Less rowdy Irish were found in the Davis Guards, formally known as Co. F, First Texas Heavy Artillery. They were posted at Ft. Griffin at the mouth of the Sabine River, as it empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The site was near Beaumont, Texas, an important railway junction. The Federals devised a clever plan in which they would land a significant force which could then take a quick train trip to Houston and then surprise the Confederate force at Galveston, Texas. Galveston was then a major port.
The Davis Guards were command by Lt. Dick Dowling, born in Tuam, County Galway. The night before the intended invasion, a Confederate guard noticed the significant ship activity in the bay. Lt Dowling wired Gen. Magruder in Galveston for instructions. Magruder told him to spike the guns and retreat. Capt. Dowling, however, had a different notion.
