Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site

The Texas Historical Commission's site at Sabine Pass is a shoreline park on the ground where Fort Griffin's earthwork once stood. The Commission's history says about 500 enslaved men were forced to build the fort, so the Confederate victory of September 8, 1863 rests on their labor. What you see now is a statue of Lt. Richard Dowling, a memorial to the Union casualties of the battle, exhibit pavilions and a cannon model exhibit. Tours of the grounds are self-guided.

The ground has had other jobs. It served as a U.S. Army coastal artillery battery during World War II, and four historic munitions magazines remain on site. A walkway runs along the water, and visitors fish here. The park also has a campground with five RV spots, each with 50-amp hookups.

The site is exposed. In March 2009 the Civil War Preservation Trust named Sabine Pass Battleground one of the ten most threatened American battlefields, citing its hurricane-prone location. Check before you drive out, because hours and conditions can change after storms. The Commission lists the site open Wednesday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with admission of $5 per vehicle. The address is 6100 Dowling Road, and the phone number is 979-325-1582. The battle itself is told on the state markers around Sabine Pass, so use this stop to walk the shore and the magazines.