It has often been credited as the most one-sided Confederate victory during the conflict. The Confederate forces were, indeed, no longer surprisedthey were aghast. List of naval battles of the American Civil War, List of Naval battles of the American Civil War, Bibliography of early American naval history, "USS Kearsarge vs. CSS Alabama 19 June 1864", Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, "USS and CSS Navy Ships and Battles: American Civil War", Naval History of the Civil War March 1862, List of Union Civil War monuments and memorials, List of memorials to the Grand Army of the Republic, Confederate artworks in the United States Capitol, List of Confederate monuments and memorials, Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials. USS Sachem (1861) The second Navy vessel to bear the name Sachem, this screw steamer was built in 1844 at New York City, where it was purchased by the Navy on 20 September 1861. In the American Civil War he served the Confederate States of America as a volunteer; he was named Commander of the Texas Marine Department [a] under General John B. Magruder. Lamson did not escape the Rebels, however. While the rest of the ships anchored out of range of the fort, Sachem steamed slowly down the Louisiana channel to cover Generals Franklin and Weitzel as they conducted a personal reconnaissance in a ships boat. As the Union convoy entered among the stakes, the Confederates opened fire with deadly accuracy and wrought havoc on the vessels. Union forces raided Sabine Pass in September 1862. Dowlings men had no serious injuries. As Sachem entered among the range-stakes, the Confederates opened fire. When given the order, the admiral did not expect to be victorious. Kearney, Milo; Knopp, Anthony (1991). About that time, at 11 oclock, the cottonclad Uncle Ben approached the fort, steaming to within a thousand yards of the boat carrying the generals. http://www.visitsabinepassbattleground.com/index.aspx?page=14 http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/sabinepass.html http://blog.hmns.org/2011/08/richard-dowling-the-battle-of-sabine-pass-and-the-davis-guards-medal/, http://www.ussarizonacivilwar.org/blockade-runner, https://hauntingsinhistory.wordpress.com/2017/08/15/sabine-pass-battleground-sabine-pass-texas/, https://www.thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/sabine-pass-battleground-state-historic-site, Open: Daily, 8 a.m.5 p.m. Extended summer hours on May 1Aug. Clifton then bombarded the fort using her 9-inch Parrott gun, firing 26 rounds of the 100-plus-pound projectiles. Crocker attempted to keep the ship in action but was sabotaged by his subordinates and circumstance. Whether the reassignment represented a reward, or an attempt to remove the brawling Irishmen from Galveston, or because Irish troops were viewed as most suitable for a task that required digging (Irishmen were known as canal builders), the choice was fortuitous. Battle of Sabine Pass - Wikiwand No doubt he was aware of his own benefit were the venture to succeedas department commander, Banks profited from any prize money collected. Sabine Pass Battleground History. Two Battles of Sabine Pass were fought during the American Civil War: First Battle of Sabine Pass, September 25, 1862. The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government (Complete), Confederate Military History: A Library of Confederate States, Volume 11, Richard Dowling, The Battle of Sabine Pass, and The Davis Guards Medal, History Under Siege: Sabine Pass battlefield designated by CWPT as one of the top 10 most endangered Civil War battlefields of 2009, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Second_Battle_of_Sabine_Pass&oldid=1149451458, Battles of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War, Confederate victories of the American Civil War, Battles of the American Civil War in Texas, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, Company F ("Jeff Davis Guards"), 1st Heavy Artillery Regiment, This page was last edited on 12 April 2023, at 09:47. [2], The navies on both sides not only engaged in battle, but also transported foot soldiers, equipment, and supplies. He is a naval architect by training, and has worked in both space navigation and e-commerce. Boom and Bust: The Historical Cycles of Matamoros and Brownsville (1 ed.). Tibbets and Arizona revived their reputations with outstanding service off Brownsville in the fall and winter of 1864. Henry Halleck, Lincolns chief of staff, preferred a push up the Red River. When the battle began with the Union gunboats' bombardment on September 8, 1863, at the fort were forty-six men; all but two or three were members of the Davis Guards. