(Battle #1) The first battle of Sabine Pass

The first battle of Sabine Pass took place between September 24 – 25, 1862. Sabine Pass is located in Jefferson County. The purpose of the battle was the Union’s plans to operate a blockade of the Texas Coast and to give a point so forces could enter Texas. During this engagement, the Union commander was Acting Master Fredrick Crocker. The Confederate commander was Major J.S. Irvine. The Union forces had the steamer Kensington, a schooner named Rachel Seaman and the mortar schooner Henry James. The Confederates had the thirty men at the Fort Griffith Garrison, an unknown number at the gun battery at Sabine Pass and twenty-five cavalry men that were located about 3.5 miles away. Acting Master Frederick Crocker on September 23, 1862 arrived near Sabine Pass and proceeded to position the Kensington, Rachel Seaman and Henry James just off the entry of the Pass. He and his crew spent the remainder of the day readying for the attack planned for the next day. On the morning of September 24th, Crocker gave the order to cross the bar at Sabine pass and begin firing on the Irvine’s troops at the Confederate shore battery. Initial firing proved to useless against the Confederates because the shells were unable to reach the shore. Quickly realizing the problem, Crocker ordered the ships to continue moving closer until the shells began to hit the Confederate guns.
On the Confederate side they were attempting to fight back but their cannons couldn’t come anywhere near the Union ships. Major Irvine ordered four of the guns spiked, as many supplies as the troops could carry packed up and the evacuation during the night. The following morning Crocker had the schooners moved closer to the battery (which he destroyed) and Sabine Pass the town surrendered on the same day. The number of casualties during the first battle of Sabine Pass remains unknown.