[1] In September 1862, the commander of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, Rear Admiral David Farragut, encouraged Master Frederick Crocker in the steamer USS Kensington to capture the port.

On September 23, the vessels arrived off of the pass and were joined by Acting Master Lewis Pennington in the mortar schooner USS Henry Janes.

Late that afternoon the Rachel Seaman made it over, but the slightly deeper draft Henry Janes became stuck when the tide fell.

After inspecting the damage the Confederate commander, Major Josephus S. Irvine, ordered his artillery spiked and then retreated during the night.

On October 3, 1862, Crocker captured the blockade runner “Dan” on the Calcasieu Pass and used it to travel back up the Sabine Lake to destroy the railroad bridge.

When intelligence reports indicated that there was a large Confederate army, preparing to counter-attack, Master Hooper (then in command of the place) withdrew the Rachael Seaman across the bar and back into the Gulf, abandoning the city and Fort Sabine, thus returning Sabine Pass, the lake, and river to Confederate hands they lost .