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Battle of Sabine Pass. Four gunboats and seven transports would cross the bar. Combined with the defeat at Chickamauga, Sabine Pass reduced the nations credit rating. No Union landing at Sabine Pass was ever again attempted. In 1832, Thomas Corts (of England) and John McGaffey (of New Hampshire) were among the first settlers of the Sabine Pass area. The New York City stock exchanges fell. With the gunboats in the lead, the flotilla would move through the two channels and land troops. Regarding this battle no mention is found in official U.S. Navy reports of whether Union sailors were making observations and taking depth soundings from the gunboats' now dangerous top decks, while the Confederate cannon shots pounded and shook their ships. Then Clifton came into range, followed by Arizona. He had them refitted in Galveston. Franklin was ridiculed, and Dowlings Rebels became heroes. The Second Battle of Sabine Pass took place on September 8, 1863, the result of a failed Union Army attempt to invade the Confederate state of Texas during the American Civil War. Suffolk, hosting invasion force commander U.S. Army Major General Franklin and his staff, headed the seven-vessel squadron. The first two ships to go through the pass were badly damaged and ran aground. Several had burns from handling overheated guns or suffered minor cuts from flying debris. [4] The U.S.S. This is the detailed firsthand account of the Second Battle of Sabine Pass and a Union POW's journey after being captured there, as transcribed from his journal writings. Both the crew and a contingent of 77 sharpshooters detailed by the army were forced to flee or boil. Solved This is a History question. If you can please help - Chegg After the main force was landed and united with the initial assault company the intention was to march the few miles north to the railroad and cut the railroad between Houston and Beaumont. She was back on station by dawn, but by that time Granite City arrived to find the pass unguarded. Lamsons Confederate battery multiplied in the telling. [3], Thus, one major strategy of the Union navy involved blockading Southern ports, preventing the South from receiving supplies or aid from allies via shipping ports. This action would deny Sabine Pass and the natural shallow-water harbor Sabine Lake upstream from the Gulf about 6 miles (9.6km) to blockade runners. [7] Less than three miles southeast downriver, well out of range of the Confederate fort's cannons, were anchored seven U.S. Navy transports carrying most of the U.S. Army soldiers of the landing force. Sabine Pass Battleground State Historical Park - Clio The shelling from the fort was eventually enough to turn back the Union force but not before they lost two gunboats. Each "Davis Guards" gun crew during gunnery practice thereby worked to predetermine the approximate charge (amount of gunpowder) needed for each type projectile available for their specific gun (ball, canister, or grapeshot); and which specific guns, charges, and loads had the best potential to hit each range-stake. The US claimed jurisdiction down the Sabine River to the Gulf of Mexico and Texas claimed it ended at the Sabine River delta. Second Battle of Sabine Pass - Wikipedia - Al-Quds University This was a flat, often muddy area already cleared of brush by the Confederate garrison as a clear field of fire for the canister and grape of the fort's artillery. Second Battle of Sabine Pass About 6:00 am on the morning of September 8, 1863, a Union flotilla of four gunboats and seven troop transports steamed into Sabine Pass and up the Sabine River with the intention of reducing Fort Griffin and landing troops to begin occupying Texas. Captured at Sabine: The True Account of a Union POW After the Battle of "[3], Company F ("Jeff Davis Guards"), 1st Heavy Artillery Regiment. [13], The expectations of the earlier settlers, as well as the founders of Sabine Pass, never materialized. With a de facto French government under Maximilian I south of the Rio Grande, the Confederates hoped to establish trade between Texas and Mexico to obtain much-needed supplies for the Confederacy. Instead, troops were committed to offensives along the Red River in Louisiana and Brownsville at the mouth of the Rio Grande. Sabine Pass | American Battlefield Trust Lamson, on Granite City, did not need a reason to fall behind the Clifton. A new plan evolved. The Union had effected its Capture of New Orleans on May 1, 1862, and after the July 3, 1863 surrender of Confederate Vicksburg, the Union military had better control of both the east and west banks and of the mouth of the Mississippi. [2] The Union Navy supported the effort and lost three gunboats during the battle, two captured and one destroyed. Sachem led, opening fire at 2,000 yards. Leon Smith (naval commander) - Wikipedia Sabine Pass, Port Arthur, Texas - Wikipedia As Crocker attempted to back Clifton off the bank, Confederate shot raked the ship. The name of the community evolved over time from City of Sabine, to Sabine City, and then to Sabine Pass. [8] Niles was appointed collector of revenue for the port of Sabine 1842. Typical of much of the Union Navy, the ships were lightly armored and carried a mixed battery of guns. Battle Name: Sabine Pass II: Other Names: None: State: Texas: Location: Jefferson County: Campaign: Operations to Blockade the Texas Coast (1863) Dates: September 8, 1863 . She drew 13 feet. With a de facto French government bordering Texas on the south across the Rio Grande, the Confederates hoped to establish a formal route between Texas and Mexico by way of which the Confederacy could obtain much-needed supplies. Cindy Horswell of the McClatchy - Tribune Business News said that Sabine Pass was "among those hardest hit" by Hurricane Ike. The military Federal force was commanded by Major General Nathaniel P. Banks, a political general with little discernible command ability. He pressed Nathaniel P. Banks, commanding the Department of the Gulf, to move Union forces into Texaspreferably near the Rio Grande, where they could monitor the French. 