The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-09-20
BATTLE OF FORT BOWLING.
\ NemnrIlnbleE Engagement OF which
Little Has Been Written.

-
Little Has Been Written.
Where the gulf OF Mexico comes into
the Sabine lake. OH the coast of Texas,
near the Louisiana li,c, there is n mar
row channel OF water which is about
4oo yards wide On the north bank OF
thls little channel today one secs the
smokcstack y few feet above the WA
ter OF sunkcn boat. Just opposite
TO it, on the southern bank, there is a
dirt wall. square in lis Shape ana
about ten feet high AMI over this a
painted sign that reads Fort Dowl-
Ing" That is all that now lives as
evidence OF thrilling drama, tho
equal OF which the world hns never
seen, ana that WAS played out at this
place back yonucr in the closing uays
OF our civil war.
General Banks, with plenty or men
and boats and plenty Of ammunition
anu supplies. had gone UP the Red riv-
or into Louisiana and was hanmcrinc
kirby Smith and Dick Taylor into
destruction. The Federal government
conceived the idea that Smith and Tay.
lor might be attacked in the rear by
an expedition landed on the shores of
Sabine lake and consisting Of some
10000 mon. who would bo Transported
to their lnnding by part OF the Fed
cral fleet.
10 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 Dowl-
ing. In command Of about 30 men, was
acting rs Il scout for Smith and Tay.
lor and saw the evidence OF the com
Ing OF this fleet OF gunboats and trans.
ports and. with his 40 men. took nos.
session of Il little mud fort at the
mouth OF the pass. in which there ycr..
threc or -FOUR Founders and DcrhnDs
n Siege gun. There liz waited Will,
guns loaded and instructions given to
Ills men that they must not fire until
the gunDonts came we'll abreast OF
him, only about 800 yards away.
HIS plan OF action was not to shoot
until they were Immediately opposite.
and then to discharge his whole bat
terry ut the gunboat. This was done
successfully; her boiler; were .explod-
ell, and. together with hundreds of
soldiers. She sank to the spot where
She now rests. Many died from the
steam that scaldcd them, more from
the water that cngulfcd them.
Loading his guns, he sank the next
vessel with the same disastrous result
to the enemy and, loading yet agnin.
lie turned his guns on tho trausport
Following. with q thousand men aboard
OF her. She. In response, ran up a white
flag. The rest OF the fleet turned and
sailed away. leaving the dead bodies
or the drowned soldiers and the sunk.
en- vessels. Bowling. In a duSout (this
Is followed log Or u canoe, as It Is
variously cnlledD. padded himself out
to receive the surrender OF this trans
port with a thousand men. The COM
Inandcr OF the vessel expressed his
surprise Mt sucl reception OF his
white flag token and asked why the
commander of the fort didn't come lin
person to receive his surrender.
Bowling replied. II sm the CON-
munder and have come in person." to
which the captain said, "Well. whit
do you mean by coming this way in
canoe by yOurselfY'
Bowling answered, Il have 10 other
way OF getting here, anu hence came
in my dugout."
He received the surrender, parolcd
the prisoners. for he could not take
them In charge, and went back to his
comrades. OF these 40, only ono had
received n wound at all, though the
gunboats had shellcd the little mud
earthwork diligently.
In the history OF the world nothing
similar. unless it be the battle Of New
Orleans. .isg ever happened, and set,
such is the large carelcssness Of the
southern character in recording Its
wonderful and numerous deeds of
hcrOlsm, that but little notice has ever
been taken of this extraordinary bat-
tle.-Nashville Democracy.