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At 1:15 the Ottawa signaled that the enemy was leaving the fort, andfifteen minutes later the same signal was made by the Pembina. At thistime the flag-ship and her followers had returned from their tour, and wereagain ready to swoop down and deliver other broadsides. Two pivot gunsfired from the flag-ship received no response, and signal was made to ceasefiring. Captain John Rodgers, who was serving as aide to the flag-officer, wassent on shore with a flag of truce. On landing he found no garrison, and
at 2:20 p. m. hoisted the Union flagover the fort. When that honoredemblem appeared, the rigging wasmanned in an instant on board theflag-ship and on all of the vesselsof war at anchor; three cheers werewafted over the waters, so loud thatthey startled the defenders of FortBeauregard. \ Commander C. R. P.Rodgers, with the marines of theflag-ship and a division of small-armmen, landed and threw out pickets.The transports at once steamed in.Soon after sunset the fort was de-livered by the naval force to GeneralH. G. Wright, who now held watchand ward as far as the pine-treessome hundreds of yards distant.
Soon after the hoisting of our flag,a vessel was directed to make a re-connoissance of Bay Point, but atnightfall, as nothing had been heard from her, the Seneca was sent toascertain the situation. When we arrived in front of Fort Beauregard,it was so dark that the bow of the vessel was run up on the low beach.There, outlined on the horizon, was the earth-work lying in grim repose, theembrasures being plainly visible. The silence was unbroken; the w T ork hadevidently been abandoned. The flood-tide was setting in strongly. The crewof one hundred men were sent as far aft as possible and the engines backed. Weat once slid off, and the flag-officer was fully informed as soon as we could steamover. Orders were then given to return to Bay Point at early daylight toreconnoiter, and, if we were not met by force, to hoist our flag at sunrise. Thiswas duly executed, and at noon the fort was turned over to General Isaac I. Ste-
BRIG.-GEN. THOMAS P. DRAYTON, C. S. A., COMMANDEROP THE CONFEDERATE FORCES AT PORT ROYAL.FROM A PHOTOGRAPH.
\ Captain Stephen Elliott, Jr., who was at PortBeauregard, reported: “Colonel Dunovant [whocommanded the forces] entered the fort, and saidto me: ‘ Captain Elliott, what is the condition ofthings over the river?’ I replied, ‘Port Walkerhas been silenced, sir.’—‘By what do you judge ?’‘ By the facts that the fort has been subjected to aheavy enfilade and direct fire, to which it has ceasedto reply; that the vessels having terminated their
fire, the flag-ship has steamed up and delivered asingle shot, whieli was unanswered, and that there-upon cheering was heard from the fleet.’—‘ Then,sir, it having been proved that these works cannotaccomplish the end for which they were designed(that of protecting the harbor) you will prepareto retire from a position from which our retreatmay readily be cut off, and which our small forcewill not enable us to hold against a land attack.’”