boiling steam. They would eventually be captured by Confederate troops.
The vessel Arizona accompanying the Sachem then began to retreat which gave the Davis Guards time to put the Union gunboat Clifton in their sights. Confederate fire from Fort Griffin ripped away the Clifton's wheel rope followed by a cannon shot that blew up it's boiler. This essentially marked the end of the Union assault with remaining vessels retreating back to the Gulf of Mexico.
Aftermath
The end result of this ill fated Union assault saw about 75 Union casualties and about 300 Union soldiers taken as prisoners. The Union Navy lost two gunboats. As for the Confederates, no troops were lost but several had burns from their guns and gun powder.
Winning this battle for the Confederacy meant that Sabine Pass would remain open and would continue to be used as a port for their blockade running ships.
Medals were later given to Lieutenant Richard William Dowling and his Davis Guards soldiers. A commendation was also given directly from President Jefferson Davis.
You may also enjoy visiting sites on the Western Trips articles on the links below...
Dripping Springs Texas and a Frontier Settlement
A Walking Tour of Historic Gonzales Texas
The Texas Rangers Museum and Their Historic Firearms
Drive the 13 Mile Route 66 in Kansas
Learn About Texas Civil War History
For those interested in Texas Civil War History, a stop at the Sabine Pass Battlefield Historic Site is well worth your time and a unique Texas attraction. The map left shows the area in Texas of Jefferson County.
Your self-guided tours of the Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site includes memorial features such as the statue of Lt. Richard “Dick” Dowling of the Davis Guards and a memorial to the Union casualties of the battle. You'll also see an interpretive pavilion and a scaled model of the Confederate Fort Griffin.
An excellent book and a reference for this article is...Battlefields of Texas by author Bill Groneman. Another excellent book on this subject is...Sabine Pass: The Confederacy's Thermopylae by Edward T. Cotham Jr. For those looking for detailed information about the Union vessel Sachem, see website...http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s2/sachem-ii.htm
(Article copyright Western Trips. Photos in the public domain)
A site in far southeastern Jefferson County Texas was the location of a significant Civil War battle that proved, for the time, to be a resounding victory for the Confederacy against lopsided odds. It's one of the unique historical Texas attractions found throughout the Lone Star State.
 |
| Battleground Pavilion |
If your Texas vacation plans take you to far southeast Texas along the Gulf coast, make a note to visit the Sabine Pass Battlefield State Historic Site. This is at an area where the Sabine River enters the Gulf of Mexico. Today, the site is operated by the Texas Historical Commission and features a statue that honors the service of the Confederate commander of this battle.
The Sabine Pass Battlefield Historic Site is about a ninety minute drive east of Houston, TX and about a twenty minute drive south of the city of Port Arthur, Texas.
While in this area of Texas you may also want to visit nearby Sea Rim State Park. Sea Rim State Park has 5.2 miles of Gulf shoreline and 4,000 acres of marshlands. Plenty of fun things to do at this park that doesn't break the pocketbook plus camping sites are offered. Activities include birding and beach combing, paddling in a canoe or kayak, swimming and fishing. Also a nature trail along a boardwalk through the marsh land. The park is located 20 miles south of Port Arthur on State Highway 87. The park is 10 miles west of Sabine Pass.
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| Gulf of Mexico beach near Sabine Pass |
The battle described below was the Second Battle of Sabine Pass.
Earlier, in 1862, the Union Navy was able to penetrate troops and three vessels about twelve miles up the Sabine River and destroy several Confederate positions including Fort Sabine. When they were eventually faced with a much superior Confederate force they had to back down the river and escape into the gulf.
In 1863 the Union forces still wanted to find a way to invade Texas from within. The Sabine River again presented that opportunity since the river ran north from the Gulf making it the border between Texas and Louisiana. Texas on the west and Louisiana on the east. Land enough Union troops on the west bank of the Sabine River, the Union planned, and they would begin their offensive marching west toward San Antonio and Austin.
The Confederates Face Off Against the Union Navy
The battle of Sabine Pass would take place on September 8, 1863. One of the significant facts about the Battle of Sabine Pass was the difference in troop strength between the two sides. The Union assault on Texas involved Navy vessels.and Army troops. The Army had four infantry brigades, six artillery batteries, one squadron of the Texas Union Cavalry. The U.S.Navy came to the battle with four gunboats and twenty-seven transports.
 |
| Image of a Civil War era Iron Clad Gunboat |
This looked to be a lopsided battle such as that at the Alamo decades earlier, but with a far different outcome. The Battle of Sabine Pass stands out today as being probably the most interesting Civil War battle on Texas soil.
The battle plans for the Union, which were altered several times, was to essentially go up the river and disembark the Army infantry and artillery batteries after securing the area with their gunboats. The Confederate troops, led by Lieutenant Richard William Dowling, a Houston businessman, occupied Fort Griffin along the Texas side of the Sabine River a short way upstream from the Gulf of Mexico. They would fire on Union vessels making their way up river from the pass.
Gunfire was exchanged between the Confederates at Fort Griffin and the Union gunboats. Two Union boats were to attract fire from the fort while another two were to rain cannon fire on the fort position. The Davis Guards did not waste shots but chose to pick their targets. One such target was the gunboat Sachem which was exchanging fire with Fort Griffin.
 |
| Image of Lt. Richard Dowling |
Stories about the Battle of Sabine Pass tell of a famous shot taken by Confederate Private Michael McKernan. McKernan was credited with putting a round from a 24 pound cannon round through the midships of the Sachem that ruptured the boiler. Many of the crew panicked and abandoned the vessel to escape the boiling steam. They would eventually be captured by Confederate troops.
The vessel Arizona accompanying the Sachem then began to retreat which gave the Davis Guards time to put the Union gunboat Clifton in their sights. Confederate fire from Fort Griffin ripped away the Clifton's wheel rope followed by a cannon shot that blew up it's boiler. This essentially marked the end of the Union assault with remaining vessels retreating back to the Gulf of Mexico.
Aftermath
The end result of this ill fated Union assault saw about 75 Union casualties and about 300 Union soldiers taken as prisoners. The Union Navy lost two gunboats. As for the Confederates, no troops were lost but several had burns from their guns and gun powder.
Winning this battle for the Confederacy meant that Sabine Pass would remain open and would continue to be used as a port for their blockade running ships.
Medals were later given to Lieutenant Richard William Dowling and his Davis Guards soldiers. A commendation was also given directly from President Jefferson Davis.
You may also enjoy visiting sites on the Western Trips articles on the links below...
Dripping Springs Texas and a Frontier Settlement
A Walking Tour of Historic Gonzales Texas
The Texas Rangers Museum and Their Historic Firearms
Drive the 13 Mile Route 66 in Kansas
Learn About Texas Civil War History
For those interested in Texas Civil War History, a stop at the Sabine Pass Battlefield Historic Site is well worth your time and a unique Texas attraction. The map left shows the area in Texas of Jefferson County.
Your self-guided tours of the Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site includes memorial features such as the statue of Lt. Richard “Dick” Dowling of the Davis Guards and a memorial to the Union casualties of the battle. You'll also see an interpretive pavilion and a scaled model of the Confederate Fort Griffin.
An excellent book and a reference for this article is...Battlefields of Texas by author Bill Groneman. Another excellent book on this subject is...Sabine Pass: The Confederacy's Thermopylae by Edward T. Cotham Jr. For those looking for detailed information about the Union vessel Sachem, see website...http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s2/sachem-ii.htm
(Article copyright Western Trips. Photos in the public domain)
