Lyr Req: Toast of Texas - Dowling's Gallant Men

Subject: Lyr Req: Toast of Texas - Dowlings Gallent Men
From: JedMarum
Date: 18 Dec 05 - 04:40 PM

I am looking for a song about Dick Dowling and the battle of Sabine Pass (where 45 Rebel soldiers repelled a Yankee invasion of Texas that had some 5,000 Yankees on several ships).

Danny and Patrick O'Flaherty performed the song, I think Danny wrote it. The song starts out:

Here's to the toast of Texas
To Dowling's gallent men
Who fought the (something) battle
And sent Franklin home again

Anyone have the lyrics??

Subject: LYR. ADD: TRUE IRISH VALOR
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Dec 05 - 05:00 PM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Toast of Texas - Dowlings Gallent Men
From: Peace
Date: 18 Dec 05 - 05:02 PM

He has one entitled, "Dowling's Victory". I do not have nor can I find the lyrics. It is on an album (CD?) entitled 'Celtic Folk: Ride the Waves'.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Toast of Texas - Dowlings Gallent Men
From: Peace
Date: 18 Dec 05 - 05:06 PM

Re Sabine Pass

Subject: Lyr Add: TRUE IRISH VALOR and SABINE PASS
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Dec 05 - 05:56 PM

Lyr. Add: TRUE IRISH VALOR
Mrs. Mollie E. Moore, in
Allen's Lone Star Ballads 1874

Dick Dowling and the Davis Guards,
Sabine Pass, Texas, Sept. 8, 1863.

Thank God! there's one chord in all men's hearts
That is tuned alike: the one
That thrills into music, and stirs the blood,
When a gallant deed is done!

And friend or foe, it is all the same,
So the hand be firm and the heart be true,
For the soul at a hero's touch will flame,
Whether his coat be grey or blue.

There were camp-fires red on a hundred fields,
There was marching, and fighting, and dying, alas!
There were armies to Eastward, and armies to Westward,
And a handful of men yonder guarding a pass!

Forty-two all told! but friends only think
What a sea of brave blood flows through forty-two hearts,
When not a drop of it runs foul! Fresh drawn
From Freedom's great heart of all hearts!

Ah! I swear, as the thought of their deed comes back,
That I see them stand as they stood that day,
Watching the foe come sailing up
In his grand ships over the Bay.

The twenty-three ships on the Bay, all bold,
Fifteen thousand men on their decks, all told.
The gunners are ready for work in the fort,
With their sleeves to their elbows roll'd.

There may have been in those throbbing hearts,
A thought of home, where the lov'd ones wait,
Of sister, sweetheart, or wife, perhaps,
But the main thought was, "Make the shots go straight!"

So the grandest deed of the time was wrought,
For the shot went straight, and the day was won!
Friends, the cause that we lov'd is lost, and the days
Of the rifle and sword are done.

The fires of a hundred fields were vain,
The marching, and fighting, and dying, alas!
And history has no place on her page
For a handful of Irishmen guarding a Pass!

But a dream of those men in a half-built fort,
With their arms laid bare for the fight that day,
The fifteen thousand men on the decks of the ships,
The twenty-three ships in the Bay.

That will keep its place in the heart, thank God!
While the hands are firm, and the hearts are true,
And will stir into music the hero's blood
Whether his coat be grey or blue.

One of several ballads written in the 1860s concerning the defense at Sabine Pass.
(Not the one required, but one written very shortly after the event.)

LYR. ADD: SABINE PASS
Mrs. M. J. Young
Dedicated to the Davis Guards-
(The Living and the Dead.)

Sabine Pass! in letters of gold,
Seem written upon the sky to-day-
Sabine Pass with rhythmic feet,
Comes passionately stepping down my lay.

Sabine Pass and the white sail ships,
With their cruel cannon's grinning teeth,
Tearing in shreads the sullen smoke,
That seem'd weaving for us a winding sheet.

Sabine Pass with its Irish hearts,
As true as the blessings the Shamrock brings-
Hearts as full of royal blood
As that which nerves the arms of kings.

Few, ah! few were the Davis band-
"We cannot conquer, but we can die!"
Said the dauntless DOWLING, as up he sprang,
And nail'd the starry cross on high.

Twenty-seven ships in pomp and pride,
Came sailing thro' the Pass that day-
Go ask of any Texas child,
How many ships survived the fray.

The God of battle, who loves the brave,
Who gave to Gideon of old the fight,
Sent victory down that "GUARD" to save,
And crown'd them with immortal light.

Dark storms have since o'erswept our land,
And tyrants do our souls harrass,
But glory shines on DOWLING's band-
The forty-two heroes of the Pass.

Come fill your glass with Texas wine-
Wine that is generous, red and free-
And drink with me to the knightliest man,
Who conquer'd the foe on land and sea.

But tears, rough, manly tears for the dead,
Light dews of night bedim the glass,
With throbbing hearts and lifted hands,
We name him- "DOWLING! OF THE PASS!"

Written in Houston, Texas, September 8, 1868.

