Sabine Pass: The Confederacy's Thermopylae

Clifton and Shirley Caldwell Texas Heritage

by Edward T. Cotham Jr.

In an 1882 speech, former Confederate president Jefferson Davis made an exuberant claim: "That battle at Sabine Pass was more remarkable than the battle at Thermopylae." Indeed, Sabine Pass was the site of one of the most decisive Civil War battles fought in Texas. But unlike the Spartans, who succumbed to overwhelming Persian forces at Thermopylae more than two thousand years before, the Confederate underdogs triumphed in a battle that over time has become steeped in hyperbole. Providing a meticulously researched, scholarly account of this remarkable victory, Sabine Pass at last separates the legends from the evidence.

In arresting prose, Edward T. Cotham, Jr., recounts the momentous hours of September 8, 1863, during which a handful of Texans--almost all of Irish descent--under the leadership of Houston saloonkeeper Richard W. Dowling, prevented a Union military force of more than 5,000 men, 22 transport vessels, and 4 gunboats from occupying Sabine Pass, the starting place for a large invasion that would soon have given the Union control of Texas.

Sabine Pass sheds new light on previously overlooked details, such as the design and construction of the fort (Fort Griffin) that Dowling and his men defended, and includes the battle report prepared by Dowling himself. The result is a portrait of a mythic event that is even more provocative when stripped of embellishment.

Genres: Civil War, American History, Transmississippi, American Civil War, History

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

Reviews

[Charles van Buren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confederate doggedness vs Yankee hubris.

Well written, easy to read account of the September 1863 Battle of Sabine Pass. The battle ended with a very one sided Confederate victory against a seemingly overwhelming force of both the Union navy and army. By overwhelming force I mean four Yankee warships and several troop transports carrying more than 5,000 men against fewer than 50 Confederate soldiers equipped with six smoothbore canons. The victory stopped cold one of the several Union attempts to invade Texas.

[Aaron G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cotham's book was magnificent and highlighted an area of Texas history that has fascinated me for a long time. The Battle of Sabine Pass has held interest for me since I started visiting the battlefield a decade ago, which made the book that much more special to read.

He tries not to show bias for either Confederate or the United States side of the conflict, though there are some entries that are clearly written with a pro-Southern slant. The book makes a point to not simply focus entirely on Dick Dowling and the Davis Guard, but also shines a spotlight on multiple people involved that do not necessarily get mentioned in the interpretive gazebo at the battlefield today, such as Confederate engineers Sulakowski and Kellersberg who designed the earthenwork fort at Sabine Pass.

It is a magnificent military history for those who are interested in the Civil War in Texas and want to learn more about one of the few Civil War battles. It's also for those who enjoy reading not only a David-versus-Goliath type story, but also the intentional and unintentional steps that led into the battle itself.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edward Cotham's book on Sabine Pass is one of the best books I've read in a while. It's smoothly written, well-documented and annotated, and he gives the full range from minute tactical details to the big picture.

From it, I can confidently say that the Confederate victory at Sabine Pass came down to one major factor: planning. The Confederates had a well-thought-out defense plan (at least on the second go-around), constructed their fortifications along those specific lines, manned them with a highly-trained artillery unit, and executed their plan almost flawlessly. The Union attack plan appears to have been largely improvised, with changes being made almost up to the last minute, poorly coordinated, and (in the event) not even followed by anybody, other than the commanders and crews of the unfortunate Sachem and Clifton; and the Union also did not have a commander present (either Army or Navy) that could act effectively to retrieve the situation once it started to degrade.

I was also impressed that, once Dick Dowling and the Davis Guard got into it, that higher-level Confederate officers arriving on the scene left him to execute, rather than interfere.

In short, the Confederates did almost everything right. It could be a classic case study in planning, coordination, and execution.