Wes Ferguson

An intrusion at the Battle of Sabine Pass

Richard W. Dowling, a shirtless saloon owner, was the victorious commander in the Battle of Sabine Pass in the American Civil War.
Richard W. Dowling, a shirtless saloon owner, was the victorious commander in the Battle of Sabine Pass in the American Civil War.

My buddy Jacob and I had just spent a week boating down the Sabine River, from Toledo Bend to the Gulf of Mexico, and we were tired and grimy and waiting for Jacob’s father Henry to come pick us up. We had arranged to meet him at the Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Park in Sabine Pass, Texas. The memorial site was grassy and desolate, and we were the only people there. A cool breeze was blowing in from the ocean. Jacob went off to find a public restroom, and I was sitting at a picnic table, minding my own business, when a fellow in a convertible coupe began to circle through the parking lot.

The guy who hopped out of the car was fortyish and not wearing a shirt. In fact, he was not wearing much of anything — only shorts, sandals, and wrap-around sunglasses. A ponytail. A bronze tan. I was careful to avoid eye contact, but it didn’t deter him. He walked right over and started asking questions about the battle of Sabine Pass.

I answered, curtly, that a small band of Confederate soldiers had fought off a larger fleet of invading Union ships at this spot, which was now a state historic site.

“Those damn Yankees,” he said. “I say that in jest because I’m from the Northeast. So this was like a crucial port for the South during the war?”

“I have no idea,” I replied. “We just got here. But if you’ll walk around, there’s bound to be some reading material somewhere. At least a marker or something.”

He didn’t take the hint. “So where were you coming from?” he asked.

When I told him about our trip down the Sabine, he announced that he had once ridden a jet ski 180 miles along the Atlantic coast. Now his watercraft was in storage in his garage back home, needing repairs. “You know what they say,” he said. “You either have a new jet ski or you don’t have a jet ski.” He was from New Jersey, and he had taken off work for a few weeks to see the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and Brownsville. As for rivers, he added, “I’d love to explore the Hudson, because it’s so beautiful.”

“On a jet ski?” I asked.

“Oh yeah.”

Then he wanted to know what year the battle of Sabine Pass had been fought. I told him I really, truly had no idea.

“I’ll find out,” he said.

As he walked away, I thought about Jeff back up the river. Then I thought about the Tidwells and the rest of the people I had met along the Sabine. It hadn’t mattered that I was a stranger. They had invited me into their homes, fed me and treated me like one of their own. I realized that I wasn’t like these river people at all. I wasn’t as kind.

Jacob showed up with chips and sandwiches. We were eating at the picnic table when a voice shouted: “1863!”

I turned around. It was the shirtless guy. “What?” I asked him.

“1863,” he said. “That’s the year of the battle.”

“Oh, OK,” I replied.

He stood there beside our picnic table.

“Pringles, huh?” he said.

“Yep.”

“Nice.”

When we didn’t say anything more to the man he walked over to the piers, then circled back to his convertible coupe and sped off to his next destination. One hopes he found a place where the people were friendlier.

Ruthlessly cut from an early draft of Running the River: Secrets of the Sabine, by Wes Ferguson and Jacob Croft Botter.

Wes Ferguson

1,441 responses to “An intrusion at the Battle of Sabine Pass”

« Older Comments
Newer Comments »

  1. sex nh?t hi?p dâm tr? em ?u dâm buôn bán v? khí ma túy bán súng sextoy ch?i ?? sex b?o l?c sex h?c ???ng t?i ph?m tình d?c ch?i les ?? ??c ng??i m?u bán dâm

    Reply

  3. sex nh?t hi?p dâm tr? em ?u dâm buôn bán v? khí ma túy bán súng sextoy ch?i ?? sex b?o l?c sex h?c ???ng t?i ph?m tình d?c ch?i les ?? ??c ng??i m?u bán dâm

    Reply

  6. sex nh?t hi?p dâm tr? em ?u dâm buôn bán v? khí ma túy bán súng sextoy ch?i ?? sex b?o l?c sex h?c ???ng t?i ph?m tình d?c ch?i les ?? ??c ng??i m?u bán dâm

    Reply

  7. sex nh?t hi?p dâm tr? em ?u dâm buôn bán v? khí ma túy bán súng sextoy ch?i ?? sex b?o l?c sex h?c ???ng t?i ph?m tình d?c ch?i les ?? ??c ng??i m?u bán dâm

    Reply

  9. sex nh?t hi?p dâm tr? em ?u dâm buôn bán v? khí ma túy bán súng sextoy ch?i ?? sex b?o l?c sex h?c ???ng t?i ph?m tình d?c ch?i les ?? ??c ng??i m?u bán dâm

    Reply

  14. This article is absolutely incredible! The author has done a phenomenal job of delivering the information in an engaging and enlightening manner. I can’t thank her enough for providing such precious insights that have undoubtedly enriched my awareness in this subject area. Hats off to her for creating such a work of art!

    Reply

  15. What?s Happening i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve found It positively helpful and it has helped me out loads. I hope to contribute & assist other users like its helped me. Great job.

    Reply

  31. Hey there! I’m at work browsing your blog from my new iphone 4! Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts! Carry on the superb work!|

    Reply

  32. Hello, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i was just curious if you get a lot of spam responses? If so how do you stop it, any plugin or anything you can recommend? I get so much lately it’s driving me insane so any support is very much appreciated.|

    Reply

  37. hello!,I really like your writing so a lot! proportion we be in contact extra approximately your post on AOL? I need an expert on this house to solve my problem. Maybe that’s you! Taking a look ahead to peer you. |

    Reply

  39. I blog quite often and I seriously thank you for your information. Your article has truly peaked my interest. I’m going to take a note of your site and keep checking for new information about once a week. I subscribed to your RSS feed as well.|

    Reply

  40. Hmm is anyone else experiencing problems with the images on this blog loading? I’m trying to determine if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog. Any feed-back would be greatly appreciated.|

    Reply

  42. I’ve discovered a treasure trove of knowledge in your blog. Your unwavering dedication to offering trustworthy information is truly commendable. Each visit leaves me more enlightened, and I deeply appreciate your consistent reliability.

    Reply

  48. Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon every day. It will always be helpful to read content from other authors and use something from other sites.

    Reply

  49. Appreciating the persistence you put into your site and in depth information you offer. It’s great to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same out of date rehashed information. Excellent read! I’ve saved your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.

    Reply
« Older Comments
Newer Comments »

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *