The Sabine Expedition was an expedition approved by the United States Congress in 1806. It was led by Major General Edmund Pendleton Gaines. It consisted of volunteers provided by Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, including militia from Fayetteville in Lincoln County or Athens in McMinn County. Their main goal was to protect the Sabine River, as the boundary between Mexico controlled Texas and United States controlled Louisiana was undecided and was threatened of being attacked. However, once Mexico surrendered to the Texans after the Texas Revolution, the need for such volunteers decreased and the amount was greatly reduced.