690
the casualties during the engagement were inconsiderable, military menand readers who note results will not measure its importance by the smallnumber of the killed and wounded, indicative, in this case, of the profes-sional ability and tactical skill with which the victory was won. The captureof the forts at Hatteras Inlet, August 28th, 1861, was the result of a bombard-ment rather than of a battle ; owing to shoal water, extending far to seaward,the heavy vessels were held at so long a range that not a single projectile of
the enemy reached them. Al-
though 9-inch shells werefired from the broadside gunsof the squadron the first dayof the bombardment, it isdoubtful if they reached theforts: the pivot-guns, being of
UNION SIGNAL-STATION, BEAUFORT, S. C..-HOME OFJ. G. BARNWELL. FROM PHOTOGRAPHS.
larger caliber and having more ele-vation, dropped heavy shells on weakbomb-proofs and on insufficient cov-erings to the magazine, and compelledthe surrender of the garrison. Nevertheless, the capture of Hatteras Inletwas an event of great military importance.
So far as the relative merits of ships and earth-works were concerned, the bat-tle of Port Royal asserted in such positive terms the power of shell-guns afloatthat the enemy at once abandoned all minor points of defense along the coastnot covered by difficult water approaches, and ever after seemed to regard theobstruction of channels as the main element in successful defense.
The establishment and maintenance of our most efficient system of block-ade along all the Southern coasts was largely due to the intelligence andability with which Rear-Admiral Du Pont and his co-laborers formulatedthe principles involved at the very outset of the contest. His long experiencein blockade duty during the Mexican war was of the greatest value to theconference, and indeed prompted his selection as its president.
In a private letter, dated on board the Cyane, July 27th, 1847, Du Pont stated, quite prophetically, the value of his study of the subject of blockades:
“ I have exhausted Kent,Wheaton, andVattel on the subject,— a right good piece of profes-sional work and study, which may be invaluable in the future. Three or four issues have beenstarted not covered at all by those authorities, of which I have made notes.”