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Matagorda County TX
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SARGENT, TEXAS

Matagorda County, Texas Gulf Coast

28° 50' 6" N, 95° 39' 53" W (28.835, -95.664722)
FM 457
24 Miles SE of Bay City the county seat
49 Miles SE of Wharton
Population: 300 (2000)

Sargent, Texas Area Hotels › Bay City Hotels
Sargent Tx Swing Bridge
Sargent Swing Bridge
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2009

See Texas Bridges
History in a Seashell

Named after Englishman George Sargent, from Cornwall, England who settled near here in 1834 and bought land near Caney Creek sometime later.

Caney Creek had been navigable and Sargent, a rancher and cotton grower was able to run the Union blockade to ship his beef and cotton. The Sargent family survived the war and in 1875 George’s son John drove a herd of 3,000 head all the way to Abilene.

During John’s absence a hurricane struck (one of the ones that destroyed Indianola) and although he was in time to save his children from the flood, both his father and wife had drowned.

A post office opened in Sargent in 1912 and in the mid 1920s the population was still a mere 23 people. Development of the area fell on the shoulders of Abel B. Pierce of the Pierce Ranch who built a cotton gin and housing units for his workers in 1930. Pierce had constructed the area’s first roads a few years earlier.

By the eve of WWII, Sargent had 80 residents served by four business. The post office closed sometime in the mid 1940s but was back in operation by the mid 1980s. Sargent’s population remained below 100 for the 1990 Census but has increased to 300 for the 2000 count.

Confederate Defenses at the Mouth of Caney Creek

Sargent, Texas

Photographer's Note
The map show Sargent as about six miles from the Gulf Coast but it is really little settled areas all the way to the coast, ending with the side-swing bridge. Across the Intercoastal Waterway has been almost completely eroded away in the last 50-60 years. The bridge operator told me there used to be a lot of houses on the other side. I talked with the operator for maybe thirty minutes but didn't get to see the bridge swing. - Barclay Gibson, August , 2009
Sargent Tx Fishing Boat
Fishing Boat
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2009
Sargent Tx local store
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2009
Sargent Tx Gulf Side House
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2009
Sargent Tx Gulf Side House
Gulf side houses
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2009
Sargent Tx Closed Bar
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2009
Sargent Tx - Pelican at rest
Pelican Patrol
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2009
Sargent Tx Swing Bridge
Sargent Swing Bridge
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2009

See Texas Bridges
Sargent Tx - Sargent Beach Marker
Sargent Beach and marker
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2009
Sargent Tx - Sargent Beach Marker text
Sargent Beach Texas Marker
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2009

Sargent Texas historical marker - Confederate Defenses at the Mouth of Caney Creek
"Confederate Defenses at the Mouth of Caney Creek" historical marker
FM 457 about 5 miles E of Sargent, near intra coastal waterway bridge

Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2009
Historical Marker Text

Confederate Defenses at the Mouth of Caney Creek

During the Civil War (1861-65), Federal forces tried several times to seize Texas ports. Galveston was taken on October 5, 1862, but recaptured by a Confederate army on January 1, 1863. Lt. Dick Dowling's troops stopped a Federal invasion at Sabine Pass on Sept. 8, 1863.

Another thrust began on November 7, 1863, when a Federal expedition under Maj. Gen. N. P. Banks seized Brownsville, then moved up the coast, capturing Corpus Christi, Aransas Pass, Pass Cavallo, and Port Lavaca (Dec. 26). Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder, Confederate commander of Texas, ordered fortification of the mouth of Caney Creek in an attempt to halt the invasion. In Jan. 1864, an earthen fortress, rifle pits, trench works, and four redoubts were erected near this site. Defended by 4000-6000 Confederates, the area was bombarded by Federal gunboats during January and February.

No ground combat occurred at Caney Creek, but the preparations deterred a further Federal advance. In March 1864, Gen. Banks moved most of his troops to Louisiana and launched an unsuccessful invasion along Texas' eastern border. Removal of Federal forces from key Texas ports allowed blockade runners to continue transporting needed materials to Civil War Texas.

Sargent
"Where Caney Creek meets the Gulf"
Historic Places and Trails:

Sargent Tx tourist sign
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2009

Matagorda County TX 1920s Map
Matagorda County 1920s map showing Sargent SE of Bay City
near Brazos County line

Courtesy Texas General Land Office

Take a road trip

Sargent, Texas Nearby Towns:
Bay City the county seat
Palacios
Wharton
See Matagorda County | Brazos County
Texas Gulf Coast

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