Archie P. McDonald, Texas, All Hail the Mighty State. Austin, Texas: Elkin Press, 1983.

Archie P. McDonald’s book Texas, All Hail the Mighty State is a complete history of Texas spanning the entire history of Texas from the first native inhabitants until what Texas is today. The book includes a chapter on Texas’ involvement in the Civil war titled “Secession, Civil War, and Reconstruction.” In this chapter McDonald describes the actions of Texans, during the Civil War, including a brief description of the battle of Sabine Pass. Being a book written by a Texan primarily for Texans McDonald truly presents Dick Dowling as a hero. McDonald refers to the Battle as “Texas’ most ambitious battle,” (p 144) and even includes Jefferson Davis’ statement where he called the battle “the most significant action of the war.” (p 145) McDonald describes the events of the battle in quite bland terms compared to other accounts I have encountered, but he obviously holds the actions taken by the Texans in high regard. Citing the battle’s adverse effect on Wall Street stocks and on the Unions lines of credit with the British. (p 145) Though the account is not totally one sided as it mentions General Banks latter success in taking all of the Texas ports South of Galveston.

As I mentioned above the book Texas, All Hail the Mighty State is a history of Texas for those who love Texas. The book was published, in 1983, in Austin, Texas by the Eakin Press and appears to be a brief history of Texas and not a textbook. The book that I had access to was an ebook, through Fondren Library. By looking through The Handbook of Texas I determined that McDonald was a contributor on many works including histories of Texas, Biographies, and even an annual report for Halliburton. Also there is mention that sections of this book previously were featured in the Dallas Times Herald. The book depicts Texas heroes, like Dick Dowling, in a very favorable light. But I do not believe this account is overly biased in the way it depicts Texas History.

It is not clear weather any earlier or later editions exist as I was unable to ascertain the existence of other editions through the services provided by Fondren Library, but it should be noted that McDonald mentions a previous version that appeared at some point in the Dallas Times Herald.

The Transcription below comes from the 1983 edition of Archie P. McDonald’s book Texas, All Hail the Mighty State. The two portians come from page 144 and 145 respectivly.

ling, a Houston saloon keeper. In September, 1863, General Nathaniel Banks attempted to send seventeen Union naval vessels and a force of over 1,500 soldiers through Sabine Pass to attack the interior. Dowling’s guns sank or disabled two vessels in the main channel, thus blocking the way for the remainder of the ships and preventing the disembarking of the Union soldiers, who were then withdrawn to New Orleans. The Battle of Sabine Pass was hailed by Jefferson Davis as the most significant action of the war at a time when he was grasping at straws after the defeats at Vicksburg and Gettysburg. The results even had a negative affect on Wall Street stocks and American credit in England. General Banks was more successful farther down the coast. His forces succeeded in capturing or controlling every port from the Rio Grande to just below Galveston, including Corpus Christi, Aransas Pass, and Indianola.

 

Books Covered:

Katie Daffan, Texas Hero Stories: An historical reader for the grades. (New York: Benjamin H Sanborn & Co., 1908)

TR Fehrenbach, Lone Star: a history of Texas and the Texans. (New York: American Legacy Press, 1968)

When I began this library assignment, I was sure I was going to find a strong shift in attitudes over time towards Lt. Dowling and the Civil War in general. As we saw in the first archival assignment (link here), the Civil Rights movement appeared to change the public’s favored view of Dowling from a Civil War hero to a prominent Irish-American in early Houston history.  I was anxious to see a similar progression in the printed literature (non-periodical) too.   Thus I selected two books “Texas Hero Stories: An Historical Reader for the Grades” by Katie Daffan and “Lone Star: a history of Texas and the Texans” by T.R. Fehrehbach.  Both,with their emphasis on “Great Men” (Carlylean) history in Texas,  promised to give a portrait of Dowling pre- and post-Civil Rights.

The book by Daffan “Texas Hero Stories” was published in 1908 just after the wave of renewed interest in Dowling that culminated in his statue’s erection outside of City Hall in March 1906. In addition, Katie Daffan was five-term President of the Texas Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and a life member of its executive board.   With this background in mind and coupled with the book’s title of ‘Hero Stories’, I expected to find a laudatory tale of Dowling’s defense of Sabine Pass.

