The Matagorda Incident
Matagorda, Matagorda County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In late 1863, during the Civil War, Union forces stormed much of the Texas coast in an effort to block the flow of goods and supplies going through coastal ports. One of the most important port openings was the Matagorda Bay, where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Colorado River. The bay is shielded by a strip of land, the Matagorda Peninsula. In December that year, Union soldiers were reported to have on Matagorda Peninsula supported by Union gunboats. The present Confederate Naval Officer, Capt. James R. Marmion, led gunboats to face the Union ships across the peninsula. On the morning of December 30, 1863, Confederate cavalry and the Union landing party opened fire. Capt. Marmion’s gunboats helped prevent the Union forces from successfully constructing fortifications. One Union ship left to gather reinforcements, while Capt. Marmion realized that he too needed more men to support the cavalry Capt. Edward S. Rugeley and his Company D of Brown's Regiment, Texas Cavalry, were originally stationed to defend the town of Matagorda, but that afternoon Capt. Marmion called upon them to report to his gunboat to stage an amphibious assault, That night a combined total of 57 men took two boats to the shore of the peninsula as well as a third boat to carry officers. An extremely cold norther forced Capt. Rugeley to call the transports to return to the gunboat, Despite the short distance to retreat, the boats were swamped in the storm and 22 men died. Most Matagorda families were impacted by the deaths. Eventually the Union troops retreated, leaving the Confederate forces in control of the peninsula. (2015)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In late 1863 Union forces pressed along the Texas coast to choke off the ports supplying the Confederacy, and in December they landed on the Matagorda Peninsula backed by gunboats. Confederate naval officer Capt. James R. Marmion answered with his own gunboats and cavalry, and on December 30 the two sides exchanged fire across the narrow strip of land. When Marmion called Capt. Edward S. Rugeley's Company D of Brown's Regiment to stage a night amphibious assault, a brutal norther swamped the small boats within sight of safety, drowning 22 men and touching nearly every family in Matagorda. The Union force eventually withdrew, leaving the Confederates in control of the peninsula.
Why it matters
The incident is a stark reminder that the Civil War reached far beyond its famous battlefields, and that on the Texas coast the weather could prove as deadly as enemy fire.
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Related people
- · James R. Marmion
- · Edward S. Rugeley
Related events
- · The Matagorda Incident
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
The Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1862
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