Cavallo Pass: Historical Significance and Maritime Importance

Published: 1952

Updated: December 1, 1994

Cavallo Pass (Pass Cavallo) connects Matagorda Bay with the Gulf of Mexico between Matagorda Island and the Matagorda Peninsula in southeastern Calhoun County (at 28°23' N, 96°24' W). In the nineteenth century it was a major point of entry to the Texas interior. Cotton, cattle, molasses, lumber, potatoes, and corn were shipped through the pass. A reported 10,000 to 12,000 bales of cotton was shipped from Lavaca and Indianola in 1852. A lighthouse was constructed on Matagorda Island in 1852 to mark the entrance to the pass. Federal forces captured Cavallo Pass and Matagorda Island, along with other Texas coastal areas, in 1863. Most of the troops in the vicinity were withdrawn in March 1864 to participate in Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks's Red River campaign.

Brownson Malsch, Indianola-the Mother Of Western Texas (Austin: Shoal Creek, 1977).

The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry.

Anonymous, “Cavallo Pass,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed May 19, 2026, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/cavallo-pass.

TID: RKC10

Original Publication Date:: 1952
Most Recent Revision Date:: December 1, 1994

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Cavallo Pass: Historical Significance and Maritime Importance

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