Mollie Evelyn Moore Davis.  Under Six Flags: The Story of Texas. (Boston: Ginn & Company, 1897)

M.E.M. Davis’  Under Six Flags: The Story of Texas covers Texas history from its colonization through the late nineteenth century.  Davis wrote an entire chapter about Texas’ participation in the Civil War and devotes almost three pages of text to the tale of Dick Dowling and his defense of Sabine Pass.  However, the passage barely talks about Dowling himself, but gives an almost romanticized telling of the battle.  The description is full of flowery language and descriptions that captivate its audience.  She uses descriptors such as guns “vomiting huge shells which tore the earthwork of the fort and filled the air with dust”  (Davis 164).  Davis mentions most details of the battle, from the entrance of the Sachem, Clifton and Arizona into the Sabine Pass to the surrender of the Union soldiers on the disable Clifton and Sachem.  She even mentions that the Union attempted another failed attack on Sabine Pass eight months later.  The book provides a decent description of the events of the Battle of Sabine Pass.

Under Six Flags covers the Civil War in Texas in great detail.  Since it was published only 30+ years after the Civil War, Davis’ tone is one of pride for Texas’ survival against the Federal forces, but definitely reflects the hardships suffered during the war.  She describes the early months of 1861 as “like one long holiday” (154).  While the soldiers showed pride to be fighting for their country, they would learn how a true soldier lived.  Her coverage of the war began with the surrender of Federal troops from the military outpost in San Antonio.  From there she describes the anguish of the loss of Galveston to Union forces.  “A mournful cry echoed throughout Texas: ‘Galveston has fallen!'” (157). Of any battle fought in Texas during the Civil War, Davis spends the most time on our friend Dowling’s Battle at Sabine Pass.

I could only find one edition of the book at Fondren library and when I perused Amazon to see if other editions existed, the only result I found was a version typed from the legible scans of the 1897 edition.  Under Six Flags appears to have been a history book, intended for the average reader who wanted to learn more about Texas history.  However, the book’s target audience appears to have been women.  The type of language used by Davis does not provide a bloody or violent account of the battle, but a highly romanticized one with vivid descriptions and similes.  It seems highly unlikely men at the turn of the twentieth century would have been reading books that described the surrendering Union officer as “the gallant Federal in his handsome uniform” (165).  The book was published in 1897, just before the turn of the twentieth century.

Transcription from pg. 163-165 from Under Six Flags: The Story of Texas:

“A small earthwork called Fort Griffin had been built by the Confederates on the Texas side of the Sabine Pass at the mouth of the Sabine River.  It was protected by five light guns and garrisoned by the Davis Guards, a company from Houston commanded by Captain Odlum.  The first lieutenant was Dick Dowling, an Irishman but twenty years of age.

Fort Griffin, though small, was a place of much importance.  Sabine Pass was a sort of outlet for the pent-up Confederacy.  Blockade-runners, in spite of the Federal ships stationed in the Gulf, were always slipping out of the Sabine River, loaded with cotton for Cuba or Europe, and stealing in with arms and supplies from Mexico.

Soon after the battle of Galveston, Major Oscar Watkins, Confederate States navy, was sent by General Magruder with two cotton-clad steamboats, the Josiah Bell and the Uncle Ben, to annoy the blockading fleet at Sabine Pass.  After a skirmish and an exciting chase, he succeeded in capturing two United States ships, the Velocity and the Morning Light (January 21, 1863)

The United States then determined to take Fort Griffin and land at Sabine Pass with a force large enough to overawe that part of the country.  Twenty-two transport carried the land troops, about fifteen thousand in number, to the Pass.  Four gunboats, the Sachem, the Clifton, the Arizona, and the Granite City, accompanied them, to bombard the fort and cover the landing of the soldiers.  The expedition was under the command of General Franklin.

When this formidable fleet appeared at Sabine Pass, Captain Odlum was absent and Lieutenant Dowling was in command of Fort Griffin.  His whole force consisted of forty-two men.  He ordered the “Davys,” as they were called, to stay in the bomb-proofs until he himself should fire the first gun.  Then, hidden in the earthwork, he watched the approach of the gunboats.

The Clifton steamed in and opened the attack from her pivot gun, throwing a number of shells which dropped into the fort and exploded.  The Sachem and the Arizona followed, pouring in broadsides from their thirty-two pound cannon.