Unfortunately, and unexpectedly, I found no mention of either the battle of Sabine Pass or the actions of Dick Dowling. The book chronicles 12 ‘heroes’ of Texas, of whom three lived during the Civil War: Gen. Albert Johnson, Francis Lubbock, and John Reagan.  As her title suggests, Daffan’s prose drips with praise of these men and their devotion to the Confederacy. At the start of the war, she writes, “When the news that Texas had seceded from the Union reached [Gen Johnson] he resigned his command, though his surroundings were pleasant and he had grown fond of the West, and went immediately to Richmond, Virginia, where he joined the Confederacy” as a result of his devotion to the Southern cause. (Daffan, 115) She continues to describe his almost annihilation of Grant’s army at Shiloh where “victory was crowning every attempt made by the Confederates”, but his death removed “the center, the life, the very heart of the brilliant achievements”. (116)

Of Gov. Lubbock she writes “With less earnest, careful management during these dark days [of the Civil War], the people of our state would have suffered and our honor been sacrificed.”(123) John Reagan, “the Old Roman” was described as in love with “the whole great country and would have been glad for it to have remained one, with no division or strife, but he loved the South, and Texas the best of all.” (125) These three men encompass a broad view of the best of the “Lost Cause” : valiant “great men” who led the fight (literally and figuratively) against the Union, who acted as a result of loyalty to their state and for the honor (not slaves) of its inhabitants. Because the book was a “historical reader for the grades”, it acted in much the same way as the UDC’s Catechism of the Confederacy that Mercy Harper lectured about in class. These confederate men were role models –defenders of Texan pride–that young boys should emulate.

In my opinion, Dowling would have been an excellent addition to her book. His actions at Sabine Pass were in defense of his new home (Houston), and they were an example of how Confederate valiance defeated overwhelming odds (a theme Daffan reiterates constantly in her retelling of Texan independence).   It is a shame that Dowling is not included. His actions were in-line with Daffan’s view of a Texan Hero.  My only attempt to explain the omission was that Dowling was Irish and not a long-time Texan at the outbreak of the Civil War. Further evidence to my belief that strides made at integration during Reconstruction, the Irish were still not seen as fully “white”.

The other book I read was TR Fehrenbach’s “Lone Star”. The first edition of this book was published in 1968, after the Civil Rights movement so I expected the introduction of some of the social histories involved with the battle of Sabine Pass into the description of the battle.  However, this was not the case.   The book was compiled from a large array of sources dealing with the entire history of Texas and “was not written to destroy myths but so far as possible to cut through them to the reality underneath…to put things in broad perspective.” TR Fehrenbach,despite this neutral approach to history, is well-known as a scholar of Texan history and is the namesake of a book prize from the Texas Historical Commission. As a result of his neutral approach, the description about Dowling and the battle of Sabine Pass is concise and, to be honest, dry. It focuses purely on the military aspects of the Battle of Sabine Pass and not on its wider implications of the future of Texas.  His only indication of bias is his transition from the Indian Wars of the period to the Civil War where he writes “Against the Yankees, however, the Texan record was outstanding.” (369) A transcript is available below.

Not only is the 1968 version a mere recounting of the events at Sabine Pass on September 8, 1863 without hardly any social or political commentary, the excerpt does not fluctuate over time to reflect possible changes in scholarly trends.  The book was reissued twice in 1983 and 2000, however, they were, verbatim, the same as the 1968 edition with regards to Sabine Pass. I don’t believe this is because public and scholarly opinion was static in this time frame. On the other hand TR Fehrenbach writes in the 2000 preface “It has been said that each generation must rewrite history in order to understand it. The opposite is true.” In essence, Fehrenbach is ultra-conservative in disallowing modern trends to affect his interpretation of history. He even denies the momentous upheaval and swing towards social history caused by the Civil Rights movement. He says, in the same ed. 2000 preface “Texas, through the last half of the twentieth century, has suffered little ‘history’”.  I blame this as the reason why there is no shift in the description of the Battle of Sabine Pass.

Transcript of TR Fehrenbach’s description of the Battle of Sabine Pass as seen in “Lone Star: A History of Texas and Texans.” ed. 1968 Pg 369-370

Recognizing this as a weak point, where the Federal naval supremacy could bear, Admiral David Farragut and Major General NP Banks drew up plans for a major campaign in 1863. Sabine Pass was to be seized, and 5,000 veteran troops put ashore. Farragut and Banks hoped to repeat earlier Union successes at New Orleans and Mobile.

On September 8, 1863, four U.S. gunboats, leading a flotilla of 20 transports proceeded against Sabine Pass. This was a carefully planned assault, whose ultimate objective was the capture of Houston, Beaumont, and in turn, Galveston. At the very least, it was expected to open up a sustained campaign near vital areas of Texas. Major General William B. Franklin of the U.S. Army was in over-all command.

A small Confederate post, Fort Griffin, defended the Texas side of the Pass. Here Odlum’s Company F (Davis Guards) of the 1^st Texas Heavy Artillery stood on watch. Neither Odlum nor his lieutenant, Smith, was present; the company, two old 24-pounder smoothbores, two 32-pounders, and two howitzers, and forty-two men, was commanded by the junior lieutenant, Richard (Dick) Dowling. IN the vicinity, also, was the Confederate steamer Uncle Ben and a detachment of infantry from Company B, Speight’s Battalion.

