Sabine Pass in Jefferson County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Sabine Pass Cemetery

Photographed by Brian Anderson, April 18, 2025

1. Sabine Pass Cemetery Marker

Inscription. The oldest continually used cemetery in Jefferson County, this graveyard has served the citizens of the Sabine Pass area since the 1840s. The earliest documented grave is that of a 12-year-old John A. Dashiell, son of William V.C. and Mary Dashiell, who died on August 27, 1847. The large site now known as Sabine Pass Cemetery represents a combination of five formerly distinct burial grounds. Included in what was once called "The Colored Peoples Cemetery" is the unmarked grave of 108-year-old Louis Williams. Born a slave in Mississippi in 1813, Williams died on June 23, 1921.

Among the burials in this historic graveyard are those of many distinguished military veterans. Able Coffin (1792-1862) and Burwell Jackson (1783-1864) fought in the War of 1812. Jacob Harmon Garner (1814-1887), Benjamin Johnson (1815-1872) and Niles F. Smith (1800-1858) were Texas Revolution veterans. Soldiers and sailors from both the Union and Confederate forces of the Civil War also are interred here. The two Union sailors Patrick Ferlin and Albert W. Marshall, died of wounds sustained during the offshore naval encounter on January 21, 1863,

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while serving on the ship Morning Light. A number of Confederate veterans rest in the cemetery, as does Kate Dorman, dubbed "the heroine of Sabine Pass" for her assistance of the southern troops. A number of graves have been specially marked with military or state historical markers.

Maintained by Jefferson County and cared for by local volunteer organizations, the Sabine Pass Cemetery remains in use by citizens of the area. Its historic gravestones and monuments provide a unique component of the cultural history of Jefferson County.

Erected 1999 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 11949.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical date for this entry is August 27, 1847.

Location. 29° 43.138′ N, 93° 54.28′ W. Marker is in Sabine Pass, Texas, in Jefferson County. It is on Pace Cemetery Road 0.2 miles south of South Gulfway Drive (State Highway 87), on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Sabine Pass TX 77655, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Texas’ Golden Triangle.

Photographed by Brian Anderson, April 18, 2025

2. Sabine Pass Cemetery Marker

It is also in the American South,

on the Gulf Coast,

and in the Piney Woods.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Jacob Harmon Garner (within shouting distance of this marker); Kate Dorman (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Kate Dorman (within shouting distance of this marker); Niles F. Smith (within shouting distance of this marker); Benjamin Johnson (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Beach Road (approx. 1.1 miles away); Dick Dowling (approx. 1.1 miles away); Sabine Pass World War II Memorial (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sabine Pass.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 23, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 23, 2025, by Brian Anderson of New Albany, Ohio. This page has been viewed 192 times since then and 80 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 23, 2025, by Brian Anderson of New Albany, Ohio.