Volume II Part 20 (2/2)
”SIR: I have the honor to report that we had an engagement with the enemy yesterday and gained a handsome victory. We captured two of their gunboats, crippled a third, and drove the rest out of the Pa.s.s.
We took eighteen fine guns, a quant.i.ty of smaller arms, ammunition and stores, killed about fifty, wounded several, and took one hundred and fifty prisoners, without the loss or injury of any one on our side or serious damage to the fort.
”Your most obedient servant,
”F. H. ODLUM, _Captain, commanding Sabine Pa.s.s._”
_Commodore Leon Smith's Official Report._
”Captain E. P. TURNER, _a.s.sistant Adjutant-General._
”SIR: After telegraphing the Major-General before leaving Beaumont, I took a horse and proceeded with all haste to Sabine Pa.s.s, from which direction I could distinctly hear a heavy firing. Arriving at the Pa.s.s at 3 P.M., I found the enemy off and inside the bar, with nineteen gunboats and steams.h.i.+ps and other s.h.i.+ps of war, carrying, as well as I could judge, fifteen thousand men. I proceeded with Captain Odlum to the fort, and found Lieutenant Dowling and Lieutenant N. H.
Smith, of the engineer corps, with forty-two men, defending the fort.
Until 3 P.M. our men did not open on the enemy, as the range was too distant. The officers of the fort coolly held their fire until the enemy had approached near enough to reach them. But, when the enemy arrived within good range, our batteries were opened, and gallantly replied to a galling and most terrific fire from the enemy. As I entered the fort, the gunboats Clifton, Arizona, Sachem, and Granite State, with several others, came boldly up to within one thousand yards, and opened their batteries, which were gallantly and effectively replied to by the Davis Guards. For one hour and thirty minutes a most terrific bombardment of grape, canister, and sh.e.l.l was directed against our heroic and devoted little band within the fort.
The shot struck in every direction, but, thanks be to G.o.d! not one of the n.o.ble Davis Guards was hurt. Too much credit can not be awarded Lieutenant Dowling, who displayed the utmost heroism in the discharge of the duty a.s.signed him and the defenders of the fort. G.o.d bless the Davis Guards, one and all! The honor of the country was in their hands, and n.o.bly they sustained it. Every man stood at his post, regardless of the murderous fire that was poured upon them from every direction. The result of the battle, which lasted from 3.30 to 5 P.M., was the capturing of the Clifton and Sachem, eighteen heavy guns, one hundred and fifty prisoners, and the killing and wounding of fifty men, and driving outside the bar the enemy's fleet, comprising twenty-three vessels in all. I have the honor to be your obedient servant,
”LEON SMITH,
”_Commanding Marine Department of Texas._”
”HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF TEXAS, NEW MEXICO, AND ARIZONA, HOUSTON, TEXAS, _September 9, 1863._
”(SPECIAL ORDER.)
”Another glorious victory has been won by the heroism of Texans. The enemy, confident of overpowering the little garrison at Sabine Pa.s.s, boldly advanced to the work of capture. After a sharp contest he was entirely defeated, one gunboat hurrying off in a crippled condition, while two others, the Clifton and Sachem, with their armaments and crews, including the commander of the fleet, surrendered to the gallant defenders of the fort. The loss of the enemy has been heavy, while not a man on our side has been killed or wounded. Though the enemy has been repulsed in his naval attacks, his land-forces, reported as ten thousand strong, are still off the coast waiting an opportunity to land.
”The Major-General calls on every man able to bear arms to bring his guns or arms, no matter of what kind, and be prepared to make a st.u.r.dy resistance to the foe.
”Major-General J. B. MAGRUDER.
”EDMUND P. TURNER, _a.s.sistant Adjutant-General._”
The ”Daily Post,” Houston, Texas, of August 22, 1880, has the following:
”A few days after the battle each man that partic.i.p.ated in the fight was presented with a silver medal inscribed as follows: On one side 'D. G.,' for the Davis Guards, and on the reverse Side, 'Sabine Pa.s.s, September 8, 1863.'
”Captain Odlum and Lieutenant R. W. Dowling have gone to that bourn whence no traveler returns, and but few members of the heroic band are in the land of the living, and those few reside in the city of Houston, and often meet together, and talk about the battle in which they partic.i.p.ated on the memorable 8th of September, 1863.
”The following are the names of the company who manned the guns in Fort Grigsby, and to whom the credit is due for the glorious victory:
”Lieutenants R. W. Dowling and N. H. Smith; Privates Timothy McDonough, Thomas Dougherty, David Fitzgerald, Michael Monahan, John Ha.s.sett, John McKeefer, Jack W. White, Patrick McDonnell, William Gleason, Michael Carr, Thomas Hagerty, Timothy Huggins, Alexander McCabe, James Flemming, Patrick Fitzgerald, Thomas McKernon, Edward Pritchard, Charles Rheins, Timothy Hurley, John McGrath, Matthew Walshe, Patrick Sullivan, Michael Sullivan, Thomas Sullivan, Patrick Clare, John Hennessey, Hugh Deagan, Maurice Powers, Abner Carter, Daniel McMurray, Patrick Malone, James Corcoran, Patrick Abbott, John McNealis, Michael Egan, Daniel Donovan, John Wesley, John Anderson, John Flood, Peter O'Hare, Michael Delaney, Terence Mulhern.”
The inquiry may naturally arise how this small, number of men could take charge of so large a body of prisoners. This required that to their valor they should add stratagem. A few men were placed on the parapet as sentinels, the rest were marched out as a guard to receive the prisoners and their arms. Thus was concealed the fact that the fort was empty. The report of the guns bombarding the fort had been heard, and soon after the close of the battle reinforcements arrived, which relieved the little garrison from its embarra.s.sment.
Official reports of officers in the a.s.saulting column, as published in the ”Rebellion Record,” vol. vii, page 425, _et seq_., refer to another fort, and steamers in the river, cooperating in the defense of Fort Grigsby. The success of the single company which garrisoned the earthwork is without parallel in ancient or modern war. It was marvelous; but it is incredible--more than marvelous--that another garrison in another fort, with cruising steamers, aided in checking the advance of the enemy, yet silently permitted the forty-two men and two officers of Fort Grigsby to receive all the credit for the victory which was won. If this be supposable, how is it possible that Captain Odlum, Commander Smith, General Magruder, and Lieutenant Dowling, who had been advised to abandon the work, and had consulted their men as to their willingness to defend it, should nowhere have mentioned the putative fort and cooperating steamers?
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