The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-11-04
AN IMMORTAL VICTORY.
HOW IL WAS WON AT SABINE PASS BY
AN IRISH LIEUTENANT. s.s

|
AN IRISH LIEUTENANT. ,eg
Forty-two Confederate Soldiers Pitted Against
Ten Thousand Federal Soldiers Besides Gun.
boats. ....E . s.
The New Orleans Picayuno, in. view
OF recent events, reminds its readers that
Sabine Pass is invested with an histofi-
cal importance of which even many
Southerners are ignorant Ex-President
Davis, in Tie Rise and Fall of the Con-
federate Government says that "the cir
cumstances are properly to be considered
marvellous. In September, 1861 the
strategic Importance to tho Union foHces
OF the possession Of Sabine river caused
the organization of large expedition ofE
land and naval forces to enter and ascend
the river. If successful it gave them
short lines for operation against the in
terror Of Texas and relieved thom of tho
discontinue resulting from their expul-
sion from Galveston harbor. The fleet,
OF the enomy numbered twenty-three
vessels. The forces were estimated to
be 10000 mon, under Major General
VIM. Is. franklin and Brigadier w. III.
Emory, Godfrey Wcitzol and Frank
Nlckcrson. No adequate provision had
been made to resist such force, and un-
der the circumstances mono might have
been promptly made on which reliance
could have been reasonably placed. A
Jew miles above the entrance into the
Sabine river small earthwork had been
constructed, garrisoned at the time of
Inv nff,- two 4
houtenants, with an armament of six
guns. The officers and mon wero all
lrlshmcn, and the company was called
the Davis Guards. The captain, +. H.
Odlum, was temporarily absent, SO that
the command devolved on Lieutenant
X. w. bowling. Like Moultrie in the
Revolutionary war, they were advised
and refused to leave the fort. Commo-
dorc Leon Smith, commanding the Ma
rine Department of Texas, says in his
Official report Of September 8, 1868: Il
arrived at the Pass at 3 o'clock D. m. L
found the enemy off and inside the bar
with nineteen gunboats and steamships
and other ships OF war, carrying, as we'll
as l could Judge, $4,000 men. I pro-
cccded with Captai2 Odlum to the fort
and found Lieut.. n. II. Smith, of the
engineer corps, with forty -tw, men, de-
tending the fort. Until 3 o'clock p. m.
our men did not open fire upon the
enemy, as the range was too far. The
officers Of the fort coolly held their fire
until the enemy had approached near
enough to reach them. But when the
enemy arrived in good range, our bate
'nes were opened and Sallantly replied to
; CALLING and most terrific fire from the
: enemy. AS | entered the fort the gun
boats Clifton, Arizona, Sachem and
Granite State, with several others, came
boldly up to within 1000 wards and
opened their batteries, Which We're @ @nI. oI
lantly and effectively replied to by the
Davis Guards. For one hour and q half
n most terrific bombardmcnt of grape
canister and shell was directed against
our heroic and devoted little band within
the fort. The shots struck in every di
rectlon, but thanks be to God, not one
of the noble Davis Guards was hurt
Every man stood at his post,
regardless of tho murdcrous fire that was
poured upon them from every direction.
| The result of the battle, which lasted from
80 TO 3 O'Clock p. M, was the capture
OF the Clifton and Sachem, eighteen
heavy guns, $50 prisoners, and the kill
ing and wounding of fifty men, and
vessels in all The inquiry NAV natur-
ally arise how this small number of men
could take charge of SO large a body of
PRISONERS. This required that to their
valor they should add strategem. A few
men were placed on tho parapets rs SEN
tlncls, the rest were marched out as n
guard to receive the prisoners and their
arms. Thus was concealed the fact that
the fort was empty. The report of the
guns bombarding the fort had been
heard, and soon after the close of tho
battle relntorcemcnts arrived, which re-
llcVcd the little garrison from it's embar-
raSSmcnt.
"a few days after the battle each man
that participated in the fight was pre-
sentcd with a silver medal, inscribed as
follows, on one side:
ID. G.,
which was for Davis Guards and on
the reverse side,