MATAGORDA BEACH

School is out and summer has begun.  It was nearly time to leave for summer camp and a busy summer schedule.  My daughter was concerned we wouldn’t have time to go to the beach this year if we didn’t go soon.  I liked the idea, so I looked into the possibilities.  When we lived in central Texas it was feasible to drive by car to some nice beaches in Port Aransas or Padre Island.  Now that we live in East Texas it’s much too far to go there and have time left to enjoy a full day or two at the beach.  The nearest popular coastal beach is Galveston.

Add caption

Galveston is convenient and has nice facilities and restaurants and plenty of decent hotels.  However, it’s close proximity to Houston means the beaches are quite crowded when the weather is tolerable.  We like Port Aransas, Mustang Island and Padre Island because the facilities there are as good or better than Galveston and the beaches and water are cleaner and there is less Sargassum on the beaches.  However, now it’s a full day just to drive there. 

There’s a reasonable compromise between these that I am somewhat reluctant to advertise.  That is Matagorda Beach.  Near Matagorda, TX is the Matagorda Bay RV Park.  It’s a small but well designed and maintained park that borders on the coast and includes the mouth of the Colorado River.  The part has a full-time staffed office, a nature center, bath house, RV parking and a beach side picnic area with showers and changing rooms.  For me, it’s main attraction is that it is off the beaten track and only lightly populated with tourists.  The beaches are comparable to Galveston and the water is also murky compared to Port Aransas and points south. The town of Matagorda offers few conveniences beyond a smattering of small restaurants, hotels, shoreline cottages and a supermarket.  They do rate a post office though and have a high per-capita of churches.

View from Intracoastal Waterway Bridge

We drove there from our home in East Texas and arrived late in the morning in the proclaimed “Birding Capital of North America” with over 230 species of birds observed in the area.  My daughter wanted to park on the beach so we had to backtrack to a nearby fish camp to buy the $10 beach parking permit.  Boldly lettered signs at the entrance to the county beach warn visitors that the fine for parking on the beach sans permit ranges from $50-$500.  I presume the range allows for the variations in attitude of those caught parking without permit.  The signs also warn that there is no towing allowed.  I should have paid more attention to this part as I drove slowly down the graded lane on the beach looking for an uncrowded parking spot.

THE CATCH OF THE DAY

The sun was bright, but a partly cloudy sky and a steady on-shore breeze kept things tolerable for the first few hours.  My daughter fished, collected shells, swam and built a small sand castle while I swam and walked up and down the beach.  It was a nice morning.

Around noon it began to get hot and we were getting a little pink so we decided to head in for lunch to escape the hottest and brightest part of the day.  As we started to put out, I heard a familiar and unwelcome sound.  It was a rear wheel spinning futilely in the soft sand.  Unperturbed, I tried all the standard strategies such as rocking back and forth, creeping forward slowly and even soliciting passerby to help push.  I even tried putting seaweed and other flotsam such as a sneaker and some boards under the tires. None of these things worked and the car sank until it’s undercarriage rested comfortably on the damp sand and sargassum. (Note: do not use sneakers for traction.  They melt.)

Some youth in a maroon pickup passed by and laughed derisively without offering any assistance. Sigh! God bless them with more compassion.

Providentially, I found some lengthy 2x6 boards.  Using the shortest as a base, I jacked the car off the sand and dug a shallow trench under each rear tire.  Into the trench I put the other two boards to make a solid surface on which to drive.  Then I lowered the car and stowed the jack back in the trunk.  

STUCK IN THE SAND

All this took more than an hour while we slowly baked in the increasingly intense sun.  Something about being a teenager kept my daughter from seeking shade or using sunscreen to protect her fair skin.

About the time I stowed the jack, another pickup arrived and the two local men in it offered to tow the car out with a handy tow strap they carried.  Remembering the legal prohibition of towing and eager to test my engineering skills, I politely declined and attempted t drive the car out of its sandy resting place without assistance.

A LITTLE IMPROMPTU ENGINEERING

In the driver seat I said a brief prayer, engaged the transmission and slowly depressed the accelerator.  The right rear tire squealed a bit as it fought for traction, but the car slowly advanced and rose out of the sand.  Delighted, I drove onto the graded lane and did a slow and graceful turn about. I waved triumphantly to the kind family that had helped push earlier, blessed the locals with the pickup truck and picked up my sunburnt daughter on the way to the exit.

VIEW FROM RIVERBEND ACROSS RIVER

For dinner we went to the Riverbend Restaurant and Tavern. The menu was a bit sparse and the food ordinary but edible.  The main attraction was a clearing across the Colorado river where we could watch wildlife such as peccaries come out to feed in the late afternoon.  The restaurant staff provides binoculars so the diners can see better.

 

After our dinner we went back to the hotel for a rest.  My dear child was exhausted from watching me extract the car and in pain from her sunburn.  I left her to rest and reflect on the wisdom of acting on parental advice and took a solo driving tour of the nearby town.

