The four longboats commanded by Lt. John Henry Russell successfully floated past the first two lookout posts, but were spotted while passing the third one. This was the one nearest to the harbor.
Raising the alarm, shots were fired between the guards and the Marines on the last Union boat. Two, possibly three Marines were killed in the shooting and an equal number of Confederates also died in the firefight. But, in the poor light at the time, most of the fatalities were more by misfortune than accurately aimed shots.
Taking advantage of the melee behind them, Marines from the first two boats boarded the mostly deserted Judah and, under increasing danger from gunfire ashore, set her hull on fire. Marines from the third boat meanwhile, landed and spiked four 10-inch Columbiad cannons on the nearest shore battery manned by Confederate Marines of Company B commanded by Captain Alfred Van Benthuysen, before they too were forced back by Confederate gunfire. (Alfred Van Benthuysen was later at Fort Fisher.)
--Old B-Runner
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