When Texas succeeded from the Union and the Civil War came to Orange three military companies were established. They were the Orange Light Guard, The Orange Greys, and Hannah’s Company. There was also the Orange County Coast Guard and several companies of state troops. There was never an established system of fortifications. There was a Confederate encampment up the Sabine River at Niblett’s Bluff.
The Sabine River forks near West Bluff. The main channel goes west and the old river fork goes eastward. Niblett’s Bluff is on the east fork. Between the two forks is a fourteen mile long island. The actual crossing of the river takes several miles since Niblett’s Bluff is upriver from the fork. It is a short voyage as opposed to a direct crossing. The Bluff is the first crossing into Louisiana on the river. From the mouth of the Sabine to the Bluff is marsh and swamp. If the Union forces were to attempt to cross into Texas up the river from Orange, it would be at Niblett’s Bluff.
There had been a settlement at the Bluff since about 1840. It was first called Millspaw’s Bluff, and later Jericho. It was finally named for Robert C. Neblett, who had a plantation in the area before moving into Grimes County, Texas. It is not clear how the spelling of the name changed from Neblett to Niblett. Niblett’s Bluff had become an important and convenient shipping point for lumber and cotton as well as being the crossing for the road between Houston and Opelousas. At one time there had been two stores and a hotel. The population had dwindled to about 50 by 1861, but it was still a scene of much shipping and stage coach crossings. The importance of the Bluff to the Confederacy and to the Union invaders was well known and by 1863 there was a significant army presence.
The fortification at the Bluff was a “redoubt”, a rectangular fortification with walls six feet thick at the base and eight feet high. There was an enfilade, a platform for the troops to stand on to fire over the wall. Artillery would consist of one two gun section of Captain O.G. Jones Texas Light Artillery, two mountain howitzers and one 32 pound cannon.
Major General John Bankhead Magruder, Commander of the District of Texas came to Niblett’s Bluff in May, 1863. Magruder had been the commander of the Confederate forces that recaptured Galveston from the Union in January, 1863. The defense of the Bluff was closely tied to the defense of Texas and Magruder was an aggressive and innovative officer, just what the isolated District of Texas needed. Louisiana was important to Texas as well as to the Trans-Mississippi Department. Niblett’s Bluff would be the first fort to encounter the Union forces if they should invade up the Sabine River and it was important to block the crossing from Union land forces attempting to cross into Texas. Orange, Sabine Pass, and Beaumont were tied into the railroad hub at Houston.
In April, 1863 Union General Nathaniel Banks was pushing out of captured New Orleans and had taken Bayou LaFourche and had moved into Bayou Teche. Port Hudson and Vicksburg would shortly be under siege by the Union. Forces were moving through central Louisiana and the Confederate forces did not know if Banks would continue to move westward through Southwest Louisiana and invade Texas by way of Niblett’s Bluff. After Union victories at Bisland Plantation and Irish Bend, Confederate Brigadier General Alfred Mouton, with a brigade of Louisiana Infantry was ordered to Niblett’s Bluff.
By May 19, it had become oblivious that the Union was turning east to attack Port Hudson and that Banks was withdrawing from Alexandria to attack Port Hudson. Confederate Lieutenant General Kirby Smith believed that Niblett’s bluff would be the ideal place to rendezvous forces in the event that Port Hudson fell and the enemy then attempt to enter Texas. Smith also ordered a military road to be built between Niblett’s Bluff and Vermilionville. Smith approved Magruder as the commander of forces at the Bluff.
Magruder ordered large quantities of supplies to be stored at the Bluff and made it an important commissary center. He ordered two companies of the 20th Texas Infantry Regiment to protect the army supplies.
On September 8, 1863 a Union invasion force of four gunboats and seven troop transports appeared off of Sabine Pass. After a 45 minute battle the 46 Confederate defenders of Fort Griffin with six old smoothbore cannons had defeated the 6,000 man Union invading force. Magruder later learned from captured Union prisoners that had the invasion been successful the Union force would immediately have attacked Niblett’s Bluff and then marched to Beaumont and Houston.
On September 12, Magruder learned that the enemy had returned to Berwick Bay, but was planning to march to Niblett’s Bluff by land across Southwest Louisiana. Magruder urged General Richard Taylor to fall back to the Calcasieu River. However, Generals Smith and Taylor agreed that Taylor should stand fast in Central Louisiana until the Union’s intentions could be better determined.
By October, the Union invasion of Louisiana had halted in the Sunset area and Banks had reconsidered his attempt to reach Texas by land.
In the spring of 1864 Banks launched his Red River Campaign to capture Shreveport and invade Texas from there. Banks took Alexandria which cut off Niblett’s Bluff from General Richard Taylor’s Army of Western Louisiana. Reinforcements from Texas could reach Taylor from crossings farther north, such as Burr’s Ferry. Confederate victories at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill convinced Banks to call off his campaign. By May18, 1863 Union forces had retreated back into their strongholds in Southeast Louisiana.
The last threat to Niblett’s Bluff was an incursion by blockading gunboats Wave and Granite City which put in at Calcasieu Pass. They were only there to buy stolen livestock from Jayhawkers and to try to recruit for the Union Navy. It was not a true military incursion.
With the end of the Red River Campaign and the Battle of Calcasieu Pass the war was all but won in Southwest Louisiana and Texas. Texas was never successfully invaded by Union forces. The fortifications at Niblett’s Bluff were never tested by the Union. The only casualties at Niblett’s Bluff were caused by an epidemic of measles. There is a memorial to those soldiers who died in the epidemic is a memorial across the road from the old fort.
The fortification at Niblett’s Bluff was named Camp Pleasant. There is one source that refers to it as “Fort Niblett”. No matter the official name it was an important post for the defense of Texas. In the early part of the 20th Century the Bluff was heavily used as a point to dump logs into the river to make rafts to send to the mills at Orange. Today the site of the old fort is a popular park. The only sign of the original fortifications is a low ridge of dirt about 100 feet long behind the church.
There are cabins on the river, a playground, picnic area, RV camping sites, and a building for use by the community. Across the road from the park is a memorial to the soldiers who died there in the epidemic. There is also a sign that gives the explanation of the Confederate Road. Today’s casual visitor may have no idea how important this small area was to Texas in the Civil War.