No reply came from the fort, which seemed to be deserted.  The gunboats came nearer and nearer.  Suddenly a shot from the fort clove the air and felling hissing into the water beyond the Arizona.  The fight at once became furious.  The Clifton and the Arizona moved backward and forward, vomiting huge shells which tore the earthwork of the fort and filled the air with dust.  Ships and fort seemed wrapped in flame.  The Sachem meanwhile was stealing into the Pass toward the unprotected rear of the fort.  But a well-aimed shot from Dowling’s battery struck her, crushing her iron plating and causing her to rise on end a quiver like a leaf in the wind.  She was at the mercy of the fort, and her flag was instantly lowered.  The Clifton kept up the fight with great skill and bravery.  But she soon ran aground in the shallows, where she continued to fire until a shot passed through her boiler, completely wreaking her.  A white flag was run up at her bow, and the battle was over.  The Arizona and the Granite City steamed out to the transports, whose men had watched the fight with breathless interest.

The fleet at once retired, leaving the Sachem and the Clifton to the “Davys.”

Three hundred Union soldiers were taken prisoners.  Captain Crocker of the Clifton came ashore with a boat’s crew, and, mounting the parapet, asked for the commanding officer.  Lieutenant Dowling, covered with the dust of the fort, presented himself as the person sought.

The gallant Federal in his handsome uniform could hardly believe that this dirty little boy was his conqueror, or that the handful of men before him comprised the force which had so calmly awaited a hostile fleet and defeated it.

Eight months afterward the United States gunboats, the Granite Cit and the Wave, were captured at Sabine Pass.”

Pennybacker, Anna. A new history of Texas for schools, also for general reading and for teachers preparing themselves for examination. Tyler, TX: A. Pennybacker. 1888.

In her presentations of the Civil War in Texas and Dowling, Pennybacker includes accounts of the capture and recapture of Galveston as well as a section on the Battle at Sabine Pass. She places the Battle of Sabine Pass in the context of the larger Civil War effort by noting both the Battle of Galveston that preceded it and the conditions of Texas during the war. The section on the battle itself is fairly short in all three editions; Pennybacker presents the highlights without dwelling on any of the controversies we explored in class. In keeping with her stated goal in the introduction to foster the patriotism of the young Texans studying history from the book, she takes every opportunity in the account to note the heroism and cleverness of the men at Sabine Pass. She does so, however, in a way that does not majorly exaggerate what took place in the battle. According to Pennybacker, the Battle of Sabine Pass was one in which a small group of 40-50 Confederate soldiers, supported by a well-made fort, defeated a much larger Union force of approximately 4,000 men. Although we have seen how this depiction of Sabine Pass has its limitations, it is far from the most sensationalist account of the battle in existence.

In the first edition, Pennybacker provided a very brief account of what happened at Galveston, as well as the Battle of Sabine Pass. This first edition’s account most closely fits the quintessential narrative of the Battle of Sabine Pass as the Confederacy’s Thermopylae, with a “little garrison” of “only forty-one men” bravely fighting away a “Union fleet of twenty vessels.” Dowling is not even mentioned by name. The second edition goes into much greater detail, particularly about the Battle of Galveston and the recapture of Galveston. It is clear Pennybacker is intent on demonstrating the heroism of Texas’s brave soldiers. The passage on Sabine Pass has also been somewhat enlarged, although not nearly to the extent of the battle at Galveston. This depiction gives more information about the fortifications at Sabine Pass, describing it as “a strong fort, defended by eight heavy guns.” Pennybacker also explains the military advantages to the Union should they capture Sabine Pass, namely the railroad that would facilitate a Union takeover of Texas. She gives precise numbers for the number of men on both sides—42 for the Confederacy and 4,000 for the Union—and notes Richard Dowling as the commander of the fort. Pennybacker explains Dowling’s strategy of waiting until the enemy came close, and adds that the Union commander lost two vessels and had 100 killed or wounded, as well as 250 prisoners. Pennybacker finishes the section by saying that President Jefferson Davis presented the garrison with a silver medal in honor of their victory. The third edition’s depiction of Sabine Pass is fairly similar to that of the second edition; Pennybacker again notes the “strong fort, defended by heavy guns,” the importance of the railroad, the number of Union soldiers and artillery lost in the effort, and Davis’s silver medal to the garrison. The only major change is in the number of men defending Sabine Pass, which has been steadily creeping up over the course of the three editions; now, “not more than fifty Confederates took place in the battle.”

