In addition to the fortifications protecting Charleston Harbor, the channel had been heavily mined and filled with cables and obstructions to prevent passage of enemy ships.
In all, the Confederates had massed more than 300 guns.
It was into this inferno of fire that the Union fleet advanced to attack on April 7, 1863. In the 45 minutes in which the action lasted, the Confederates fired 3,500 shots and shells and repelled the attack.
The ironclad USS Keokuk was sunk and all the others hit several times. The object of the attack, Fort Sumter was only slightly damaged.
During the short battle, the Passaic had fired thirteen shots and hit thirty-four times. As a result, she was sent to New York for repairs and recommissioned on July 19, 1863. Lt. Commander Edward Simpson replaced Captain Drayton in command.
Arriving back in the blockade off Charleston, the Passaic took part in every engagement against the city and its defenses until the end of the war.
--Old B-Runner
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