While the landing force of 5,000 stood offshore with its escort warships, the four Union gunboats moved up the channel and bombarded Dowling’s command. The shelling continued for an hour and a half. The Federal boats then withdrew, let the meaning of the bombardment sink in, and came back again. In similar situation outnumbered and outgunned Confederate posts had withdrawn.

With great coolness Dowling ordered his battery to withhold its fire.  He let the Federal warships come within 1,200 yards. Then, under heavy fire himself, Dowling poured fire from his old smoothbores into each Federal vessel in turn. The result was spectacular. USS Sachem was holed in the steam drum and fell out of action. Clifton’s tiller rope was carried away, and the gunboat drifted helplessly aground under Dowling’s battery. Clifton struck, running up a white flag.

Shocked and battered, the remaining flotilla raced back out to sea. The armada and its 5,000 invasion troops eventually sailed back to New Orleans.

U.S. naval forces lost two ships, 100 killed and injured, and 350 prisoners. Dowling’s battery was untouched. In a few minutes, Lieutenant Dick Dowling had fought the most brilliant and decisive small action of the Civil War. No Federal effort was ever made in the area again.

The outcome of Sabine Pass raised a great outcry abut [sic] the efficiency of the Navy in the North; coming with Bragg’s victory at Chicamauga. It gave the Union a severe psychological shock. US credit declined abroad; the dollar lost 5 percent of its value against gold.

Sarah Jackson, A Child’s History of Texas (Austin: Eakin Press, 1974). Mary Ann Patterson, illustrator.

Sarah Jackson, A Child’s History of Texas (Austin: Eakin Press, 1999). Scott Arbuckle, illustrator.

As its title makes clear, this book is intended for children. The cartoon illustrations within take up more space than the relatively simplistic text. The book covers the human history of Texas from its earliest inhabitants up to the modern age, and devotes relatively little space to the Civil War. Indeed, while much space is given to the Texas Revolution, the Civil War seems rather glossed-over, forming, at least from this book’s point of view, a small chapter in an illustrious history of Texas. The book focuses much more on early exploration and modern points of pride, such as natural beauty and leading industries. The book, which was published in Austin, seems designed to inform young Texans about their state and foster their pride for it . A Child’s History of Texas was published in two editions, and while the text and content is very similar across them, the presentation is quite different. Therefore, I will describe both of them in turn.

The first edition was published in 1974. The illustrations are simplistic, mere black-and-white outlines, perhaps encouraging its use as a coloring book, although the book itself does not explicitly suggest that use. The illustrations are dispersed unevenly, sometimes appearing below or above a chunk of text, between two chunks of text, on either side, or taking up a whole page with a title or caption offered.

Since the second edition was published in 1999, I hazard a guess that Jackson may have taken it upon herself to seek a new illustrator to revise her work in response the the 150th anniversary of Texas’ statehood (1845-1995). While the text has changed little, this edition is much more organized. No longer could it be used as a coloring book; the illustrations are quite complete already. Each page is presented with a colored illustration at the top, a bit of text below it, and a smaller black-and-white illustration at the bottom. The illustrations are rather cartoonish but not simplistic; I find they supplement the minimal text quite a bit. For instance, while the text on the page titled “Battles in Texas” (transcribed below) gives no mention of the hardship of the war, the illustration below it shows two bedraggled men carrying a fallen comrade on a stretcher to a hospital tent, out of which a doctor leans, shouting “Next!” as if these horrible sights have become commonplace to him. A cannonball flies towards the men even as they carry their comrade to aid. Therefore, I think the illustrator deserves ample credit for cleverness, sometimes even subversiveness, in conveying what the text does not.

The Civil War, as mentioned above, receives relatively little attention in the book. The reasons behind the war are completely neglected, and Texas is explained as having joined the South because of heritage ties. It seems taken for granted that the child reader would already know a bit about the war, or could talk it over with parents or a teacher. Reconstruction is defined as a “period of hardship,” but is not dwelt on beyond this mention. Because they were brief, I went ahead and transcribed the pages having to do with the Civil War. The “Battles in Texas” segment is the only part of the book that mentions Dowling.

The changes I noted between the two editions were mainly editorial, simply changing wording. No significant change in tone or the way the information is presented occurred in the new edition. However, I did note a correction: the first edition claims that “on March 16, 1861, a special convention convened and voted to secede,” while the second edition gives the date as March 5. The first edition gives the number of men in the Davis Guards as 47, while the second edition does not mention the number (perhaps the author did not want to grapple with discrepancies that arise when defining the exact number).

