New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-10-01
A Reminder of the Fight Mt Sabine Pas

one hour.
A Reminder of the Fight Mt Sabine Pass.
little private incident disclosed in the
extract of letter from Major Dane, recalls
recollec.ions that, in the minds of many
present at this time in New Orleans, will
attest the truth of the statements which
without confirmation would seem like will
full romance. Franklin's expedition was
not determined upon in this department,
but 1t had to furnish it, Commanding two
of the brigades were those tried and ex-
perienced soldiers, Godfrey Weitzel and W.
Fl. Emory. 1t is due to General Franklin
to say Of him that, although they knew
every foot of the coast he never descended
to consult with them. Major Dane is un-
able to tHl( the effect Of his signals on his
commander, but an officer of the headquar.
ters boat IS able to say that when it was
sisnaled that vessel of the fleet was out
of coal, the reply was, throw over your
heavy gums" and the colonel of the artillery
regiment to whom they belonged is still
here to swear about it. But this is crying
over split milk, and if continued would de.
tract from the kindly feeling of Mr.. Moore,
and the cheerful gratitude of Major Dane.
In brief, Major Dane, once an officer of q
| Massachusetts, regiment, lost his sword in
that disaster, and Mr.. John S. Moore, q
descendant of Colonel Bowie, found it, with
his name on it. in an auction room, and, ,
with pure and simple cbivalry, purchased
l <In
he took the most direct method of ascer-
tanning him and wrote this to the manufac-
turer:
have in my possession sword captured
| at this place during the bilious attack that
| possessed the country a few years back
marked Henry c. Dane, Forty first Regi-
| men Massachusetts, Volunteers, October a.
1862 l am anxious to find the owner or
some of his relatives. in order to return the
sword to him or them, as they would doubt
less prize it, particularly if Dane is dead
Have you any record of selling sword to
him. found the sword in an auction store
here, and purchased it with the view of re-
turning it as above.
Dano wasn't dead, not by any means.
He was found to be lively lecturer on the
subject of the "Great Naval Battles of the
Union," and when the Ames Manufacturing
Company put Mr.. Moore's letter in bis
hand, he said "Dave is not dead, but live tn
ever, Moore" and emitting other friendly
remarks thus tells the story;
An expedition of about 6000 troops, with
five guuboats, was sent, under command of
the heroic General Franl lin, to invade the
| State OF Texas and hold possession of that
little tract of country. Sabine Pass was
made the point of attack and On the eighth
OF September everything was ready for the
blow. After due counsel, it was decided to
land storming party of 500, and make q
grand dash at the Notifications. l had pre-
yiously been sent to examine the ground
with my powerful glasses, and had reported
that there was email mud fort, mounting
Blk small guns and several "Quakers," with
q small garrison. But the commanding
General, whose visual organs had become
grestly enlarged through some means, was
able to discover; with naked eye, immense
tortifications, with many guns of the heav.
lest cslibre, a vast garrison, and large
fleet of gunboats in the bay above.
| While the storming party should be land
ing two of the small gunbOats were to go
up and open fire on the fort, draw their fire,
and hold them while the troops moved up
| for the assault. The plan was good; mark
| the execution: At P. NJ, the two gunboats
| moved up to perform their par in the i'm
merse farce. had the delightful position
on the Seehem of signal officer. We were
sent up tn be sscritced-we expe cted to be
81 ,ritced; that wes our business, and l as
sure you, my dear sir, we were not disap-
pointed. When, after one hour and twenty
miuute3 fealful work, the thing stopped
giving out for want OF breath-we found
ourselves aground, tam and at orn, blown
up, and our tub transformed into "lobstar
pot" signaled to the commanding Gen.
eral our condition. and asked bin to come
up snd help US. We observed instant sr.
tivity on the part of the forces below, but
you may imagine our delight when we dis
covered that the whole expedition were
expo diting their fight toward New Orleans,
forming tai upon us aud an enemy Of-who
viii believe our report IA poor little mud
fort, mounting six small guns end two huge
''qus kers, garrisonfd d by one lieutenant aud
before!
Poor Bowling had drawn the elephant.
He had osptured two Yankee gunboats,
with fourteen guns, nearly 300 prisoners
and driven Yankee army of 5000 men and
three gunboate out to sea!
All our small boats had been left with
that army, that the storming party might
1ae them in landing; but now the gallant
Franklin, the heroic commander of the ex-
Pedition, was flying with them to New Or
leans. We could only wait whils Leon
Smith went up to the city to pick up party
to come down as guard IOr the Yankee |
prisoners, who were waiting over an hour |
TOR them to come. Dowling could not leave |
the fort, 80 could not come to receive our |
surrender.
With the exploitation that all this is taken
from the Galveston Ne,gs, and that Major |
Dane indulges in many expressions of graft. |
tude, it only remains to predict, as Dane |
Suggests, that at the centennial they and |
thousands of others will meet, attracted |
serocs the continent by ties that no differ. |
thces can weaken, no swords can cut, no |
bitterness dissolve; those that draw Ameri-
cans together, those that bind all Philadel- |
phians, of whatever race, in one circle of |
love and protection.
A Georgia paper saye: columbus con-