2nd Battle Of Sabine Pass

Battle of the American Civil War

The Second Battle of Sabine Pass (September 8, 1863) was a failed Wedlock Army endeavour to invade the Confederate state of Texas during the American Civil State of war.^[2] The Union Navy supported the effort and lost three gunboats during the battle, 2 captured and 1 destroyed.

It has frequently been credited as the war's nigh one-sided Confederate victory. Confederate President Jefferson Davis wrote in 1876 that he "considered the [2nd] battle of Sabine pass the nigh remarkable in military history."^[3]

Background [edit]

France was openly sympathetic to the Confederate States of America early in the Civil State of war, simply never matched its sympathy with diplomatic or military activeness. Later on Mexican forces were defeated by French forces in summer 1863, Mexican president Benito Juárez escaped the upper-case letter, and the French installed Austrian Maximilian every bit "Emperor". With a de facto French authorities bordering Texas on the due south across the Rio Grande, the Confederates hoped to establish a formal road betwixt Texas and Mexico by manner of which the Confederacy could obtain much-needed supplies.

United States President Abraham Lincoln was well aware of Amalgamated intentions and sent an expedition to found a military presence in Texas and to discourage Maximilian from opening trade with the Confederacy. The armed services Federal force was commanded by Major General Nathaniel P. Banks, a political general with little discernible command ability. Banks'due south original intent was to launch a combined Regular army-Navy entrada in northwest Louisiana. The Matrimony program was to send Marriage Navy warships from the Mississippi up the tributary Reddish River, which was navigable upstream every bit far as where the boundaries of the Confederate states of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas came together. The Union had effected its Capture of New Orleans on May 1, 1862, and after the July 3, 1863 surrender of Amalgamated Vicksburg, the Union war machine had amend control of both the east and westward banks and of the mouth of the Mississippi. Unusually depression water in the Carmine River at this time, nevertheless, prevented even relatively low-typhoon Union gunboats from operating effectively, and the anticipated overland Union invasion of Texas was farther delayed.

Consequently, General Banks ordered his subordinate, Major General William B. Franklin, who would coordinate with the U.S. Navy, to enter the Sabine River from the Gulf of Mexico and defeat the pocket-sized Amalgamated disengagement at "Fort Sabine" on the river's west bank (Texas side) at Sabine Pass. about 2 miles (3.ii km) upstream of the river oral fissure. The key U.S. Navy target in the Start Battle of Sabine Pass was the original earthworks thrown up on the Texas depository financial institution of the Sabine River about iii miles (4.eight km) south of Sabine City, a tiny town with some wharfs on the e side of its main street.

The U.S. Army boxing plan was that after the U.Due south. Navy gunboats silenced the guns of Fort Sabine, the wave of most 200 U.S. Ground forces infantrymen, riding the deck of one of the chief fleet'south reserve gunboats, would debark immediately beneath (east) of the fort and effected the fort'due south give up. The main armada, less than five miles offshore and well beyond Confederate gunfire, contained every bit many as xx vessels, which carried U.Due south. Ground forces regulars—as many as 5,000 men, according to Official records. A small arms was included. The company-size initial landing force was to then take Sabine Metropolis and secure the area for the main force. After the main strength was landed and united with the initial assail company the intention was to march the few miles n to the railroad and cut the railroad between Houston and Beaumont. Once washed, the Army force would march eastward, presumably destroying the track line as it went, and attack Beaumont. This activity would deny Sabine Pass and the natural shallow-water harbor Sabine Lake upstream from the Gulf about 6 miles (9.six km) to blockade runners.

Considering the dominant size of the Marriage expeditionary force, taking control of Sabine Pass and surround was not expected to be a great challenge to the U.South. forces. To forestall intervention from Confederate forces in Louisiana that consisted of Brigadier Full general Thomas Green's Start Cavalry Brigade and Brigadier General Alfred Mouton's infantry partition, the Union division of Major General Francis J. Herron moved to Morganza as a diversion, which precipitated the Battle of Stirling's Plantation.

Fort Sabine had been renamed "Fort Griffin" in accolade of an earlier commander, Confederate Lt. Colonel W. H. Griffin, although this was not shown on Union maps since the Starting time Battle of Sabine Pass in tardily September 1862.^[iv] ^{[note i]} The Amalgamated detachment residing at the Sabine Pass fort was the Jeff Davis Guards (named for Confederate president Jefferson Davis), a company of mostly Irish-American men from the Houston and Galveston area, recently had merged into the Outset Texas Heavy Artillery. They were stationed at the hastily built earthworks a mile (1.half dozen km) upstream (due north) on the southwest banking company of the Laissez passer. When the boxing began with the Marriage gunboats' battery on September 8, 1863, at the fort were forty-6 men; all just ii or three were members of the Davis Guards.^[5] Under the immediate control of Lieutenant Richard W. Dowling, the Davis Guards had mounted their unit's six old smoothbore cannon on the elevated platform of the minor earthen fort. Although unimpressive to Union observers and scouts, the fort'south 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. The nearest observation point affording a view of Fort Griffin, other than from the mast "elevation" of a naval vessel seaward of the Laissez passer, was the Sabine Pass lighthouse on the Louisiana (reverse) side of Sabine Laissez passer at the rima oris of the Sabine River.

