The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-09-22

houston t4e4aS}
The following letter from Hon. Jefferson
Davis, ex-President of the Southern Confed
eraey, was received by prominent mer
chant doing business on Nam street, Hous
ton, Texas:
BEAUvoIR, Harrison Co, Miss. !
June Is, 1880.
DEAR SIR have never been able to geI
an account of the defense of Sabine Pass
where a single company defeated the expe
dition under Major General Franklin. A
| friend, however, has written that Mr.. E. H
Gushing, of your city, has complete files Of
the Telegraph during the war;" and that
they contain 'full reports, both official and
from correspondents, of the Sabine Pass
affair"
Would you get some reliable copyist to
make copies of the official reports and any
communication throwing additional light on
the fight. 1t is so remarkable, indeed mar
velous, that it should be perpotuated as a
military event, honorable to the brave band
who held the fort, and did more, consider
men did elsewhere.
Your friend, JEFFERSON DAVIS.
The following, bearing on the above fight,
was compiled by Dan. F. Morton, of Hous-
ton, former member of the Davis Guards !:
tiers in Houston, Sept. Z, 1868;
SABINE Pass, Sept. Z, 1868.
Six federal steamers are sounding the APP
proaches to this point, two of them inside
the bar.
And on the Sth, the following dispatch
was received:
SABINE Pass, Sept. 8-11:30 A. NJ.
e a. 90
ing, from two steamers. After firing twenty
six shots they withdrew. Fort Grigsby re-
piled to them. The enemy have at present
six steamers inside the bar and twenty-six
vessels outside the bar.
A letter received from the regular cores
pendent of the Telegraph gives the account
of how the little band, defending the fort,
replied to the "courtesies'' of the enemy by
obeying Gen. Magruder's standing order to
attack the enemy at once and furiously
wherever he is found:
SABINE Pass Sept. 8-9P.M.
Editor Telegraph
The ball is again opened in Texas. We
have met the enemy and they are ours. Yes
terday the Yankee feet commenced show
ing themselves off the bar, and by night it
numbered fifteen vessels. This morning it
nau increased 10 tWenty-tnree vessels or all
sizes. Sixteen of them inside the bar at
A. NJ. five of them advanced and commenced
shelling the fort, but got no reply; after
continuing about an hour and getting the
range Of the fort, they hauled off until about
3 P. NJ, when two steamers appeared in
sight up the lake. Then three of the Yam
kee gunboats advanced and commenced with
shot and she'll at the fort, one coming up one
channel and two the other. So soon as they
were within close range of all our guns, the
fort opened on them, and within half an
hour a cloud of steam was seen to rise from
two of them, and then the white flag was
ran up. The third went off badly crippled
The feet inside then put outside the bar,
leaving in possession of the gallant men of
the fort the gunboat Clifton, of eight guns,
and the Sachem, of FIVE guns. From the
Clifton 1876 prisoners were taken, besides 80
killed and wounded, and from the Sachem
fifty prisoners, and Is killed and wounded,
besides capturing Commodore Crawford,
the Federal fleet. The Davis
Guards, under the command OF Lieutenant
R. w. Bowling, won lasting honors for
and their country not q man Of
them hurt ar a gun Disappointed, and all
ready and anxious for another fight. The
prisoners captured say there is 10000 men
on board their vessels"