Frances D. Allan, 1874, "Allan's Lone Star Ballads, A Collection of Southern Patriotic Songs Made During Confederate Times," pp. 109-110 and 112-113, Burt Franklin, New York. Reprinted 1970.

More to follow.

Subject: RE: LYR. ADD: TO THE DAVIS GUARDS
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Dec 05 - 07:01 PM

Subject: Lyr Add: TO THE DAVIS GUARDS
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Dec 05 - 07:30 PM

TO THE DAVIS GUARDS
Lt. W. P. Cunningham

Soldiers! raise your banner proudly,
Let it pierce our Texas sky-
Hurrah! it was shouted loudly-
"We will do it or we'll die!"

Thus spoke the heroic DOWLING !
To his Irish, gallant band;
"Let us send the foes a howling,
From our lovely Texas land!

Nobly answered those brave men all,
To his soul-stirring appeal;
"Aye, we'll drive them away or fall;
We'll fight them with lead and steel."

The Irishmen desert never
The people that treat them well;
Their friends they love forever;
Their foes may "go to ----!"

"Steady, steady, keep cool, my boys,
Now they are near- ready- fire!"
Thus their noble chieftain cries,
And they fire, and never tire.

Hear the heavy, thundering sound,
The men of war they cry;
The dull earth itself resounds,
As the foemen fight and die.

But hurrah! the white flag's flying-
See, they spare the fallen foe!
They attend the wounded- dying-
The brave will have it so.

O, DAVIS GUARDS ! ye men of war,
You've made a glorious name!
Thus always guard our TEXAS STAR,
And preserve, for aye, your fame.

And when, around the social glass,
In years to come, you meet,
O ne'er forget the SABINE PASS !
But its mem'ries fondly greet.

Composed in the 1860s. From Francis D. Allan, 1874, "Allan's Lone Star Ballads, A Collection of Southern Patriotic Songs Made During Confederate Times, p. 115. Burt Franklin, New York. Reprint 1970.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Toast of Texas - Dowlings Gallent Men
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Dec 05 - 07:56 PM

Richard William Dowling (1838-1867) was born in Galway Co., Ireland.
He was successful in business in Houston, opening "The Shades," the first of a series of saloons, in 1857. He then purchased a bank, the bank of Bacchus.
With the outbreak of the Civil War, he entered the Jefferson Davis Guards as 1st. Lt. In 1861, the Guards became Company F of the Third Texas Artillery.
At Sabine Pass, Dowling had 47 men and six cannon. His group disabled two gunboats, and captured two ships and 350 men, without sustaining any injuries.
After the War, be mamaged several businesses, including oil and gas. He died of yellow fever in 1867.
Handbook of Texas

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Toast of Texas - Dowlings Gallent Men
From: JedMarum
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 02:44 PM

It's a great story. Dowling was a marevlous self promoter and this story got 'round all of the South, when it happened ... not to take away from his genuine heroics!

Dowling was a troublesome character to his commanders. He and his rogues (dock workers and "hard living fellows" from Irish Channel in old New Orleans and the docks of Galveston TX) were actually sent to spike the cannon at Sabine pass, because the Confederate command was aware of the impending Yankee invasion - they didn;t want to loos some valuable artillery that could be used against them. Dowling had just earned the ire of his superiors for refusing orders in a previous campaign (if my memory serves me correctly, Dowling decided the orders were foolish, so he refused to follow them). So the assigment to Sabine pass was a punishment. Again - he refused orders. Rather then spike the cannon and return to his unit - Dowling and his men fortified the fort, practiced using the cannon and waited for the yankees. They surprised the Yankee ships sent to retrieve the cannon - disabling one and forcing the other to surrendur. In fact, the whole Yankee invasion was called off, as a result of the action (presumably Gen Franklin presumed erroneouly that the Rebel forces had well defended the coastline).

Anyway - great story, 40 men capturing 400 - and stopping an invasion (for the moment) of 5000!

I've written to Danny for the words to his song. I'll post 'em here when I get them, in case there are others with an interest.

Thanks to all for their input.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Toast of Texas - Dowlings Gallent Men
From: JedMarum
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 02:52 PM

LOL - wow I really ought to use the PREVIEW feature, and correct my typos! I guess my last post is readable, but only just!

;-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Toast of Texas - Dowling's Gallant Men
From: JedMarum
Date: 26 Dec 05 - 09:22 PM

I never heard from Danny - no one has these lyrics?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Toast of Texas - Dowling's Gallant Men
From: GUEST,celtaddict at work
Date: 27 Dec 05 - 06:33 PM

Danny is on the road and very hard to catch; I talk to him every week or so, but will see if I can get them from the CD to post, if not I'll ask him to recite them on the phone and send them on.
Jed, Danny gave me my first two of your CDs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Toast of Texas - Dowling's Gallant Men
From: JedMarum
Date: 27 Dec 05 - 09:26 PM

Thanks celtaddict. If you can get them from the album, I'd be obliged. I lost my copy, and cannot recall the lyrics.