The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-24
STRATEGY AND VALOR
AT SABINE PASS
Daring Deeds of Dowling's Men, orty- Two
: Confederate Irishmen Defeat Four Gunboats
and Fifteen Thousand Men

return the gunboats' hre.
Wait u little while. boys. lust a
iittle while longer" said Lieutenant
Bowling. his smiling blue eyes fixed
i upon the advancing gunboats and
Lighted fuse in his hand. "Ill give
you the signal in moment. You may
hre wnen you hear my gun"
Suddenly a sheet OF fame leaps from
inc Tort In laundering tines the lieu
tenants gun speaks out and ball
tails kissing into the water near the
| Arizona.
Every man to his gun; No. /. take
| aim. fre' then. Load and hre at Will"
sara bowling, speaking rapidly, his
lace all aslow with the ardor Of battle.
They needed no second bidding. Each
man spranE TO his gun with a will.
Each knew mis- place and what was
expected Of him. There was little ex-
eitemenf and no fear All kept per-
tect!y cool and worked their guns a,
fast as human hands could work,
They did not even take time to swab
the guns. which became SO hot that
the hand could not be laid on them
comfortably TIL , o'clock next day.
And now the night waxcd fast and
| furious. Gun answered gun in one
| continuous roar. Boats and fort seemed
WRAPPED in IRE. Shells pIowed their
earth and i!ling tn. air with dust
one ball from the ships struck the
wheel OF a gun carriage in the fort.
knocking out one of the spokes The
piece hit the man who was working
tho gun. woundins him slightly. He
stopped and picked up the spoke, and.
holding II out 10 DR.. Bailey. said with
laugh; Doctor. the Yanks are get
ting TOO familiar" No other man in
the for, was hurt
The boats Jared worse. Their masts
were shot away. their ropes were cut.
and great holes were torn In their
sides As If in horror of the work
that mas going on, the battle smoke.
like a great white curtain. fell upon
the scene and hid the combatants from
| each other.
When the dispatch was handed TO
Bowling. he called his men together
short, earnest words, he spoke of
what would happen should they re-
trea;--Texas at the mercy Of the In
vader; her towns burned; her fields
laid waste: her men Imprisoned: her
women and children helpless at tho
feet of the enemy, homeless and sturv-
ing. we can scarcely hope to win
such check that they'll think twice
before going any further. What do
you cay. men? Shall we retreat or
shall We stay and fight II out?"
NO. no. no. Fight. night. hsht.'
shouted the men in a chorus.
Then look to your guns" said
Downing. See that everything is
ready The attack may begin at any
There was little sleep in the fort
| that night. In tho shadow OF the com
ing conflict the men are restless and
| uneasy. Now they climb tho earth
work and watch the shifting lights
of the fleet; now they examine the
guns to see that all are ready for
action; now they throw themselves on
the ground and try to sleep
At daybreak. September S. they were
all on tho earthwork again. strainlag
their sight in the direction OF tho
| fleet. There was much stir and COM
motion among the vessels. Each man,
as he gazed, repeated to himself his
leaders, words OF the night before
There's surely something brewing"
! Once more they examined the guns.
and then set about preparing break
| fnst a Are was kindled: the coffee
Kettle was singing merrily, and the
tempting odor OF broiled steak was
Just beginning to rise from the Goals
whenTw hir-r-r-. z-Z-zip"--a cannon
ball fell right in their midst. scatter
Ing the breakfast in all directions.
"Wkew: is that the way you say
good morning? Well, we'll just re-
! turn your salute" said the brave
gun Not yet, boys; not yet" said
Bowling; they are too far off, and
we haven't ball or a pound of pow
der to throw away"
| II was the plan OF the enemy arst
| TO destroy the road leading through
The swamp to Sabine Pass, so that no
help could come to the fort; the break
| .as. ball was the signal Tor the at
| tack to begin.
| About o'clock in the afternoon the
sunhnats hogan to advance. The Cliff
| ton led the way. closely followed by
the Sachem, the Arizona and the
Granite City. Slowly and cautiously
! they crept along. all their guns in ac.
ton Short work, 1t seemed. would
he made Of the little fort 1t could
not hope to Withstand the enemv,s
hre. at close range.
The forts guns were old and almost
unht for use. The best one could not
| carry above a mile and a half. 40 not n
shot had been fred,
This happened only a few miles
south OF Rome, Ga. DR. John A. Wyeth,
In his Life OF Forrest" speaking of
this coup, facetiously remarks: ''it is
safe TO say there entered Rome on the
sd day OF May, 1853. the hunEriest tri-
nmphal procession In the history OF
this borough" Rome covered herself
with glory in feeding and making COM
Portable. not only officers and privates,
out prisoners. They also gave General
Forrest the fastest horse that could
be found, as token of their appre-
citation of the grand work he had done
in saving Rome from Streight. streight
and his men were loud In their praise
of the treatment received on their way
until thelg arrival in Richmond. For
rest and gis men at once returned to
their command. Confederate Congress
passed O 4esolution OF thanks to GFor.