The Columbus journal., 1899-10-04

From Democracy. Of Nashville. Tenn:
Where the Gulf of Mexico comes into
the Sabine lake. on the coast of Texas.
near the Louisiana line, there is q
narrow channel of water which Is
about four hundred yards wide On
the north bank OF this little channel.
today. one sees the smokestack, few
feet above the water. Of sunken boat.
Just opposite to 1t. on the Southern
bank. there Is dirt wall. and over this
Is q painted sign that reads Fort
Dowling." That is all that now lives
As evidence Of q thrilling drama. the
equal of which the world has never
seen. and that was played out at this
place back yonder in the closing days
OF our civil war. Gen. Banks. with
plenty Of men and boats and ammuni-
tion and supplies. had gone up the Red
River into Louisiana and was ham
mering Kirby Smith and Dick Taylor
into destruction. The Federal gov
eminent conceived the idea that Smith
and Taylor might be attacked In the
rear by an expedition landed on the
shores OF Sabine lake. and consisting
OF some ten thousand men. who would
be transported to their landing by a
part Of the Federal feet. To reach the
banks Of the lake. of course. 1t was
necessary to go through Sabine Pass
this narrow channel of which I have
spoken. Richard Bowling, in COM
mand Of about forty men. was acting
as a scout for Smith and Taylor, and
saw the evidence of the coming of this
neet Of gunboats and transports. and.
With his forty men. took possession of
q little mud fort at the mouth of the
pass. In which there were three or four
six Founders and perhaps a siege gun
There he waited with guns loaded and
instructions given to his men that |
they must not fire until the gunboats
came well abreast of him. only about |
800 yards away. His plan of action
was not to shoot until they were imme-
diately opposite. and then to discharge
his whole battery at the gunboat. This
was done successfully; her boilers were
exploded. and together with hundreds
Of soldiers. she sank to the spot where
she now rests. Many died from the
steam that scalded them. more from
The water that engulfed them. Load
ing his guns, he sank the next vessel
with the same disastrous result to the
enemy. and. loading yet again, he
.urned his guns on the transport fol-
owing. with a thousand men aboard of
Ter. She. in response, ran up a white
lag. The rest Of the feet turned and
allied away, leaving the dead bodies
Il the drowned soldiers and the sunken
'essels. Bowling. in a dugout (this is
followed log or canoe. as 1t is vari-
'usly called). padded himself out to
eceive the surrender of this TRANSPORT
With thousand men. The comman-
Ter OF the vessel expressed his surprise
t such a reception of his white-fiax
oxen. and asked why the commander
Z the fort didn't come in person to
eceive his surrender. Bowling re-
lied: Il am the commander and have
ONE In person" to which the captain
AID: well. what do you mean by
omfng this way. in canoe by your
elf?" Bowling answered: Il have
o other way of getting here and hence
came In my dugout." He received
he surrender, paroled the prisoners,
'r he could not take them in charge.
nd went back to his comrades. OF
aese forty. only one had received a
'ound at all. though the gunboats had
helled the little mud earthwork dill
emily. In the history of the world
othing similar, unless it be the bat
e OF New Orleans. has ever happened
nd yet. such is the large carelessness
the southern character in recording !.
. wonderful and numerous deeds Of
erofsm. that but little notice has ever 6
zen taken of this extraordinary bat
e. a