The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Two Brothers, Two Flags, One Battle-- Part 3

There were two brothers at the Battle of Port Royal, one on each side.

The older one was Brigadier General Thomas F. Drayton, 1828 West Point graduate and close friend of Jefferson Davis (who graduated the same year) now commander of forts Walker and Beauregard.

The younger brother, Commodore Percival Drayton, was commander of the USS Pochahontas, one of the ships attacking the forts. He also survived the war, dying in August 1865 and is buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.

There is a marker in Beaufort County, SC near the gated community of Port Royal Plantation that reads:

"To honor the memory of two gallant gentlemen of South Carolina, Thomas Fenwick Drayton, Brig. General, CSA and his brother Commordore Percival Drayton, Captain of the USS Hartford, and later the first Chief of Naval Operations.

The two brothers met at the outbreak of hostilities, shook hands, but each went the ways his conscious directed. Thomas elected to defend his State. Percival, to follow his flag.

On November 7, 1861 the brothers met in battle. Coomdore Percival Drayton, on the gunboat Pochahontas, attacked Fort Walker, in which General Thomas Drayton was in command."

Truly a War of Brother Against Brother. --Old B-R'er

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