Despite the absence of Powhatan and her boats, Fox was determined to salvage what he could of his operation. He still had one serviceable boat and crew, and despite the heavy seas and continuing gale, Fox was finally ready to attempt a landing at the beleaguered fort.

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Circumstances, however, eventually forced Fox to abandon even that faint hope. On the foggy morning of Saturday, April 13, Fox transferred to Pawnee and witnessed firsthand the scene at the embattled Fort Sumter. Union resistance inside the fort was clearly waning. Confederate fire had devastated the beleaguered fortress. As we drew near [Pawnee] I saw, with horror, black volumes of smoke issuing from Sumpter [sic], Fox later reported. The barbarians, to their everlasting disgrace be it said, redoubled their fire, and through the flames and smoke the noble band of true men continued their response.

Pocahontas finally arrived off Charleston at 2 p.m. that afternoon, and with the arrival of the Northern warship, all was ready for Fox’s plan to proceed. I had everything ready, Fox later reported, boats, muffled oars, small packages of provisions, in fact everything but the 300 sailors promised to me by the [department].

Pocahontas, however, had arrived too late. At the same time the warship was arriving, the defenders inside the fort decided that they could hold out no longer. The fort had withstood 34 hours of bombardment, and Major Anderson felt that it was in no condition to withstand any more. The quarters were entirely burned, the main gates destroyed by fire, the gorge walls seriously injured, the magazine surrounded by flames, and its door closed from the effects of heat, he reported. When a Confederate cannonball shot away the Federal flag flying high above Fort Sumter, it was not replaced. The time had come for Anderson to surrender his command.

Fox and his expedition had come very close to accomplishing their rescue mission. If the men and supplies aboard Baltic had been able to land, Anderson and his men might have held out much longer. Had the Powhatan arrived [on] the 12th, we should have had the men and provisions into Fort Sumpter [sic], Fox later lamented. In the end, however, it was not to be.

With the surrender of Anderson and his men, there was nothing else for Fox and his men to do. He entered the harbor under a flag of truce and offered passage north for Anderson and his command when their Southern captors chose to release them.

On Sunday, April 14, Anderson and his 60 men formally turned Fort Sumter over to the Confederates. During the surrender ceremonies, Anderson attempted to fire a 100-gun salute to the flag. A premature explosion of one of the cannons killed two of his men and wounded three others. Ironically, they were the only Northern casualties during the entire battle.

The Southern victors did not hold Anderson and his men captive for long. At noon the following day, the Northern prisoners were transported out into Charleston Harbor aboard the Southern steamer Isabel. There, Anderson and his men were transferred to Baltic for the voyage north with Fox and his expedition.

Fox’s failure to rescue Fort Sumter was a bitter disappointment to the Northern officer. Watching the surrender of Fort Sumter from aboard Baltic, Fox found the scene galling. I had the mortification of witnessing the surrender of the Fort with no part of my proposed plan arrived, Fox later reported. The failure made the Northern sailor resentful. As for our expedition, somebody’s influence has made it ridiculous, he later wrote.

Nonetheless, Fox’s efforts in planning and commanding the expedition to relieve Fort Sumter won him the admiration of Lincoln and Secretary of the Navy Welles. I most cheerfully and truly declare that the failure of the undertaking has not lowered you a particle while the qualities you developed in the effort have greatly heightened you in my estimation, Lincoln wrote to Fox. For a daring and dangerous enterprise of a similar character you would to-day be the man, of all acquaintances, whom I would select.

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