Matagorda is small, and the tour lasted less than half an hour.  The primary occupation of the inhabitants after retail, restaurants, hotels and rental cabins appears to be boat storage rental and government work.  There were a large number of churches and little entertainment. Matagorda is the third oldest city in Texas, founded in 1827, but most buildings date after the Great September Hurricane of 1854 which leveled a majority of the town.  It was hit hard again in 1941 with nearly 11’ tides.

St. Peters Baptist Church

Matagorda even has a connection to the Texas War for Independence.  It is the final resting place of Samuel Rhoads Fisher, 1794-1839, signer of Texas Declaration of Independence and Republic of Texas Secretary of the Navy.  Originally from Pennsylvania, he died there as a result of a shooting.  His heirs deeded land on which St. Peter’s Baptist Church was built.  That’s what I know of Matagorda history so far.

HISTORICAL MARKER AT ST. PETERS

After the tour, I too was tired and turned in for the night.

NATURAL SCIENCE CENTER

In the morning we went to the Natural Science Center at Matagorda State Park.   It was a nicely appointed facility with very friendly staff.  The attendant gave us a personal tour or the center and let us feed the live turtles kept in aquariums there. The center has a nice collection of hands-on displays and learning activities as well as classrooms and a small souvenir shop.  As we were leaving, two women arrived with a carload or caged bids for a traveling lecture.  I helped carry some in and had a close up view of fine specimens of great horned owl and barn owl. 

After visiting the science center, we returned to the beach for a last visit, understandably short.  While there I noted three other visitors being towed out of the sand by considerate locals.  That helped me feel better about my adventures the day before. 

Satisfied with our beach trip, we packed up and headed home.  I think we shall return again with sunscreen and a four wheel drive vehicle.

THE FUN THINGS - THE BATTLE OF TEMPLE JUNCTION?

THE BATTLE OF TEMPLE JUNCTION

GUESS WHICH TENT WAS MINE? (CENTER)

After attending artillery school at Mansfield, LA, I dearly wanted to participate in the reenactment of the battle of Jefferson, TX.  There were only a few significant battles in Texas during the Civil War, and the next opportunity wouldn’t be until October at the reenactment of the battle of Hallsville.  However, certain unsympathetic persons obstructed that dream.  So, I thought I’d have to wait some eight months before putting my new found skills as an artilleryman to use.

Then I learned about the “Battle of Temple Junction” which was reenacted last month.  Those familiar with Civil War history may give me a puzzled look, scratch their head and ask, “Why haven’t I heard of the battle of ‘Temple Junction’ before?” 

BREAKFAST COOKING ON CAMPFIRE :`)

The truth is there was never a battle in or near Temple, Texas.  However, some folks in Temple wished there had been.  And since it’s nearly a five hour drive to Hallsville and further to Jefferson, they decided to reinvent their history.  It makes sense when you realize the value of living history and that it’s important for today’s generation to be able to connect with it while having some consideration for convenience and a little nod to creative license.

So, the city made arrangements with Cleburne’s Division to stage a reenactment of Civil War camp life and a scripted battle complete with infantry, cavalry and artillery.  It was a great excuse for about a hundred adult men (and some women) to dress up in period uniforms and bring their pistols, rifles, cannon and assorted camping gear out for a weekend of jolly good fun and camaraderie.  Many brought their spouses and children.  Assorted vendors, called “suttlers” to be more authentic, also came out to enjoy the occasion and make some money from their hobby.

 

USING A BLOWPIPE TO START SMOKEY FIRE

It reminded me of my days as a youth when the neighborhood boys would gather to play army or cowboys and indians.  We had cap guns and sometimes cowboy hats or even child sized military gear.  It was great fun play-fighting across the playground at school or in the lots and woods near our homes.  It was a little frustrating when the opposition was fairly shot and killed, but they refused to admit it and kept on shooting back and insisting that you were the one who had to pay dead.  It wasn’t much different here, only the toys were more realistic and a lot louder with plenty of smoke and noise.

Before each of the two days of battle, the “soldiers” could be seen lounging around camp preparing their weapons and uniforms and swapping chitchat and sage sounding advice with each other.  Loading the firearms is a bit different than for a real battle.  Actual bullets are forbidden since this is simulated warfare and the intent is to entertain and educate, not maim and kill.  Unfortunately there have been some accidents in the past where weapons were brought loaded and people were accidentally shot at the past reenactments.  So great care is taken to assure that live rounds are not used and only blanks are fired.  Reenactors are not even allowed to use ramrods to tamp down the black powder in their rifles and shotguns.  It has also happened that an errant ramrod has been left in the barrel and accidentally fired at some innocent reenactor. As a final precaution, weapons are fired away from or over the heads of the opposition and at a safe distance.

This is especially important in artillery.  A no-fire zone is established in the front of the cannon some fifty yards in front of the muzzle.  The muzzle blast of a blank charge from cannon like the six-pounder I crewed is so powerful that it can deafen, seriously maim or kill at close range.  More than once, reenactors from both sides wandered into our no-fire zone and we had to hold our fire and yell at them to be more careful.



LOADING A PISTOL WITH CORNMEAL INSTEAD OF BULLET

 

PREPARING FOR BATTLE



 

Crewing cannon is quite exciting, and I will write about that shortly, but the camp life can be just as interesting.



