Sabine Pass
Sabine Pass
Second Battle of Sabine Pass
With a de facto French government under Maximillian south of the Rio Grande, the Confederates hoped to establish trade between Texas and Mexico to obtain much needed supplies. The Lincoln administration, aware of Confederate intentions, sought to establish a military presence in Texas to discourage Mexican influence. A Union force in place near Beaumont, 30 miles inland from the mouth of the Sabine River, would cut the last railroad between Texas and the rest of the Confederacy and could possibly threaten Houston. At 6:00 am on the morning of September 8, 1863, a Union flotilla of four gunboats and seven troop transports steamed into Sabine Pass and up the Sabine River with the intention of reducing Fort Griffin outside of Sabine City and landing troops there. As the gunboats approached Fort Griffin, they came under accurate fire from the guns there. The fort’s small force of 44 men, under command of Lt. Richard W. Dowling, disabled two ships, captured the gunboat Clifton with about 200 prisoners, and forced the Union flotilla to retire. The Confederate defenders suffered zero casualties and Union operations in the area ceased. The heroics at Fort Griffin - 44 men stopping a Union expedition - inspired other Confederates and became known as one of the most lopsided battles of the war.
Battle Facts
Result
Confederate Victory
COMMANDERS
Forces Engaged
5,046
Union
5,000
Confederate
46
Total Estimated Casualties
230
Union
230
Confederate
0
Civil War
Battle Map
BATTLE MAP | American Battlefield Trust’s map of the Battle of Sabine Pass, Texas on September 8,...
Civil War
Animated Map
See the entire Civil War unfold, from Fort Sumter to Appomattox and beyond, on our animated map,...
Civil War
Historical Map
HISTORICAL MAP | Map of the Red River Campaign, March 10-May 22, 1864
Explore Sabine Pass
Join t Fight
Donate today to preserve battlefields in America and protect the legacy of our nation’s defining conflicts.
Topics
|
Topic
|
Topic
|
|
|
|
|
Topic
|
Topic
|
|
Topic
|
Topic
|
Related Battles
Civil War
Union Col. Theodore H. Barrett, commanding forces at Brazos Santiago, Texas, dispatched an...
Civil War
Following the Union victory at Shiloh , Federal troops quickly managed to besiege the town of...
Civil War
In the spring of 1863, Union colonel Abel Streight set out from Nashville, under orders from...
Civil War
By the spring of 1864, the Federal high command set forth a plan to bring pressure across the whole...
50,000
ACRES SAVED
The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 50,000 acres in 24 states!
SEE THE LAND WE'VE SAVED
Shop and Preserve
Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. Every purchase supports the mission.
Give with Confidence!
The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education.