The Battle of Port Royal
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William Fitzhugh and Black Sailors in the Union Navy
The Battle of Port Royal
On November 7, 1861, at the Battle of Port Royal Union forces attacked Confederates at Fort Walker on Hilton Head island and Fort Beauregard at Bay Point.The Union deployed the largest amphibious fleet ever assembled off American shores. The Confederates were quickly defeated. Hilton Head Island became headquarters for the U.S. Department of the South for the remainder of the Civil War.
Nov. 8, 1861
To The Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that yesterday I attacked the batteries of Forts Walker and Beauregard, and succeeded in silencing them after an engagement of four hours' duration, and driving away the squadron of rebel steamers under Commander Tatnall.
Captain S.F. Dupont, Flag-Officer Commanding
William Fitzhugh and Black Sailors in the Union Navy
Union sailor William H. Fitzhugh, recorded as a "first-class boy" in navy records, was one of the first casualties at Fortress Monroe in Virginia. He was wounded while onboard the Pawnee and died the next day. He was buried with full military honors along with other fallen sailors.
Free and formerly enslaved black men served with distinction in the Union Navy. They made up about fifteen percent of the enlisted men by the close of the Civil War in
this page online
(Captions)
(top left) Captain S.F. Dupont, c.1860. Harpers Weekly, Nov. 9, 1861.
(top right)Port Royal and Beaufort. Image courtesy of the Civil War Gazette.
(bottom left) Unknown black sailor in the Union Navy, c. 1865. Image courtesy of the U.S. National Achieves and Records Administration.
Erected by Mitchelville Preservation Project.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • War, US Civil • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is November 7, 1861.
Location. 32° 14.199′ N, 80° 41.216′ W. Marker is on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, in Beaufort County. It can be reached from Beach City Road 0.4 miles north of Dillon Road, on the right when traveling north. Marker located within walking distance of entrance, and inside Fish Haul Creek Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 226 Beach City Rd, Hilton Head Island SC 29926, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Lowcountry and on the Sea Islands. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Dawn of Freedom: Mitchelville (here, next to this marker); Black Troops on Hilton Head (here, next to this marker); Mitchelville Building Sites (within shouting
Regarding The Battle of Port Royal / William Fitzhugh and Black Sailors in the Union Navy. Mitchelville Freedom Park is the “brain trust” of a dedicated group of volunteers organized as the Mitchelville Preservation Project. Their mission, as quoted from its website, is to: “offer visitors a multi-dimensional freedom celebration that includes historical, cultural, social, political, economic and spiritual components. Parts of the original Town of Mitchelville will be recreated, and the Freedom Park will feature a series of ever changing learning opportunities in the form of revolving exhibits, lectures, forums, tours and cultural programs”.
Located within
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. They are related to the Mitchelville Freedom Park Preservation Project.
Also see . . . Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park. Website homepage (Submitted on July 12, 2017.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 4, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 10, 2017, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,848 times since then and 307 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 10, 2017, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