RIFLES AT REST BEFORE THE BATTLE



LINE DANCING ON SATURDAY NIGHT



We stayed in reproduction period tents.  So, the floor was dirt or grass (a tarp was laid on the ground if you were being fancy), there was no A/C, electricity or running water.  I slept simply on a folding cot with a sleeping bag and pillow.  Better equipped campers had clever knock-down wooden framed beds with real mattresses. Others has cleverly constructed folding wooden chairs and tables. Cooking was largely done on wood fires with many clever innovations used to prepare excellent food.  (I ate so well that I gained four pounds in just that weekend!)  Some campers brought coolers and camp stoves, but most were traditionalist.  One reenactor even apologized because he was using a butane lighter to start his campfire!  The city of Temple provided ample seasoned cord wood so we didn’t have to forage in the nearby woods.  (I was warned that chiggers abounded there, but actually found none.)

It was quite entertaining and educational to walk from tent to tent to see the various implements and camp furniture people had set up.  There was an endless variety of flag holders, rifle rests, pot hooks, grills and other implements.  It was a blacksmiths dream. There were also many folding wooden chairs, tables and other furniture.  Some were cleverly made from recycled wooden pallets.  Nearly all were sturdy, serviceable and period appropriate. I took many pictures with the thought of showing them to my blacksmith and cabinet maker friends.



THE BATTLE  (OR PART OF IT)





 The sutlers were also quite interesting.  The sold not only gear for the reenactors, but a broad variety of food and souvenirs for the curious public.  There were genuine Civil War artifacts, reproductions and lots of gizmos for children.  Food and drink was also abundant.  This however was more modern fare than period.  Not much market for hard tack and black coffee I suppose.  The sutlers were also a diverse and interesting crowd.  Some were reenactors or their spouses making a little extra to pay for their hobby. Some were enthusiasts buying and selling period items just as happy to talk about their collections as to sell them.  Others were simply business people drawn by the prospect of a crowd.



JAMES HORN'S 6 POUNDER CANNON IN ACTION



Among the most interesting side attractions was the band.  Playing period instruments and calling period dances they livened up the camp life on Saturday night with merry tunes and humorous anecdotes.  Young and old enjoyed Virginia reels, square dancing and line dancing.  The women looked beautiful in their long flowing dresses with bustles and the men were dashing in their uniforms and polished boots.  If you squinted just right, it was possible to imagine you were watching some antebellum gathering of southern elites.

Here and there you could also see a young girl with her hair tucked up under her cap or a plump grandma with a baggy military overcoat over her well endowed figure having just as much fun as the guys. Other women enjoyed their own company in the camp, cooking, chatting and chasing children about in a congenial atmosphere of the extended family of reenactors.



CAVALRY PAUSE WITH EARS RINGING AFTER CLOSE ENGAGEMENT



The battle was reenacted twice, one on the 21^st and again on the 22^nd.  Union and Confederate sides fought bravely each day, switching ends of the battle field for the respective battles to introduce some variety to the occasion.  I was triggerman for Captain Busters’ cannon and stayed put for the entire battle.  Between volleys, I watched the infantry and cavalry skirmish back and forth across the field.  Due to the relatively small number of participants, casualties were light until near the end of the battle.  Then whole ranks of soldiers dropped to the grass for the grand finale of the show.  It was clear the men were having just as much fun as nay boys playing army, perhaps more so.  Even the horses seemed to be enjoying the fun!  Few cared which side won and reenactors and audience alike had a fine time! 

 

HAND FORGED RIFLE REST



A CLEVER LID LIFTER FOR A DUTCH OVEN

Among the most interesting side attractions was the band.  Playing period instruments and calling period dances they livened up the camp life on Saturday night with merry tunes and humorous anecdotes.  Young and old enjoyed Virginia reels, square dancing and line dancing.  The women looked beautiful in their long flowing dresses with bustles and the men were dashing in their uniforms and polished boots.  If you squinted just right, it was possible to imagine you were watching some antebellum gathering of southern elites.

Here and there you could also see a young girl with her hair tucked up under her cap or a plump grandma with a baggy military overcoat over her well endowed figure having just as much fun as the guys. Other women enjoyed their own company in the camp, cooking, chatting and chasing children about in a congenial atmosphere of the extended family of reenactors.

The battle was reenacted twice, one on the 21^st and again on the 22^nd.  Union and Confederate sides fought bravely each day, switching ends of the battle field for the respective battles to introduce some variety to the occasion.  I was triggerman for Captain Busters’ cannon and stayed put for the entire battle.  Between volleys, I watched the infantry and cavalry skirmish back and forth across the field.  Due to the relatively small number of participants, casualties were light until near the end of the battle.  Then whole ranks of soldiers dropped to the grass for the grand finale of the show.  It was clear the men were having just as much fun as any boys playing army, perhaps more so.  Event he horses seemed to be enjoying the fun!  No one cared which side won and reenactors and audience alike had a fine time!

I look forward to the battle of Hallsville later this year and hope to write about that one too.