Battle [edit]

Battle of Oral cavity of Sabine River, September 8th, 1863

On the afternoon of September 8, 1863, U.South. Navy Lieutenant Frederick Crocker ("Acting Captain") was in command of the advance squadron equanimous of four gunboats.^[6] Crocker was a veteran officeholder of considerable recent feel in Union river-gunboat actions and blockade duty. His ship was the USSClifton, a steam-powered side-wheeler. As well Clifton, Crocker's advance squadron included Granite City, Sachem, and Arizona, all recently commissioned ironclad warships.^[7] Less than three miles southeast downriver, well out of range of the Confederate fort'south cannons, were anchored seven U.S. Navy transports carrying near of the U.South. Army soldiers of the landing force.^[4] The UsaS. Suffolk, hosting invasion strength commander U.S. Regular army Major Full general Franklin and his staff, headed the seven-vessel squadron. Outside the principal Gulf shore sand bar, an additional two miles (3.2 km) downstream of this squadron, lay at ballast the remaining ships of the 22-vessel invasion fleet. The cited contemporary U.South. Army map shows the nominal positions of the battery armada of iv, the vii ships of the transport squadron, and the relative position farther out in the Gulf of the remaining vessels. The official reports of the battle generally reflect the map's information.^[viii] The total number of Union infantry assault troops in the landing forcefulness is given as 5,000 infantrymen, which included 500 listed equally aboard the Granite City, those aboard the six troop transports in the vii-ship squadron headed by Suffolk, plus an arms company somewhere amongst them.^[8] The commencement wave of 500 men aboard Granite City which steamed as close behind Clifton as possible simply out of range of the fort's guns, were to land in the open space adjacent to and downstream of the fort. This was a apartment, oft muddy area already cleared of brush by the Confederate garrison as a articulate field of burn down for the canister and grape of the fort'south artillery. The U.S. Regular army'south invasion plan, therefore, absolutely required that the Confederate guns be silenced before any troops were debarked. This engagement was to be the largest amphibious assault on enemy territory in the history of the U.S. military upwardly to that date.

Leon Smith, who was at Beaumont, Texas, immediately ordered all Amalgamated troops in Beaumont, some 80 men, aboard the steamer Roebuck and sent them down the river to reinforce Fort Griffin. Smith and a Captain Skillful rode to the fort on horseback, reaching the fort some iii hours before the steamer, arriving but every bit the Wedlock gunboats USSClifton and Sachem came within range, and assisted in the defence force of the fort.^[9] ^[i] ^[ten] ^[11] ^[12]

Dowling's well practiced Irish-Texan artillerymen, whose chosen and officially canonical unit name was "Jefferson Davis Guards", had placed range-stakes in the ii narrow and shallow (five-to-7 feet or i.5-to-ii.1 1000) river channels. These were the "Texas aqueduct" nearly the southwest shore and the "Louisiana aqueduct" against the Louisiana shore. The white-painted stakes were for determining authentic range of the fort's guns: six erstwhile smooth-bore cannon. Each "Davis Guards" gun crew during gunnery exercise thereby worked to predetermine the gauge charge (corporeality of gunpowder) needed for each type projectile bachelor for their specific gun (ball, canister, or grapeshot); and which specific guns, charges, and loads had the best potential to hit each range-stake.

Crocker's squadron had no local river pilots, only general knowledge of the river's channels, no assurance of locations of the constantly varying depths especially of big oyster-shell "reefs" or "banks" betwixt the river's two channels. Regarding this battle no mention is found in official U.Due south. Navy reports of whether Wedlock sailors were making observations and taking depth soundings from the gunboats' now dangerous elevation decks, while the Confederate cannon shots pounded and shook their ships. The few maps to which they had access were former and outdated or could not business relationship for contempo changes in river-bottom conditions. On Captain Crocker's signal the Sachem, followed by Arizona, avant-garde up the correct channel (Louisiana side) as fast as they dared, firing their port-side guns at the fort. Clifton approached in the lead, ascending the Texas channel at full speed. Granite City hovered out of range backside Clifton, having orders non to hazard debarking the 500 attack troops until the fort surrendered or its guns were silenced. As Sachem entered amongst the range-stakes, the Confederates opened fire. Then Clifton came into range, followed by Arizona. Despite their onetime smoothbore cannon, i of which had just get inoperable, later on just a few rounds it was obvious the Confederate artillerymen'southward months of grooming and target practice was an astounding success as their aim was mortiferous accurate.

