Daniel Ammen, Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 7.2, The Atlantic Coast
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

[29] gone up Broad River—as darkness set in the flag-officer ordered the Seneca to proceed to the vicinity of Bay Point, communicate with the Seminole and inform her commander that at daylight he would make a careful reconnoissance of the Bay Point batteries, and if found abandoned, would land and hoist the flag over the works.

At daylight the Seminole was not found in the vicinity of Bay Point. After a sufficient inspection the commanding officer of the Seneca landed with thirty armed men and hoisted the flag of the Union on the flag-staff over a small frame house near the earthworks, which had been the headquarters of the enemy. He went into the house without a suspicion of possible injury, and found everything had been removed. The earthworks and magazines were hastily examined, and the encampment under the pine trees half a mile distant was then visited; the tents were standing undisturbed and within them many personal effects, wearing apparel, private arms, and some small arms were also found, which showed that when the enemy left they had not stood much on the order of their going. A single wounded soldier was found in a tent. The only animate life visible was a flock of turkeys that had the good taste to remain; they strutted around in stately pride and in the belief that they were superior birds—as indeed they were.

Returning to the vicinity of the earthworks, where our flag had been hoisted an hour before, a dull explosion was heard, a cloud of smoke went up, and when it passed away there was no vestige of the small frame house upon which our flag had been hoisted. A sailor walking near had fallen into the snare by his foot striking a wire fastened to a peg, through which a ‘spur tube’ had exploded a quantity of powder placed under the floor of the house. The sailor was knocked down and stunned for a few minutes, after which he was able