The first article I looked at was from the Houston Chronicle from February 14, 1960, hidden in the Sunday Texas magazine. The article entitled “Hero of Sabine Pass” was a brief biographical sketch of Dowling. The article rambled for a bit, mentioning the Battle of Galveston and how the author’s great granduncle served as the commander of the Bayou City after it was recaptured by the Confederates. The most interesting thing for me about this article was the voice it was written in. It was clearly written by someone who was a descendant of Confederate soldiers (which the author stated) and treats the Union disdainfully. The North was only referred to as the Yankees and the most intriguing fact about them was that Major General William B. Franklin gained the reputation of being “the first American General. . . who managed to lose a fleet in contest with land batteries alone.”
My second article was also from the Houston Chronicle, in the Society section of the August 25, 1929 edition. When I first saw this article on the microfilm, I must admit that I felt considerably overwhelmed by its length. However, “Dick Dowling, War Time Hero, Sleeps in Unmarked Grave” provided a great insight into the Battle of Sabine, as well as the author’s displeasure that Dowling’s grave was unmarked. The first few sections on the article claimed it was a travesty that Dowling and other Houston pioneers laid to rest in St. Vincent Cemetery had no grave markers. She, along with Houston historian Ingham H. Roberts wanted the Dowling monument moved to the cemetery after the transition to the new City Hall. The article proceeds to accolade Dowling and his men’s performance at Sabine Pass, citing eyewitness accounts from both the Federals and Confederates. The most interesting thing was the speech given by Dowling when it was clear that they would be attacked. Dowling stated that since he was filling in for their ill captain, he did not want to feel responsible for their deaths or capture. One of his men replied, “Oh hell Leftenant, I’d rather fight than walk back in the hot sun to Sabine City.” After this point, Dowling ordered his men to man the guns against the Clifton, the Sachem and the Arizona.
What really interested me in this case was the difference in perspective on Dowling that existed from 1929 to 1960. In 1929, veterans from the Confederate army were still alive and the author was eager to keep the memory of Dowling alive as the number of living soldiers dwindled. For her, it was only fair that the “boy hero” who saved Texas from Yankee invasion be properly memorialized. The 1960 article seems haphazardly thrown together, providing basic information about Dowling and the Battle of Sabine Pass. There’s no clear purpose for the article beyond reminding Houstonians of Dowling’s existence and the role he played in preserving Texas. However, it was hidden in the very back of the Sunday Texas magazine. Both articles are not entirely clear on their facts, the 1929 one specifically because the author did not have much access to records on Dowling’s early life. After reading both these articles, especially “Dick Dowling, War Time Hero” makes me wonder how many Houston pioneers have also been “lost” to Houstonians? I personally had not heard of Dowling before this class (but I am not originally for Houston, or any Confederate state for that matter) and initially wondered how we could spend so much time on him. These articles made it clear that Houstonians have not necessarily done the best job of preserving their heroes, and it makes me how many others have be forgotten about to all except a few Houston historians?