First Battle of Sabine Pass

Part of American Civil War

Date	September 24–25, 1862
Location	Jefferson County, Texas
Result	Union victory

Belligerents

United States (Union)

Confederate States (Confederacy)

Commanders and leaders

Frederick Crocker

J.S. Irvine

Units involved

West Gulf Blockading Squadron

Sabine Pass Garrison

Strength

2 schooners,
1 steamer

28 artillerists
~30 cavalry
four guns
Fort Sabine

Casualties and losses

none

The First Battle of Sabine Pass or the Bombardment of Fort Sabine, on September 24–25, 1862, was the first Civil War bombardment by the United States Navy of a Confederate fort below Sabine City (now Sabine Pass, Texas.) It was the apex in a series of naval and land skirmishes around the mouth of the Sabine River, Texas, and preceded by four weeks the Union Navy's first armed entry into Galveston Bay called the Battle of Galveston Harbor. Besides strengthening the Union naval blockade of the Texas coastline, the shelling and capture of Sabine Pass was to deter Confederate ground forces from moving southwestward on the Texas coast to augment Galveston's defense. And, it was to open the way for the Union invasion of Texas, which almost a year later was attempted by a combined force of Union naval and army forces at the Second Battle of Sabine Pass.

Sabine Pass is the waterway serving as the outlet of the Sabine Lake estuary formed by the confluence of the Neches and Sabine rivers. The port at Sabine City was connected by a rail spur to the rail line running from the eastern border of Texas to Houston and Galveston. Although the port and entrance to the pass over the bar were shallow, it served coastal trade and, increasingly, blockade runners.

The commander of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, Rear Admiral [[David Glasg. In September 1862 Farragut encouraged Master Frederick Crocker in the steamer USS Kensington to capture the port. Farragut assigned Acting Master Quincy Hooper in the schooner USS Rachel Seaman to assist. On September 23, the vessels arrived off of the pass and were joined by Acting Master Lewis Pennington in the mortar schooner USS Henry Janes. The captains conferred and determined that they would not attempt to get the deep draft Kensington over the bar, but instead would use the schooners to make the attack. Late that afternoon the Rachel Seaman made it over, but the slightly deeper draft Henry Janes became stuck when the tide fell.

...
Wikipedia