Dowling at Sabine Pass

Confederate Veteran
Volume 5, Number 11, Page 336-337
November 1896

Comrade C. C. Beavens, of Houston, Texas, who has been a steadfast friend of the Veteran, is now Commander of the Dick Dowling Camp.

He enlisted with the American Rifles from Louisiana in June, 1861, under Captain Harvey T. Hays, who afterward distinguished himself as a Brigadier General. He was in many battles. At Cross Keys and Port Republic he was wounded. At Gettysburg he was captured as ensign of his Regiment, the Seventh Louisiana, but he managed to keep the colors with him in prison for six months at Point Lookout, Md. His comrade, Chas. D. Slack, escaped from prison with the flag and restored it to the command.

After his release from prison he was appointed Adjutant of his Regiment by Gen. J. B. Gordon. Comrade Beavens was born in Philadelphia, January 6, 1842, but was reared in New Orleans. Since the war he has lived in Galveston and in Houston, Texas. For several years he has been an active official member of Dick Dowling Camp.
Mrs. Annie Dowling Robertson, wife of William F. Robertson, Esq., residing in Taylor, Texas, is the only child of the Hero of Sabine Pass, Major R. ("Dick") W. Dowling. Major Dowling died when Mrs. Robertson was but a child.

A Biographical History of Texas, recently published in Chicago, states:

Richard W. Dowling was a distinguished soldier in the Confederate Army, and while in command of the "Davis Guards, "a company composed of fortythree Irishmen at Sabine Pass, a Confederate post on the Gulf of Mexico, was attacked on September 8, 1863, by a United States fleet, containing 10,000 or 15,000 men, who were preparing to make a landing at Sabine Pass, and from there make a raid through Texas. Dowling and his men opened fire with two small cannon and some small arms, killing a large number of men, sinking one of the enemy's boats, disabling two others, also driving away those remaining and taking a large number of prisoners. This defeat of the United States forces forever saved Texas from invasion by that Army."

Mr. Jefferson Davis, in his book on the "Rise and Fall of the Confederacy," says:

"There is no parallel in ancient or modern warfare to the victory of Dowling and his men at Sabine Pass, considering the great odds against which they had to contend." Sabine Pass will stand, perhaps, for all time to come the greatest military victory on the American soil, if not in the world, and will stamp with undying fame the names of all who were members of the "Davis Guards." The men who composed that company were all born in Ireland, the land that has given to liberty's cause so many brave and noble men whether at home or on foreign soil."

On March 6, 1889, the anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Texas, the citizens of Houston, which was the home of Major Dowling at the time of his death, through Hon. W. P. Hamblin, their representative in the Twentieth Legislature of Texas, then in session at the Capital, presented to Mrs. Robertson, then Miss Dowling, a handsome gold medal, with diamond setting, as a token of their esteem for her distinguished father and as an expression of their appreciation of the services he rendered the "Lost Cause," and especially the people of Texas in saving their State from invasion in 1863 by the Federal Army. The medal has on one side the inscription: "Presented to Annie Dowling, the daughter of our Hero," and on the other side: "From Citizens of Houston." The presentation took place in the House of Representatives in the presence of both branches of the Legislature and the heads of the departments and a large concourse of citizens and friends.

The House Journal of March 6, 1889, states: "The Speaker called the House to order at 4:15 P. M. Miss Dowling was escorted to the Hall by Dr. F. E. Daniel, accompanied by .Ex.Governor Lubbock, Representatives Tolar and Dawson, and Captain Jack White, all of whom were seated on the Speaker's stand. The Clerk, by direction of the Speaker, then read from the Journal the proceedings.

Mr. Hamblin made a lengthy address. In it he said to Miss Dowling: 'Honors are the gifts of men, heroism is from the Infinite. * * * When cowards skulk and craven spirits shrink before danger, then does God make heroes and stamp them with His sacred seal.'

Ex Governor Lubbock accepted the medal on behalf of Miss Dowling. He was the Executive of the great State at the time and knew personally nearly every one of the forty three Irishmen who were engaged under Lieutenant Dowling in that marvelous battle. In addition to the capturing of two gunboats and disabling a third, they killed fifty men, wounded many others, captured 150 men and eighteen fine cannon, without the loss of a man! The fight lasted an hour and a half, during which time Lieutenant Dowling displayed " the utmost heroism."

Sabine Pass is at the mouth of Sabine River, at which place and for miles above it separates Texas from Louisiana.

THE VETERAN would be glad to hear from any survivor, or even to know if any of them are living.

Names of the Company who manned the guns at Fort Grigsby, and to whom the credit is due for the glorious victory: Lieutenants "Dick" Dowling and N. H. Smith, privates Timothy McDonough, Thos. Dougherty, David Fitzgerald, Michael Monahan, John Hassett, John McKeefer, Jack White, Patrick McDonnell, William Gleason, Michael Carr, Thos. Hagerty, Timothy Huggins, Alexander McCabe, James Flemming, Patrick Fitzgerald, Thomas McKernon, Edward Pritchard, Chas. Rheins, Timothy Hurley, John McGrath, Matthew Walshe, Patrick Sullivan, Michael Sullivan, Thomas Sullivan, Patrick Clare, John Hennesy, 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 Dick Dowling Camp was organized in July, 1892, by Col. Will Lambert, who was elected Commander, and successively three times. The Camp was named in honor of Lieut. Dick Dowling. September 8, '96, the Camp elected officers: Commander, Chris. C. Beavens, First Lieutenant Commander, Phillip H. Fall, Second Lieutenant Commander, Peter Hoenis, Adjutant, Will Lambert, Quartermaster, A. Schilling, Surgeon, Dr. R. G. Turner, Chaplain, W. V. R. Watson, Officer of the Day, Harry B. Johnson, Vidette, Captain Jack White (fifth time), Ensign, Captain Wm. Hunter.

Comrade Lambert, after the business meeting was over, recited "The Last Battlefield of the Stars and Bars."

The Camp now numbers about 285 members, representing volunteer soldiers from every State in the Confederacy, and it will be well represented at the Nashville reunion.
The following members have died this year: E. J. Williams, Tom Green's Cavalry, also a Mexican veteran. R. Milton McKay, Eighth Texas, Terry's Cavalry. M. J. Deady, Thirty second Alabama Infantry. William F. Black, Company K, Twenty sixth Texas Cavalry, and Capt. Jack White.

P. S. Col. Will Lambert sends the following:
Capt. Jack White, Company C. (Davis Guards), Cook's Heavy Artillery, died September 15, 1896, buried in the Catholic Cemetery. Capt. Jack, as he was familiarly called by the tens of thousands who knew him, at the time of his death was the last survivor, but two, of the fortythree Irishmen commanded by the intrepid Dick Dowling at Sabine Pass on that memorable, bright September morning in 1863. His funeral was, perhaps, the largest seen in Houston since the war, the procession being fully a mile long, and was made up of the local militia, consisting of the Emmet Rifles, Houston Light Guards, Rutherford Rangers (Cavalry), and Houston Light Artillery, Emmet Council. Fire and Police Departments in full uniform, Mayor, City Council, and other city officials, Dick Dowling Camp, 150 strong, under our new Commander, Major Chris. C. Beavens, witha detail from the Grand Army Post of this city, and hundreds of vehicles. One of the pallbearers served throughout the war in the Federal Navy. A detachment of the Emmet Rifles fired three rounds over his grave, "taps" was sounded, and Capt. Jack White was left to his last, long sleep.

On Fame's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread,
While Glory guards with solemn round
The bivouac of the dead.

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