The Confederates capture Clifton and Sachem

The Confederates captured Clifton and Sachem with a total of thirteen heavy cannon, including at least two new potent Parrott rifles, which were handed over to Leon Smith's Texas Marine Section.^[9] The Union casualties amounted to ii dozen killed and badly wounded, about 37 missing, and 315 Navy men captured. The combined Union Army and Navy invasion force withdrew and returned to New Orleans. The Confederates had no casualties.

Aftermath [edit]

In recognition of the victory, the Confederate Congress passed a resolution of special thanks the officers and men of the Davis Guard. In improver, Houston residents raised funds to provide medals to the Baby-sit; the Davis Guards Medals were made from silver Mexican pesos by smoothing off the coins, and then hand-stamping and hand-engraving on one side, the battle proper noun and date and on the other side the initials "D G" and a cross pattée. The medals were hung on green ribbons, and presented to the members of the Davis Guard.^[thirteen] ^[14] The official Confederate silverish medals were presented in a public ceremony a year later.

The Battle of Sabine Laissez passer was of moderate tactical or strategic significance to the Civil State of war. It was successful in ensuring that the anticipated overland Wedlock invasion of Texas was delayed indefinitely. A Confederate supply line from United mexican states to Texas had existed out of the Port of Bagdad, since the outbreak of the war but was held by the increasingly isolated Mexican Republicans. By the time Imperial French and Mexican forces captured Baghdad in 1864, a supply line to anywhere in the Confederacy e of the Mississippi was no longer viable on business relationship of the Union victory at Vicksburg in July of 1863.^[15] The Confederacy was therefore forced to continue its reliance on blockade running to import valuable materials and resources.

Encounter also [edit]

Listing of conflicts involving the Texas Military machine
Texas Military Department
Texas Military Forces
Awards and decorations of the Texas Armed forces

Notes [edit]

^ This Fort Griffin is not the 1867 post-Ceremonious War U.S. Army cavalry frontier post Fort Griffin west of Fort Worth, Texas.

References [edit]

^ ^a ^b Sabine Pass: The Confederacy's Thermopylae, Edward T. Cotham, Jr.
^ "Battle Summary". National Park Service. Retrieved 24 Feb 2017.
^ Jefferson Davis (12 March 2012). The Papers of Jefferson Davis: 1871-1879. LSU Press. ISBN978-0-8071-3908-0. OCLC 1124457723.
^ ^a ^b Map: Battle of Rima oris of Sabine River, September eighth, 1863. War Department. Office of the Main of Engineers.
^ Sabine Pass Battleground Country Celebrated Park, Archeological Report #8, Antiquities Allow #21 past T. Holtzapple and Wayne Roberson. Texas Parks and Wild fauna Department, Historic Sites and Restoration Branch, Austin, Texas, Sept. 1976
^ Crocker's Report, in Official Records of the Marriage and Amalgamated navies, Series 1, role 20, page 546. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1921.
^ Official Records of the Union and Confederate navies, Series 2, function ane, pages 39, 59, 97, 195.
^ ^a ^b Banks' Study, in The War of the Rebellion: A compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate armies, Series i, 26(1), pages 286-290. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1901
^ ^a ^b Day, James M. (1965) "Leon Smith: Amalgamated Mariner," East Texas Historical Journal: Vol. iii: Iss. 1, Commodity 7.
^ The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government (Complete), Jefferson Davis
^ Confederate Military History: A Library of Confederate States, Volume 11, Clement A. Evans, pages 109-110
^ Lubbock. 6 decades in Texas; or, Memoirs of Francis Richard Lubbock, governor of Texas in war fourth dimension, 1861-63. A personal experience in business organisation, state of war, and politics. p. 505.
^ Cotham, p. 170
^ Richard Dowling, The Battle of Sabine Laissez passer, and The Davis Guards Medal
^ Kearney, Milo; Knopp, Anthony (1991). Boom and Bust: The Historical Cycles of Matamoros and Brownsville (1 ed.). Austin, Texas: Eakin Press.

Works cited [edit]

Cotham, Edward T. Jr., Sabine Pass: The Confederacy's Thermopylae, University of Texas Press, Austin, 2004.

External links [edit]

National Park Service battle description
History Under Siege: Sabine Pass battleground designated past CWPT as one of the top ten most endangered Civil War battlefields of 2009
CWSAC Report Update
Banks, Raymond H. The Male monarch of Louisiana, 1862-1865, and Other Government Piece of work: A Biography of Major General Nathaniel Prentice Banks. Las Vegas, NV: R. H. Banks, 2005. Chapter 44. OCLC 63270945.

Coordinates: 29°43′thirteen.85″N 93°52′14.69″W / 29.7205139°N 93.8707472°Due west / 29.7205139; -93.8707472