According to the Handbook of Texas, Pennybacker herself was a highly educated and very progressive (she was a proud suffragette and a member of the Democratic National Committee) woman born in Petersburg, Virginia. She attended teachers’ school in Huntsville, Texas before continuing her education in Europe, showing she was both somewhat wealthy and well rounded. She taught high school and grammar for 14 years, and her teaching experience is evident in the way in which A new history of Texas for schools, also for general reading and for teachers preparing themselves for examination—a “staple of Texas classrooms for forty years” according to the Handbook of Texas—was written and revised. In all three editions, Pennybacker discusses theories of education, the way in which her textbook can best be used in classrooms, and the needs and status of the Texas public school system, showing that this book was written by a teacher for teachers with the goal of imparting knowledge to students in as fascinating a way as possible. As she says in her introductions to both the second and third editions, “every effort has been made to render the subject fascinating to the child mind.” Pennybacker also wrote the book with an awareness that this book would frequently be used in one-room school houses, and makes pains that her book is both accessible to a third-grader beginning to learn history and interesting to a much older student by writing the basic narrative at a low level but including higher level documents in appendixes at the end of each section. Pennybacker is also very concerned with ensuring her textbook inspires patriotism in young Texans, and urges teachers to ensure that no student forgets the importance of March 2^nd (Independence Day) and April 21^st (San Jacinto Day) in Texas history. Finally, Pennybacker expresses a great deal of concern with accuracy in her introductions. She sought to write as unbiased a textbook as possible, and collaborated with professors at the University of Texas and other members of the Texas community to ensure this accuracy. She largely succeeded in this endeavor; throughout the textbook the information is succinct and thorough, and she even refers to the Civil War as the Civil War, and not “The War Between the States” or “The War of Northern Aggression.”

Passages on Galveston & Sabine Pass in A new history of Texas for schools, also for general reading and for teachers preparing themselves for examination:

From the 1888 edition, pages 136-138:

Galveston Captured. – In October, 1862, Galveston was taken by the Northern troops. In December, General Magruder, by a well-planned attack, retook the city, captured several Federal vessels, and frightened away all blockading ships. For a few days, Galveston was once more an open port. In a short time, however, the blockade was renewed.

Battle at Sabine Pass.- Texas was free from further conflicts till September 6, 1863. A fort had been built to defend Sabine Pass. The garrison numbered only forty-one men. On the above-mentioned date, a Union fleet of twenty vessels appeared off the coast, and several of the ships commenced a bombardment. The little garrison at once fired away with all their guns, and so bravely did they keep up the fight, that soon two of the ships were wrecked, while the rest hastily sailed away.

 

From the 1895 edition, pages 267-270:

Galveston Captured.—October 4, 1862, Commander Renshaw, with four war-vessels* and a well-disciplined land force, captured Galveston Island, meeting with little resistance from Confederate troops. About the same time Corpus Christi and the defenses of Sabine City were captured by the Federals.

*These vessels were the Harriet Lane, Owasco, Westfield and Clifton.

Galveston Retaken.—One of the most brilliant exploits of the Texans was the recapture of Galveston. In November, General Magruder was placed in command of the Southern forces on the Texas coast. He determined to expel the Northern forces from Galveston Island. His preparations were made with the greatest care and secrecy. As the unfortunate Sibley expedition had just returned, General Magruder found them eager to be led against the enemy; 5000 Texans who had been called out to protect the coast, were also at the General’s disposal. He changed four river steamers into gunboats by piling up compressed cotton bales for bulwarks and manning them with suitable men and cannon. The gunboats were to sail to the head of the Bay and open fire on the Federals just as the moon sank below the horizon on the morning of January 1^st, while at the same moment Magruder was to attack the land forces. The Massachusetts regiment that was encamped on one of the wharves of the city, and the six Union war-vessels that lay in the harbor or toward the pass, knew nothing of the battle that threatened them. With the opening of the fourth hour of the New Year, Magruder led his men to the attack. The Northern soldiers fought bravely, but were soon forced to surrender. The gunboats, being delayed, were unable to open battle at the appointed hour, but when the conflict did begin, the scene was most exciting. The Harriet Lane was first attacked; the Confederate boat Bayou City came so near that the rigging of the two crafts became entangled. Leaping on the enemy’s deck, the Texans waged a deadly hand-to-hand fight; great heroism was shown on both sides; Commander Wainwright and his second officer being killed,* the Harriet Lane struck her colors. The Neptune received a fatal shot and sank. The Westfield, being in great danger of capture, was blown up by the Federals, but, unfortunately, the commander and fifteen men were killed by the explosion. The other vessels escaped. For a few days, Galveston was once more an open port, but the blockade was soon replaced. Galveston Island remained in possession of the Confederates till the close of the war.

