The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-11-03
AN IMMORTAL VICTORY.
HON II WAS WON AT SABINE PASS BY
An IRISH LIEUTENANT.

HON II WAS WON AT SABINE PASS BY
An IRISH LIEUTENANT.
Forty-two Confederate Soldiers Pitted Against
Zen Thousand Federal sold!crs Besides Gun
| boats.
The New Orleans Picayune, in vicw
Of recent events, reminds its readers that
Sabine Pass is invested with an histori-
cal Importance of which even many
Southerners are ignorant Ex-President
Davis, in Tie Rise and Fall of the Con-
federate Government says that s'the cir
cumstances are properly to be considered
marvellous. In September, 1868, the
strategic importance to the Union forces
OF the possession of Sabine river caused
the organization Of large expedition of
land and naval forces to enter and ascend
the river. II successful it gave them
short lines for operation against the in
terror of Texas and relieved them of the
discontinue resulting from their expul-
sion from Galveston harbor. The feet
of the enemy numbered twenty-three
vessels. The forces were estimated to
be 10000 men, under Major General
VIM. B. Franklin and Brigadier W. b.
Emory, Godfrey Weitzel and Frank
Nickerson. No adequate provision had
been made to resist such force, and un-
der the circumstances none might have
been promptly made on which reliance
could have been reasonably placed. A
few miles above the entrance into the
Sabine river small earthwork had been
constructed, garrisoned at the time Of
the action by forty-two men and two
ieutenants, with an armament of six
guns. The officers and men were al
Irishmen, and the company was called
the Davis Guards. The captain, +. q.
Odlum, was temporarily absent, so that
the command devolved on Lieutenant
R. ". Dowling. Like Moultrie in the
Revolutionary war, they were advised
and refused to leave the fort. Commo-
dore Leon Smith, commanding the Ma
rine Department Of Texas, says in his
official report of September 9, 1868: 4
arrived at the Pass at o'clock p. m. I
found the enemy off and inside the bar
with nineteen gunboats and steamships
and other ships Of war, carrying, as well
as could Judge, $4,000 men. I pro-
ceeded with Captain Odlum to the fort
and found Lieut.. n. Il. Smith, of the
engineer corps, with forty-twJ men, de-
tending the fort. Until 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
ries were opened and gallantly replied to
a calling and most terrific fire from the
enemy. As I entered the fort the gun
boats Clifton, Arizona, Sachem and
Granite State, with several others, came
boldly up to within 1000 yards and
opened their batteries, which were gal
lantly and effectively replied to by the
Davis Guards. For one hour and half
most terrific bombardment OF grape,
canister and she'll was directed against
our heroic and devoted little band within
the fort. The shots struck in every di-
rection, but thanks be to God, not one
of the noble Davis Guards was hurt.
rs s :: Every man stood at his post,
regardless of the murderous fire that was
poured upon them from every direction.
Iheresult Of the battle, which lasted from
$50 to o'clock p. NJ, was the capture
Of the Clifton and Sachem, eighteen
heavy guns, $50 prisoners, and the kill
ing and wounding Of fifty men, and
driving outside the bar Of twenty-three
vessels in all The inquiry may 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 the parapets as SEN
tinels, the rest were marched out as
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 the
battle reinforcements arrived, which re-
ieved the little garrison from its embar-
rassment.
ga few days after the battle each man
that participated in the fight was pre-
sented with silver medal, inscribed as
follows, on one side:
ID. g.
which was for Davis Guards, and on
the reverse side,