Indianola

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it — the story of a port that history kept finding, and the sea eventually swallowed whole. Some places just sit at the crossroads of everything. Indianola, on the Texas Gulf Coast, was one of those places.

Currents of the mainstream of Texas history, the marker says, flow right through this onetime port. And when you hear the list of what passed through here, you start to understand just how much weight that word "onetime" is carrying. It starts early.

In 1519, Pineda explored this coast. Then in 1685, La Salle planted a settlement near here. Before that, it was an Indian trading point.

And by 1844, Indianola had grown into a major seaport — one that would hold that standing until 1875. Think about what moved through those docks. Texas colonists arrived here, including Germans led by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels.

The Forty-niners came through. Supplies bound for frontier forts were landed here. And here's the one that'll stop you cold if you let it — experimental Army camels were landed here.

Camels. On the Texas coast. The marker says it, and that's enough.

Now, ten miles south of Indianola sat Pass Cavallo. That pass was one of several entrances to an inside waterway — a waterway created by Matagorda Peninsula and the offshore islands stretching all the way down to the Rio Grande. In wartime, whoever controlled those entrances controlled a whole lot more than geography.

When the Civil War came, Indianola and Fort Esperanza became objectives of Federal blockading vessels. The Federals understood the math: Confederate commerce was flowing through Mexico by way of that inside waterway, and to deny it, they had to seize control of those entrances. Before Confederate defenses at Fort Esperanza were even completed, two Federal steamers slipped through Pass Cavallo.

They made it all the way to Indianola, and on October 31, 1862, they demanded the surrender of Lavaca — what is now called Port Lavaca — to the northwest. The Confederate command refused. They stood off those naval guns with land batteries and forced the Federal ships to withdraw.

Round one goes to the Confederates. But the Federals came back. On November 22, 1863, Federal forces attacked Fort Esperanza with naval and land forces both.

The Confederates withstood that assault for six days. Six days. Then — and this is where it gets quiet for a moment — they spiked their own guns, destroyed their own magazines, and withdrew to the mainland.

Indianola fell on December 23. Christmas Eve brought no peace. Federal and Confederate forces clashed at Norris Bridge, eight miles north of Indianola.

Two days after that, Lavaca was occupied. And the entire Matagorda-Lavaca Bay area remained in Federal hands until the war's end. Indiola had survived the war.

But the sea had its own plans. In 1875, a hurricane partially destroyed the port. The town held on.

Then in 1886, another hurricane came — and this time, Indianola was completely destroyed. The marker stands as a memorial to Texans who served the Confederacy. But it's also a testament to a place that stood at the center of exploration, settlement, commerce, war, and ultimately, the indifferent power of wind and water.

Indianola was an onetime port. The sea made sure of that.

What the marker says

Many currents of the mainstream of Texas history flow in this onetime port. Pineda explored the coast in 1519 and La Salle planted a settlement near here in 1685. Once an Indian trading point, it was a major seaport from 1844 to 1875. Texas colonists, including Germans led by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, entered through Indianola. "Forty-niners", supplies for frontier forts, and experimental Army camels were landed here landed here. During the Civil War Indianola and Fort Esperanza, which controlled the gateway to Indianola through Pass Cavallo, were objectives of Federal blockading vessels. Pass Cavallo, ten miles south, was one of several entrances to the inside waterway created by Matagorda Peninsula and the offshore islands extending to the Rio Grande. To deny Confederate use of this waterway for commerce through Mexico the Federals had to seize control of these entrances. Before Confederate defenses at Fort Esperanza were completed, two Federal steamers slipped through Pass Cavallo to Indianola and on October 31, 1862 demanded the surrender of Lavaca (now Port Lavaca) to the northwest. The Confederate command refused, stood off the naval guns with land batteries, and forced the withdrawal of the Federal ships. Federal forces attacked Fort Esperanza November 22, 1863. The Confederates withstood the assault of naval and land forces for six days then spiked their guns, destroyed their magazines, and withdrew to the mainland. Indianola then fell December 23. On Christmas Eve, Federal and Confederate forces clashed at Norris Bridge, eight miles north. Two days later Lavaca was occupied and the entire Matagorda-Lavaca Bay area remained in Federal control until the war's end. Indianola was partially destroyed by a hurricane in 1875 and completely destroyed by another in 1886. A memorial to Texans who served the Confederacy. (1963)