31, 8 a.m.8 p.m. In November 1862, Confederate General John Bankhead Magruder assumed command of the District of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. The Union controlled most of the harbors along the Texas coast, but Magruder quickly changed that with two major assaults on Union defenses. The Granite City would mark the mouth of Sabine Pass with a lantern visible to seaward. The channel has been dredged, allowing deep-draft tankers access to Sabine Lake. In February 2006, the team from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (EM: HE) visited the town and rebuilt the Firehouse (which included a new Firetruck worth $400,000), the High School Auditorium and gave dozens of families $350 gift cards from Sears to replace items such as clothes, space heaters, blankets etc., lost due to Hurricane Rita. The loss was humiliating for the Union. The executive officer was killed, and the second officer refused to obey Crockers orders to fight fires. On the day of the battle, United States Navy Captain Frederick Crocker entered the Sabine River with four gunboats, accompanied by 18 troop transports containing 5,000 federal infantrymen. Fort Griffin. Clifton approached in the lead, ascending the Texas channel at full speed. Gen. Godfrey Weitzel, departed first. Unusually low water in the Red River at this time, however, prevented even relatively low-draft Union gunboats from operating effectively, and the anticipated overland Union invasion of Texas was further delayed. France had been openly sympathetic to the Confederate States of America earlier in the war, but had never matched its sympathy with diplomatic action. On this day in 1863, at the Second Battle of Sabine Pass, A small Confederate force thwarts a Federal invasion of Texas at the mouth of the Sabine River on the Texas-Louisiana border. Private Stephen H. Wright, a member of Company B in the New York 75th Infantry, was serving as a sharpshooter on the USS Clifton when it was forced to surrender to the . Gas and oil wells stand watch over the waters occupied by the fleeing Federal fleet. Dowling's Texans had previously placed stakes in the river to act as markers for cannon fire. On the afternoon of September 8, 1863, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Frederick Crocker ("Acting Captain") was in command of the advance squadron composed of four gunboats. The Federal departure from New Orleans had been noticed, and garrisons along the Texas coast had been placed on full alert. In 1836, Sublett nominated Houston for president of the Republic of Texas.[10]. Sabine Pass was the site of two naval battles, the First Battle of Sabine Pass, and the Second Battle of Sabine Pass, as well as land skirmishes that occurred around the historic Sabine Pass Lighthouse during the Civil War . Despite their old smoothbore cannon, one of which had just become inoperable, after only a few rounds it was obvious the Confederate artillerymen's months of training and target practice was an astounding success as their aim was deadly accurate. Arguably one of the most uprising Confederate victories of the Civil War. v t e Operations to Blockade the Texas Coast Kellersberg assisted these efforts by planting range stakes at 300-yard intervals across both channels covered by the battery. More than 20 warships loaded with dozens of guns and thousands of trained seamen and soldiers surrendered to the 47 inhabitants of a mud hut in a debacle that defies most conventional military logic. During the summer of 1863, the president of Mexico, Benito Jurez, was overthrown and replaced by the emperor Maximilian, whose allegiance was with France. Two were direct hits on the fort. Subscribe to the American Battlefield Trust's quarterly email series of curated stories for the curious-minded sort! He captured Galveston, Texas, on January 1, 1863, and then drove off a Yankee force at Sabine Pass later that month. