The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-12-29

The Battle of Sabine Pass, on Sept.
8, 1868, in which forty Confederate
soldiers repulsed part Of fleet and
army. capturing two warships and $50
men, and disabling another ship, was
one of the most remarkable victories
in the history of the world.
The Union forces were II part of
General Banks expedition, and con-
sisted of 1000 men in the naval steam
crs Clifton, Sachem, Arizona and Gran
ite City. The whole expedition mum.
bercd about $4,000.
The fort on Sabine Pass was defend
cd by Il company of the Davis Guards,
an Irish organization, under tho COM
mand Of Col. Dick Dowling,. Not
even the Beers have equallcd the won
dcrful exploit of forty men repelling
whole army and capturing nine
times their own number of the en-,
emy.
Tho Houston rTcX) Daily Post of
Dec. 6 gives the following roster of
the Davis Guards:
First Lieut.. Il. w. Bowling, com
manling: srrgrants. corlornls and pri-
Yates - James Cnrcur;n, Thomas
Doughcrty, John McKecfcr, Thomas
llngcrty. Patrick Fitzgerald, Timothy
Hurley. Michael Sullivan, Hugh Dea-
gan. John Wesley, Timothy MrDon-
nngh Patrick Abbott, David Ftzgrr-
aid, Patrick Mcdonald. James Hug
gins. Thomas McKrrnon, John Me
Grntll, Thomas Sullivan, Maurice Pow
rrS. John Anderson Michael Delaney,
Michael Monnhan. William Gleason,
Alexander McCahr, Edward Pritcllard
Matthew Walshc. Patrick Clare, Ab
nor Carter, John Flood. Terrence Mul-
hcrn John w. White. John Massctl
Michael Carr. James Fleming, Charles
Rheims. Patrick Sullivan. John Hen
messy, Daniel Donovan, Peter O'Ilnra
voluntccrs-D DIR. George III. Bailey,
Lieut.. N. H. Smith.
The above were enlisted men. Lieut.
N. II. Smith, Il Lousanian, belonged
to the engineer department and vol
untccred to aid the glnners in the fort.
DR.. George II. Bailey was assistant
surgeon of Sabine Pass post, and also
volunteered, the two men taking their
places at the guns
The only survivors OF the Davis
Guards are Michael Carr and Peter
O'IIara, now inmates of the Confcdcr-
ate Home at Austin, and William
Gleason, who still resides in Houston
and who occupied n position on the
stage at Bryan Hall last night, living
over in memory the scenes of thirty
seven years ago.
Dr. Bailey when last heard from
was still living ut his home in Califor-
mia, thus making four survivors of the
Sabine Pass Battle
Each of these men received a silver
medal suitably engraved few weeks
after the battle. A popular Catholic
priest Of Houston, Father Felix, start
cd the movement Of presenting medals
TO the victors of Sabine Pass and
more than money enough was collected
to pay for thc work. Mr. Charles G0tt-
chalk, Il Matchmaker, had the contract,
and it was soon completed and n green
ribbon tied to each. The medals were
made of Mexican dollars made perfect,
ly smooth: one side had large Roman
letters "D. c. Davis Guards). under
meath Il Maltese Cross The diverse
side had, "Sabinc Pass. September s,
1863" nicely engraved Dr. Bailey
came all the way from California;
where he resides, to attend the Con-
fcdcratc reunion in Houston in May,
1888. and had his medal tied on his
breast with faded green ribbon.
Sergeant David Fitzgerald presented
his medal to jefferson Davis when he
visited Houston in the spring Of 1875
and the relic is now doubtless in pos
session of Mrs. Davis.
a public meeting was held mt Io,ls-
ton on the evening of Dec 5, by sur
viving members of the Dick Bowling
camp, United Confederate Veterans.
and their invited guests and friends to
witness the formal presentation of the
valiant sword that the heroic Dick
Bowling wore. The hall had been ar
tistically and appropriately decorated.
On one side Of the stage was n Texas
flag, on the other United States flag,
and in the background was the Stars
and Bars and life size portrait of
Dick bowling. An army tent flying
the colors of the Confederacy was an