FIRST EDITION

Page 52: Under the text transcribed below is a picture of two soldiers in full uniform, standing at attention with their rifles held before them, staring each other down.

THE CIVIL WAR

As war clouds gathered over the nation, Texas’ heritage and kinship lay with the South. Texas joined the Union as the 28th state. When she withdrew to join the Confederacy, she was the 7th state to do so.

Governor Sam Houston did not want Texas to leave the Union. On March 16, 1861, a special convention convened and voted to secede. Because he would not sign an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, Houston had to step down as Governor. Edward Clark became Governor in his place.

Page 53: Sam Houston sits at a desk, his pen poised over a document and his hand thoughtfully on his chin, while his wife has her hands on his shoulders, evidently trying to comfort him. The caption reads SAM HOUSTON’S MOMENT OF DECISION. MARCH 16, 1861

Page 54: Beneath the text (transcribed below) is an illustration of cannons lined up, with the silhouette of a cavalryman in the distance.

CIVIL WAR BATTLES IN TEXAS

The Civil War battles fought in Texas were the result of Union efforts to blockade trade and gain control of the seaports.

Galveston was captured in Oct. 1862. Efforts under General John B. Magruder in November succeeded in recapturing the city. Under the leadership of Dick Dowling, 47 men called the Davis Guards turned back 5,000 Union soldiers attempting to attack Beaumont and Houston.

Page 55: This page is an illustration of the Battle of Sabine Pass. On the water, a Union gunboat labeled “U. S. S. Clifton” seems to be spurting an inordinate amount of fire and smoke from its smokestacks. On a hill in the distance, the fort can barely be seen, with two smoking cannons peeking out. Splashes in the water and other explosions indicate the action. The caption reads: BATTLE  OF SABINE PASS. DOWLING’S MEN HELD OFF 5,000 UNION SOLDIERS.

Page 56: This page shows an illustration of a locomotive on railroad tracks in the upper left corner, roughly below the title but above the text. At the bottom is a map of Texas with labels and some illustrations to point out centers of industry such as lumber, cattle, and cotton.

TEXAS – A LEADER IN INDUSTRY

After the surrender of the South in 1865, Texas again found her place as a state in the United States. There was a period of struggle known as Reconstruction. But the state moved steadily toward the economic gains and prosperity that makes Texas a leader in the nation. Much of the regained strength was based on the railroad.

SECOND EDITION

(Note that the radical difference in page numbers is due not to a reduction in text content, but a condensation of illustrations, allowing for a shorter and more tightly-organized package overall.)

Page 35: The colored illustration for this page shows a full-body portrait of a CSA soldier on one side and a Union soldier on the other. Between them is an image of who we can assume to be Sam Houston, who we glimpse through a window, leaning over a writing desk and looking uncertainly at a document (doubtless his “oath of allegiance” which he ultimately refused to sign). Framing him are two flags, acting as curtains: the Union flag on one side, and the Stars and Bars on the other. The black-and-white illustration at the bottom shows people of assorted ages and walks of life lining up in front of a recruitment officer’s desk.

The Civil War

Texas had joined the Union as the twenty-eighth state. As war clouds gathered over the nation in the 1860s, Texas’ heritage and kinship lay with the Southern states. When the state withdrew from the Union to join the Confederacy, Texas was the seventh state to do so.

Sam Houston, at this time serving as governor, did not want Texas to leave the Union. On March 5, 1861, a special convention gathered and voted to secede (or withdraw) from the Union. Because he would not sign an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, Houston had to step down as governor. Edward Clark became governor in his place.

Page 36: The colored illustration shows the Battle of Sabine Pass. We can see into the fort, where men fire cannons or carry things; everyone seems busy. On the river, Union gunboats are firing their own cannons and smoking from being struck. The bottom illustration shows two men carrying a fallen comrade on a stretcher into a doctor’s tent, while a cannonball flies towards them. The doctor leans out and calls “Next!”

Battles in Texas

The Civil War battles fought in Texas were the result of Union efforts to blockade trade and gain control of the seaports.

Galveston was captured in October 1862. Efforts led by Gen. John B. Magruder in November succeeded in recapturing the city. In the Battle of Sabine Pass, under the leadership of Dick Dowling, the Davis Guards turned back 5,000 Union soldiers attempting to attack Beaumont and Houston.

Page 37: The top illustration shows people standing at a train station, admiring an impressive new locomotive. The bottom picture displays men working to build a railroad.

On the Road to Recovery

After the surrender of the South in 1865, Texas again found her place as a state in the United States. There was a period of struggle known as Reconstruction. But the state moved steadily toward prosperity. Texas gradually became a leader in the nation’s economy.

Much of the regained strength of the state’s economy began with the development of the rail-road.