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. The Union Navy supported the effort and lost three gunboats during the battle, two captured and one destroyed.. The four gunboats, their crews augmented with 170 army riflemen serving as snipers, would force the channel, silencing the fort with both artillery and small-arms fire. In . Two unarmed transports rounded out the Confederate forces at Sabine Pass. Colonel W. H. Griffin, although this was not shown on Union maps since the First Battle of Sabine Pass in late September 1862. Resolute actioncommitting the remaining gunboats and landing troops from the transportswould have broken the Texan resistance. It has often been credited as the war's most one-sided Confederate victory. According to the Adams-Onis Treaty the Louisiana boundary was "to landfall" on the west bank of the Sabine River but there was still a border dispute between the United States and the Republic of Texas. Possibly he believed in Lamsons phantom horse artillery. Confederate forces captured him, and Granite City, on May 6, 1864in the same inlet in which he had taken shelter eight months previously, the Calcusieu River. They needed little encouragement from Dowling to fight. Instead, the Granite City withdrew. If you can please help answer with at least 4 sentences. Sabine Pass Battleground History - Texas Historical Commission Diary of a Union POW After the Second Battle of Sabine Pass The fleet missed the hidden Granite City, and Lamson either did not see them or ignored them. The battle of Sabine Pass, on September 8, 1863, turned back one of several Union attempts to invade and occupy part of Texas during the Civil War. USS Sachem (1861) - Wikipedia Last updated by Mallory Stanley on December 9th 2020, 1:31:03 pm. The next day, Franklin called for an invasion of the Confederate band of 47 Irish immigrants commanded by Lieutenant Richard W. Dick Dowling, which was holed up inside of Fort Griffin, a stronghold armed with six old smoothbore cannons. It has often been credited as the most one-sided Confederate victory during the conflict. However, the blockade continued to prevent the Confederate troops from replenishing their supplies, which in part led to their eventual surrender.[4]. The battle reached its climax as Clifton closed on the fort. The gunners practiced firing artillery at range markers placed in the river to break the day-to-day monotony. The location also contains the historical value from its role in World War II, when the U.S. Army used the site. Fort Sabine had been renamed "Fort Griffin" in honor of an earlier commander, Confederate Lt. Austin, Texas: Eakin Press. However, Sabine Pass retains its own distinct identity with its own school district, post office, water district, and port authority. Although unimpressive to Union observers and scouts, the fort's gun positions were high enough to afford a clear view to the horizon for many miles: the flat marshlands stretched northeastward into Louisiana, westward toward Houston, southwestward toward Galveston, northward toward Port Arthur and Beaumont, and southeastward into the Gulf of Mexico. from receiving the necessary supplies needed to fight. The following is an excerpt from Texas State Highway 87: In 1970, road machinery used in its construction accidentally dug up several cannonballs and crumbling kegs of black powder about 10 miles west of Sabine Pass. All Rights Reserved. [15] The Confederacy was therefore forced to continue its reliance on blockade running to import valuable materials and resources. So Crocker raised anchor at 7:30, sailing back to the main force to report that the fort had been silenced. You can navigate days by using left and right arrows. Twenty-eight Federal soldiers and sailors were dead, 75 seriously wounded, and over 300 taken prisoner. Fort Manhassett was a series of earthworks constructed by the Confederacy in 1863 to defend the western approaches to Sabine Pass. The Port Arthur Convention and Visitors Bureau stated that Sabine Pass is "often regarded as" being a "self-contained" community.[2]. Known as one of the most lopsided battles of the war, the Battle of Sabine Pass ended in a Union defeat. The first shots of the naval war were fired on April 12, 1861, during the Battle of Fort Sumter, by the US Revenue Cutter Service cutter USRCHarriet Lane. Please select the best answer from the choices provided A B C D Advertisement Today, the Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site at the site of Fort Griffin is a great place to fish or picnic while exploring the rich Stay up-to-date on the American Battlefield Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more. Odlum passed Magruders instructions to Lieutenant Dick Dowling, commanding the fort, framing them as permission to withdraw rather than as an order to withdraw. The Federal fleetless two gunboatsreturned to New Orleans, the last stragglers arriving by September 10. Describe the events of the Second Battle of Sabine Pass that took place on September 8, 1863. Who led the Confederates and who led the Union soldiers? She carried four 24-pound howitzers and a 12-pound rifle. However, low water in the Red River prevented the Union gunboats from entering it. Magruder lacked the forces to stop a Union advance over the coastal plain. The Union plan called for one gunboat, the Granite City, to sail to the pass, where the Cayuga was on blockading duty. Although requested in 1839, and there was a steam lumber mill in the community in 1846, a post office was not established until 1847, as the Sabine City Post Office. The battle took place on March 8, 1862, and lasted for several hours, resulting in a tactical draw. The advance contingent, carrying the invasion forces commanded by Brig. