The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1892-10-26

XEIWri 2t0 i'NssiH WHlcU tnc
NNNJR v. S. $. Clifton
Y.y4M3Sa was dcstoycd and
[fk~Nd her crew and ono
oS MIggNtS- company ot 18th
m Er3S N. y. taken
WE V@NtNJ prisoners. [
MAHyJ N),wnuld also like TO
ktM' LTNf :. correct . mistake
'tNN,s- EkyiNi5$ !. a3Ou' the number
&. Of the Conledc-
-, HA - rate forces that
ae.s 81. ieSmE7were in and
- sG9~ around Sabine
..;.'- -s:1S, Pass and Beau
ihont. The "Avalanche.Appcal" said
there was only 40 men on the conicdc.
rate side. and they were out of ummu.
milton. That paper can tell this tale
to the Marines. The men who manned
the fort were called the Davies Guards,
an artillery organization recruited in
Houston Tex, and were always mn.
derstood by me 20 number il0 officers
and men.
Capt. Davies was the commander,
but somehow he never showed up
when there was any fighting on band.
On those interesting occasions he del
egated his power to Lieut.. Richard
Bowling, because Dick suppose
could handle an Irish company in Il
fight better than he could; aud If Dick
was killed, what matter. II was like
tSe other Irishman that was going to
be hung-he was used to It.
About the ammunition giving out
just as the Clifton surrendered, and
about there being no one in the fort
but 40 men, let us go down and see
how this was, and give you some ficts.
We had n deserter from the rebel
army on board, he was sccond-class
fireman and his name was Joe Bowers.
When he saw the white flag was going
to be hoi3tcd, he made break for life
and liberty. He jumped in to the Ar.
izona, as she was the nearest ship in
the oi!ing. When the rebels saw him
they called out 70 him to come back,
and u company of infantry that lay
concealed came out and fired at him.
but the tide was gong out and soon
took him out of muskct-range. Then
.he s-inch Columbiads that the fort
was armed with fired leas. two
rounds per gun Mt him Whether Joe
ever reached liberty or was shot
don't know.
The rebel steamer Rocbuck came up
at this time, and we were ordered
aboard by the Captain of this infantry
company that did the shooting at Joe
Bowers, and this company guarded US
to Beaumont; so there were 149 m"n
who were at Sabine Pass on the Con.
federate side that we know Of When
we prisoners arrived at Beaumont we
were put on train and sent to Hous-
ton, where we arrived that night.
Next morning the daily paper came
out-the Telegram" or Telegraph" ="
forget which name it wns-that gave
an account of the fight at Sabine Pass.
After giving n puff to the Davies
Guards and Lieut.. Dick Bowling, the
article in the newspaper went on 10
say: "After the destruction of his gun.
boat Gen. Franklin put his tail be-
tween his legs and went in dogs
trot back to New Orleans, like the
whipped cur that he was. But it ia
to be regretted that he did not laud his
blue-coated invaders on Texas soil, Tor
they had n warm reception for them.
The committee which was appointed to
receive him was Gen. Sterling Price,
Gen. Tom Green, Gen. Dick Taylor, a
detachment from Gen. Kirby Smith at
shreveport, and two brigades from
Sen. Grifllns army; all these were TO
be under the command ofou Ceur de
Le0n-Gen. Magruder.'
Now listen to this. According to
.heir own account they could have had
40 less than 10000, the whole Conied-
crate army of the Trans mississippi, to
oppose Gen. franklin if he had to land
on 1eXas soil distinctly remember
hearing the Confederate say: "Wc
'an support the sky with bayoncts,
sab ~ And now all this grand army
IS cut down to 40 men. They might
have made 1t fifty men just for even
oumbers. But | suppose the ex.Con-
Iederates would not tell lie for one
man.
AS to the Clifton, she was double.
,nder; that is, she had rudder fore
and aft, and she could back or go
ahead without having to make a cir.
cult. All told, her crew numbered 175
men; but at the battle of Sabine Pass
we had company of Sharpshooters
from the 18th N. Y. She had 10 guns
eight GS-pounders, broadside guns
one 50-popnder Parott rifle, and one
9-inch Dahlgrcn smoothbore. The
Dahlgren and Parrott were pivot. guns;
the Dahlgren on the forcastle or for.
ward, the Parrott on the quartcr-deck.
By turning the pivot-guns on port OF
starboard batteries, we had six guns
in battery. The day of the fight we
fought the port battery, There is the
Clifton as she stood manned and armed,
and her gnns in position, the sth day
of September, 1868, when she got or
ders to go up and take the fort ut tho
mouth of Sabine Pass. After getting