On November 8, 1861, Assistant Surgeon Robert Weber returned to the gunboat USS Unadilla after a morning spent walking through the smoking ruins of Fort Walker on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. A day earlier, a US Navy fleet had pounded the fort and its counterpart across Port Royal Sound until the Confederate defenders abandoned both. That afternoon, the 24-year-old medical officer wrote to his parents in Pottsville, PA.

A Schuylkill County native, Weber graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s medical school in 1858 and joined the Navy the following year. Before the war, he served aboard the USS Congress off South America, with port calls in Brazil and Argentina. When war came, the Congress sailed home, and that summer Weber was assigned to the newly built Unadilla.

Weber missed most of the battle, stationed below decks to treat the wounded, but he described what he could. Once the Confederates fled, he went ashore, seized medical supplies from the fort’s hospital, and surveyed the damage left by hours of naval bombardment.

He also recounted the Unadilla’s mechanical troubles on the voyage south from Fort Monroe and the hurricane that battered the fleet just days before the attack.

His letter was later published in the Miners’ Journal alongside other accounts of the Union victory in the Battle of Port Royal Sound.

From the Miners’ Journal, November 16, 1861

---

U. S. GUN BOAT “UNADILLA,”

OFF HILTON HEAD FORT, PORT ROYAL, S. C., Nov. 8, ‘61.

DEAR PARENTS:—The battle has been fought, and we are victorious. All on board the “Unadilla” are as well and sound as they were before the action, not one having been injured, although our vessel was struck several times by the enemy’s shot and shell. We were greatly exposed, and have to thank Providence for the happy termination, to us, of this brilliant engagement. 

We have captured both forts, one on each side of the entrance of Port Royal Harbor—Fort Walker, at Hilton Head, and a battery on the right hand side of the entrance to the Harbor, at Bay Point; and the US flag now waves over both places. The principal fort is at Hilton Head, and mounted about 20 guns; it was well defended, but the rebels, after a fight of nearly five hours, were completely defeated, and retreated in great haste, leaving most of the guns in good condition; three were dismounted by our shot and rendered useless. 

I have been, as yet, unable to ascertain the number of killed and wounded on either side. The Wabash lost 2 men, and the Susquehanna 2 killed and several wounded. Several secessionists killed were buried last evening at the Fort, after our men had landed, and some wounded were taken aboard the Wabash.

The action began yesterday, about 9½ A. M., and continued until about 2½ P. M. The day was a favorable one for us, with a smooth sea and little wind. About 15 men-of-war composed our fleet, headed by the Wabash. Some of our vessels were struck early in the engagement, and two, I believe, disabled. 

The fight was hotly contested, and the rebels had very effective artillery, which they knew how to manage. My duties compelling me to remain below, I had little opportunity of observing the progress of the fight, and was, together with those occupying similar positions, in a disagreeable state of suspense, until the rebel batteries had been pretty well silenced, and victory began to declare itself on our side. 

At one time the enemy’s shots flew thickly about us, and it appeared almost miraculous that no one was injured. One shot from a rifled cannon cut our main boom in two, passing very near several officers, and a small splinter struck Jas. Collins, the Captain’s nephew, upon the arm, but only slightly bruising it. One shot entered the ship’s side, just below the water line, and we are now repairing the damage. Another shot went clear through two of our boats, one being on each side of the vessel, and others passed through the rigging.

Considering the size of the “Unadilla,” we received as full a share of the enemy’s shot as any of the other vessels, and did our proportion of the fighting, sending our shells directly into the rebel battery. Our engine had been patched up, having been broken down when we left Fortress Monroe, so that we had to be towed at sea by the “Forbes,” until the defect had been temporarily remedied, and, while in action, we had to be constantly moving, from the difficulty in starting the engine when once stopped, while some of the other gun-boats could lay out of range of the enemy, and fire into them.

At one time, while at sea, we thought we should be unable to participate in the engagement, being, for a time, completely disabled, until the Chief Engineer had succeeded in remedying the difficulty in our machinery.

We shall probably return to New York shortly to have our engine repaired, which will be agreeable to us all.

Last evening I went ashore after the battle, and from the appearance of things, the enemy must have left very precipitately. Clothing, hats, swords, muskets, pistols, ammunition, &c., were found ashore by our men and brought aboard ship as trophies. I seized a lot of medical stores which I brought aboard for our ship, and also obtained some of the medical books belonging to the Surgeons. 

Some of our officers took swords, pistols, &c., which they found in the tents and buildings. The hospital and other buildings were much injured by our shot, and the ground torn up in front of the battery, and after seeing the appearance of the place, I don’t wonder at the rebels hurrying away. One man was left at the hospital sick with fever, but everything else was deserted.

During the action the transports, with the land force under Gen. Sherman, remained outside, and after the batteries had been taken the Wabash signalled for them to come in and land troops, which they have been engaged in doing last night and this morning, so that the credit of the victory is due entirely to the Navy. 

I have been ashore this morning and went through the fort which is built of earth works and well adapted for a vigorous defence. The guns were well mounted in good positions; some were rifled. The magazines were well supplied, and there were plenty of shell and shot lying around. 

They had also furnaces for heating solid shot, some of which were lying near, showing that they had been using them. Most of the guns bear the mark of Richmond and some appear to have come from Charleston. Accounts are so contradictory that I have been unable to learn the number of the enemy; there must have been a couple of regiments at least.

We had about 70 guns against about 30 in the two forts on either side of the harbor. The battery that gave us most trouble was the one at Hilton Head with 20 guns, off which we are at present anchored. The other is at Bay Point, said to mount 12 guns, and is about 2 miles from Hilton Head on the other side. When we entered the harbor we had of course to run between these two batteries and were exposed to both fires. 

It appears from letters found at the fort that the Rebels were confident of beating us off, and some writers expressed their ability to capture our fleet. The “Unadilla” got in here on the 5th, a day later than the rest of the fleet, in consequence of the accident to our engine. When we arrived off Port Royal we saw firing between some of our gun-boats and several secession steamers which had ventured down towards the fleet, but were driven back. 

These steamers were under the command of Flag-officer Tatnall formerly of our Navy, and when we began the action on the 7th, they hastily retreated up the river, although Tatnall wrote to the commandant of the Fort, that he would stand by them and share their destiny. 

We encountered a heavy S. E. gale when off Hatteras, and several of our ferry boats have been reported lost. The Ericsson got aground off Port Royal harbor but has been got off and is now inside.

Nov. 9th.—We lost 7 killed in the action of the 7th, among them one engineer from the Mohican; they were buried yesterday. A steamer leaves for the North to-day by which I send this, and will write again by next opportunity.

ROBERT.

---

Read the previous letter from the Letters from War: 1861 series.

---

This is part of an ongoing series called “Letters from War: 1861” that will share correspondence written on the front lines during the turbulent first year of the Civil War.

---

---