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. His ship was the USSClifton, a steam-powered side-wheeler. The official reports of the battle generally reflect the map's information. Mar 18, 1864. First Battle of Sabine Pass - Wikipedia The markers allowed them to zero in on their targets much faster, which let them put more pressure on the approaching Union gunboats and transports. Coordinates: 294313.85N 935214.69W / 29.7205139N 93.8707472W / 29.7205139; -93.8707472. 1. Both are heroic and larger than life. The Second Battle of Sabine Pass (September 8, 1863) was a failed Union Army attempt to invade the Confederate state of Texas during the American Civil War. In addition, their end goal was to capture the industrial center of Houston, which also served as the Trans-Mississippi Department headquarters. Dick Dowling died of yellow fever soon after the end of the Civil War. About 6:00 am on the morning of September 8, 1863, a Union flotilla of four gunboats and seven troop transports steamed into Sabine Pass and up the Sabine River with the intention of reducing Fort Griffin and landing troops to begin occupying Texas. Banks distrusted the concept of sending an army by sea 600 miles from his New Orleans headquarters, as an invasion near the Rio Grande would have required. The Union Navy supported the effort and lost three gunboats during the battle, two captured and one destroyed. Magruder had no reinforcements immediately available, and felt resistance would cause unnecessary bloodshed. At the same time, Texas gained a hero. With a de facto French government under Maximilian I south of the Rio Grande, the Confederates hoped to establish trade between Texas and Mexico to obtain much-needed supplies for the Confederacy. Civil War Battle. These cottonclads, the Uncle Ben and Josiah Bell, formed the Second Squadron of Magruders navy, a collection of river and bay steamboats armed with a miscellany of guns and protected with bales of cotton. Because of the short distance separating Sabine Pass from the Gulf of Mexico, the city has suffered greatly from numerous hurricanes since its founding. The Confederates held fire until Sachem was well within the range stakes they had laid out. Then troops marching overland from the beaches would carry the fort. Second Battle of Sabine Pass, September 8, 1863. [8] The first wave of 500 men aboard Granite City which steamed as close behind Clifton as possible but out of range of the fort's guns, were to land in the open space adjacent to and downstream of the fort. Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site Police and fire protection is provided by the Port Arthur city government. This Week's Is The Second Battle Of Sab. Kellersberg dug a three-sided earth embankment reinforced with iron rails and cross-ties. During the American Civil War, Fort Manhassett, Fort Sabine, and Fort Griffin (not to be confused with the later frontier fort) were built by the Confederacy to protect the waterway of Sabine Pass, the Sabine River, and the Neches River[15] under General J. The Second Battle of Sabine Pass took place on September 8, 1863, and was the result of a Union expedition into the Confederate state of Texas during the American Civil War. Only one shot of the second volley hit Clifton, but it struck astern, severing the tiller ropes. A second great naval battle occurred at Charleston, South Carolina, in 1863. The ship reeled under the barrage, and then, as she cleared the narrows, Sachem fell afoul of an unexpected crosscurrent that nudged her onto a shoal; the Sachem was aground. A new Confederate commander, John Magruder, chased the Yankees out of both Galveston and the Rio Grande Valley. As the gunboats approached Fort Griffin, they came under accurate fire from six cannons. The forts small force of 46 men, under the command of Lt. Richard W. Dowling, disabled two ships, captured the gunboat Clifton with about 200 prisoners, and forced the Union flotilla to retire. To prevent intervention from Confederate forces in Louisiana that consisted of Brigadier General Thomas Green's First Cavalry Brigade and Brigadier General Alfred Moutons infantry division, the Union division of Major General Francis J. Herron moved to Morganza as a diversion, which precipitated the Battle of Stirling's Plantation. The fort is gone. The hit effectively ended Sachems ability to fight, flooding her with live steam. [9] Philip Sublett and Houston were friends and associates. The Battle of Sabine Pass - Its Causes and Effects Banks's original intent was to launch a combined Army-Navy campaign in northwest Louisiana. about 2 miles (3.2km) upstream of the river mouth. Confederate President Jefferson Davis wrote in 1876 that he "considered the [second] battle of Sabine pass the most remarkable in military history.
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