*These officers were respected and admired by the Confederates, who buried them with all the honors of war.

Battle of Sabine Pass.—Texas was free from any other important military actions till September, 1863. The Confederates, early in the year, drove the Federals from Sabine Pass, and built a strong fort, defended by eight heavy guns. From Sabine Pass, a railroad extended into the interior of the State. General Banks, the Northern commander, felt that if he could capture the Pass, it would be an easy matter to seize the road, push on to Houston, take possession of all other railways, and thus conquer Texas. With all this in view, he ordered 4,000 troops to embark for Sabine Pass, where he hoped to take the garrison by surprise. Captain Richard Dowling was in command of the fort; forty-two Confederates took part in the battle. The commands of General Banks were not well carried out, for when the Union vessels reached the Pass, Captain Dowling and his men were ready to receive them. When, on September 6^th, the Union fleet commenced a bombardment, the guns in the fort were silent till the enemy came within close range; then there burst forth so furious a fire that two of the Federal vessels were wrecked and the others sailed hastily away. The Union commander lost two vessels, 100 killed and wounded, and 250 prisoners. President Jefferson Davis presented the garrison with a silver medal, in honor of the victory.

From 1907 edition, pages 239-241:

Galveston Captured.—October 4, 1862, Commander Renshaw, with four war-vessels¹² and a well-disciplined land force, captured Galveston Island, meeting with little resistance from the Confederate troops. About the same time Corpus Christi and the defense of Sabine City were captured by the Federals.

12. These vessels were the Harriet Lane, Owasco, Westfield, and Clifton.

Galveston Retaken.—One of the most brilliant exploits of the Texans was the recapture of Galveston. In November, General Magruder was placed in command of the Southern forces on the Texas coast. He determined to expel the Northern forces from Galveston Island. His preparations were made with the greatest care and secrecy. As the Sibley expedition had just returned, General Magruder found them eager to be led against the enemy. He changed four river steamers into gunboats by piling up compressed cotton bales for bulwarks and manning them with suitable men and cannon. The gunboats were to sail to the head of the bay and open fire on the Federals just as the moon sank below the horizon on the morning of January 1^st, while at the same moment Magruder was to attack the land forces. The Massachusetts regiment that was encamped on one of the wharves of the city, and the Union war vessels that lay in the harbor or toward the pass, knew nothing of the danger that threatened them. With the opening of the fourth hour of the New Year, Magruder led his men to attack. The Northern soldiers fought bravely, but were forced to surrender. The gunboats, being delayed, were unable to open battle at the appointed hour, but when the conflict did begin, the scene was most exciting. The Harriet Lane was first attacked; the Confederate boat Bayou City ranged alongside and the rigging of the two ships became entangled. Leaping on the enemy’s deck, the Texans waged a deadly hand-to-hand fight; great heroism was shown on both sides; Commander Wainwright and his second officer being killed, the Harriet Lane struck her colors. The Neptune received a fatal shot and sank. The Westfield, being in great danger of capture, was blown up by the Federals, and unfortunately, the commander and some of his men were killed by the explosion. The other vessels escaped. For a few days Galveston was once more an open port, but the blockade was soon replaced, Galveston Island remained in possession of the Confederates till the close of the war.

Battle of Sabine Pass.—(241) The Confederates, early in 1863, had driven the Federals from Sabine Pass, and built a strong fort, defended by heavy guns. From Sabine Pass, a railroad extended into the interior of the state. General Banks, the Northern commander, felt that if he could capture the Pass, it would be an easy matter to seize the road, push on to Houston, take possession of all other railways, and thus conquer Texas. With all this in view, he ordered some four thousand troops to embark for Sabine Pass, where he hoped to take the garrison by surprise. Captain Richard Dowling was in command of the fort. The orders of General Banks were not well carried out, for when the Union vessels reached the Pas, Captain Dowling and his men were ready to receive them. When, on September 8, the Union fleet commenced a bombardment, the guns in the fort were silent till the enemy came within close range; then there burst forth so furious a fire that two of the Federal vessels were wrecked and the others sailed hastily away. The Union commander lost two vessels, one hundred killed and wounded, and two hundred and fifty prisoners: these results are remarkable since not more than fifty Confederates took part in the battle. President Jefferson Davis presented the garrison with a silver medal, in honor of the victory.

