Back on April 16th, I wrote about the Battle of Bayport, Florida, and am finally getting around to a follow-up.
Union Admiral Theodorus Bailey wrote from Key West on March 24, 1863, that blockade runners were all over the area by Bayport and ordered ships there. On April 3rd, they captured and burned the Helen with a load of corn. They went after another large schooner in port, but were stopped by a two gun battery and riflemen. The Union ships drove them off and the Confederates set the ship on fire and some smaller vessels got away.
In September, 1863, Lt-Cmdr A.A. Semmes a group to Bayport, causing Confederates to burn a British blockade runner and a cotton warehouse. Another British schooner was captured there in October that was bound for Havana with 26,000 pounds of cotton and $1,200 in gold and money. This provided a nice slice of prize money for the Union sailors.
Three other vessels also surrendered to the Union forces.
So, as you can see, Bayport was a hotbed of activity.
Never Heard of This Action. --Old B-Runner
The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
