The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-23
ANIMPERISHiDLE VICTORY
WON AT SABINE PASS BY AN
IRISH LIEUTENANT
And FOrty.twO Confederate Soldiers
Against Ten Thousand Federal
Soldiers and 6unb0ats.

NEW ORLEANF, LA, October 21.-
The PicaytIne, in view of recent events,
reminds lie readers that Sabine Pass
is invested VITA an historical import
ance of which even many Southerner5
are ignorant. Elk President Davis, in
The Rise and Fall Of the Confederate Coz
eminent, says that "the circumstances
ara prop arly to be considered marvel.
Gus. In September, 1868, the stIa' egic
importance to the Union forces of To
possession OF gsbine river caused the
organization Of large expedition of
land and naval forces 10 enter and as
Cend the river. II succafsful il gave
them short lines for operation against
the interior of I, xss and relieved
them of the isc1mfiture resulting
from their expulsion from Galveston
harbor. The feet of the enemy mum.
bered tweDty-tnree vessels. TIE forces
were estiuated to be 10000 men,
under Maj. Gen. VIM B. Fra nklin
and Bigaders w. II. Emory, Godfrey
Weiizel and Frabk Nickerson, No
adequate provision hGd been made 10
rsitt such a force, and under the cir
cumstancCs none might have
been promptly made on which
reliance could have been
reasonably plac d. A few miles above
the entrance into the Sabine river
small eatthwork had been con
structed, qarrisoned at the time cf the
scIion by forty-two men and two lieu
tenants, with an Armament of six
guns. The officers snd men we're all
Irisbmen, and the corr any was
called the Davis Guards. The captain,
+. d. Odlum, was Temporarily absent,
30 that tbs command devolved on
Lieut.. r. w. Bowling. Like Moultrie
in the Revolutionary war, they were
advised and ,efos d to leave the fort.
Commodore Leon Smith, mmsnd
ing the MsTipe Department Of Texas,
says in his official report of September
8, 1868: Il arrived at the Pass at 8
O'Clock pm. l found thu enemy eff
and inside the bar with nineteen gun
boats and steamships and other ships
OF war, carrying, az well az | could |
judge, 10, 600 mon. I proceeded with |
Capt. Odlum to the fort aud found |
Lieut.. N. II. Smith, Of the Engineer |
Corps, with foriytwo men, defending
the tort. Until 3 O'Clock pm. our
men did not open fire on the enemy,
as the range was too distant. The
oficera of the fort coolly he'd
their fire until the enemy had
approached hear enough to rerch
them. But when the enemy arrived
within good range, our batteries were
opened ard calamity replied to a
CALLING and most terrific fire from The
enemy. As l entered the fort the
guuhoats Cliff op, Arizona, Sachem
and Granite State, with several Others,
came boldly up to within 1910 yards
and opened their batteries, which
were CALAMITY and effectively replied
to by the Davis Guards. For one
hour and half most terrific bom-
bardment of grape, CAMS er and che
was ir;cted against our heroic and
devoted littls band within the iorf.
The shot struck in every dire ction,
but, thanks be to G d, not one of the
noble Davij Guaid d. was hurt.
Every mao stood at his post, regard
lees of The numerous fire that was
poured upon them from every direc.
tion. The retut of the battle, which
lasted from $3.50 to 5 O'Clock pm,
wss the capturing OF the Clifton and
Sachem, eighteen heavy guns, $50
prisoners and the killing and wound
Dg of fifty men, and driving outside
.he bsr of tyenty.three vessels in all
The it quiry may naturally arise, how
his small number of men could take
,harge of 80 large a body OF prisoners.
This required that to their Valor they
Ihould add strstagem. A few men
we're placed On the parapets az seati-
lels, the rest were marched out as a i!
,uard to receive the prisoners and !
heir arms. Thus vas concealed the
act that the fort was empty. The re-
,ort OF the guns bombarding the fort :
lad bIen heard, aud soon sfier the :
lose of the battle reinforce ments ar. !!
lived, which relieved the little gsrri- l.
on from IFS embarrassment.
"A few days after the battle each l
nan that participated in the fight was !
presented with a silver medal, in
cribed IS follows: On Que side, ID. ,
L., fos the Davis qua ds, and on the
evene side, Sabine Pass, September G
1881" :