John Henry Brown, History of Texas From 1685 to 1892 (St. Louis: L.E. Daniell, 1893), Vol. 2, 422.

John Henry Brown’s 175 word passage about the Battle of Sabine Pass begins with a matter-of-fact style retelling of the events of September 6, 1863. In the latter half of the passage , he qualifies the battle as one of utmost importance to Texas history by arguing that “no achievement was of better service to Texas.” His recounting of the battle involves 42 Confederate soldiers, under the command of Dick Dowling and Patrick Hennessey, 23 Union vessels and “several gunboats.” He describes the events of the battle simplistically, chronicling the Confederate garrison as “skillfully…and bravely” firing upon and capturing two Union gunboats, forcing the retreat of the remaining 23 Union vessels. Later, Brown goes on to explain that there was almost no time for planning or execution; however, he does not mention Dowling’s role in the battle beyond his rank.  Brown makes the bold claim that the brave Confederates managed to stave off the entrance of, what he estimates to be, “23,000 Federal soldiers.” He finishes by claiming that Dowling has come to be saluted as one of the “grandest heroes of modern times.”

In all, Brown’s account of the Battle of Sabine Pass comprises a total of 175 words. Although Brown does relay important information about the battle and makes some bold claims about its significance, it is important to address the terseness of this section. With both volumes of History of Texas From 1685 to 1892 included, Brown’s massive documentation of Texas history is over twelve-hundred pages long. However, for a battle in which “no achievement was of better service to Texas,” and for a military figure who is considered one of the “grandest heroes of modern times,” it seems illogical that the Battle of Sabine Pass and Dowling constitute less than one two-thousandths of Brown’s work. An explanation for this odd occurrence could be that Brown was less interested about the Civil War than he was with earlier or alternative Texas history. Of the three works he lists on the inside jacket cover of this book***, none of them pertain to the Civil War, while two are heavily focuses on interactions with Native Americans. Additionally, it is possible that Brown had an overall negative view of the war and its outcome, in terms of Texas history. His biography states that shortly after the war he and his family, along with other disaffected Southerners, emigrated to Mexico (Texas Historical Association). Although there is no apparent explanation for why his passage on Dowling is so relatively short, it is possible that Brown thought of the Civil War as a blemish for America and Texas.

In addition, Brown does make two rather bold claims about the battle. First, he claims that the Confederate victory was critical for keeping “23,000 Federal soldiers” out of a vulnerable point in Texas. While most sources limit their estimates to the 5,000 Union troops present at the battle of Sabine Pass, Brown quickly jumps to the conclusion that a loss a Sabine Pass would have caused Texas to be overrun by 20,000 plus troops. Secondly, Brown emphasizes the idea that Dowling was saluted as one of the “grandest heroes of modern times,” without qualifying by saying … of the Civil war, or even… of Texas history. It is interesting that Brown regards Dowling as being seen as one of the greatest modern heroes, yet recounts very little about him. It brings up the important question of whether Brown esteemed Dowling as highly as he believed others did.

John Henry Brown, History of Texas From 1685 to 1892 Vol 2, Page 422

“The fort at Sabine Pass had a garrison of about forty men under command of Captain Richard Dowling from Houston and Patrick Hennessey as lieutenant. On the 6^th of September, 1863, a Federal fleet of 23 vessels and several gunboats anchored off the coast. A number of vessels with two gunboats entered the harbor and opened fire upon the fort. The garrison withheld their fire until the vessels were in good range of their guns, when they opened upon them. They soon disabled the two gunboats, which they captured with all on board. The other vessels left the harbor. It was a skillfully planned and bravely executed achievement. There was but little time for planning and but a few minutes for executing it, yet no achievement was of better service to Texas. This company of forty-two men defeated the entrance of 23,000 Federal soldiers, through a vulnerable point into Texas. The Federal fleet returned to New Orleans and Texas. From mountain to sea-board saluted Dick Dowling as one of the grandest heroes of modern times.”