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

[222] and the works of the enemy were alive with the bursting shells. The fort maintained an indifferent fire from the more distant guns, and but little, if any, from the parts of the work within range of the shell-guns of the fleet.

At signal made by the admiral to ‘fire slowly,’ the firing from the vessels became veritable target practice at particular guns of the fort, with officers in the tops to mark the ranges; from the inner line and from the ironclads and gunboats near them the filing was also accurate. The outer lines were somewhat too distant, and many shells from them were observed to fall short.

Two service magazine explosions occurred in the forts, and several buildings were set on fire and burned. The admiral's report says: ‘Finding that the batteries were silenced completely, I directed the ships to keep up a moderate fire, in the hopes of attracting the attention of the transports and bringing them in. At sunset General Butler came in, in his flag-ship, with a few transports, the rest not having arrived from Beaufort. Being too late to do anything more, I signaled the fleet to retire for the night for a safe anchorage, which they did without being molested by the enemy.’ With the exception of a boiler explosion on board the Mackinaw by a shell, the casualties were entirely from the bursting of 100-pounder Parrott rifled guns, and they were serious. These occurred on board of the Ticonderoga, 8 killed, 11 wounded; Yantic, 2 killed, 3 wounded; Juniata, 5 killed, 8 wounded; Mackinaw, 1 killed and 1 wounded, and Quaker City.

Some of the fleet were somewhat damaged by shells. The Osceola received ‘a shell near her magazine, and at one time was in a sinking condition.; but her efficient commander stopped up the leak, while the Mackinaw fought out the battle notwithstanding the damage she received.’