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

[88] next morning, the shells generally falling short. The guns on board the Passaic worked satisfactorily, ‘except that the box round the Xv-inch gun, on examination, was found to be almost detached from the side, owing to the breaking of the bolts which secured it to the turret.’¹ A close observation showed that a few more rounds would have broken it. The decks of the Passaic were badly injured, being considerably grooved; a mortar-shell filled with sand fell On the deck, and had it not struck over a beam, it would inevitably have gone through. As it was, it completely crushed the planking at the side of the beam, opening quite a hole. The measurement of a fragment of the shell showed it to be but ten inches. The fort directed nearly all its fire at the Passaic. During the action she was struck thirty-four times; nine of the hits were on the side armor; thirteen on the deck, breaking bolts and causing a leak; five on the turret; two on the pilot-house; one on the roof of the turret, and one on the smoke-stack. The indentations were from one-half to two inches; many bolts were broken. Neither of the other ironclads engaged were struck except with Whitworth bolts of small size, and no injury was sustained.

The report of the Passaic does not give the number of shells expended, but the Confederate reports give ninety. Her battery, and that of the Montauk and the Nahant, was a Xv-inch and a Xi-inch smooth-bore; and of the Patapsco, one Xv-inch smooth-bore, and one 150-pounder rifle. Forty-six shells were fired from this rifle, and fourteen shells from the smooth-bore of the vessel last named, the gun machinery working satisfactorily.