Port Royal, The Beginning of the Siege of the South

During and after the war there is tragedy and triumph, whether it is a significant defeat or

a minor victory, or long-term effects or short-term effects, in history these were the outcomes of

the Battle of Port Royal. The Capture of Port Royal had a significant impact in the Civil war

which leads to the defeat of the Confederate and the glory for the Union. Fought on November 3,

1861, through November 7, 1861, the Battle of Port Royal was one of the first and most

significant sea-fought battles in the Civil War. The Capture of Port Royal was an essential battle

in the Civil War that leads to the capture of all southern ports with ninety-four casualties which

included missing soldiers, deaths, and injuries. The main reasoning behind the attack of Port

Royal was because Abraham Lincoln ordered a blockade to prevent the Confederacy from

trading with European countries. President Lincoln wanted to set up this blockade because when

the Confederacy could no longer get war supplies from the Europeans, it would weaken their

economy and their war efforts. With the war efforts of the Confederacy decreased it would allow

the Union to take all southern ports and lead to a triumph for the Union. The battle of Port Royal,

one of the first naval battles in the United States history, was a battle that leads both to triumph

and tragedy that lead to long-term and short-term effects in the history of the United States.

The Battle of Port Royal is one of the multiple battles in the Civil War that represents a

tragedy for the Confederacy. According to “Historynet.com,” it states “widely scattered inlets

and rivers could not be strengthened enough to defeat Union naval forces” (HistoryNet 46). The

Battle of Port Royal became a tragedy for the Confederate because at the Battle of Port Royal the
Confederate realized how advanced the Union fleet. When the Confederate found out how

advanced the Union fleet was they realized that any sea battles would be hard to defend against

and any ports/seafront forts were more vulnerable because they were not prepared enough for the

defense. Another tragedy that was an effect of the Battle of Port Royal was the Union blockade

stopped supply routes from the South to Europe. When the Southern trade routes were cut off

from Europe trade ships, Confederate strongholds were weakened in Port Royal and throughout

the South. When Southern trade routes were cut off, this provided the Union easier and more

effective attacks on Port Royal and the Confederacy overall. According to a picture, it shows

how massive and heavily armed the fleet was that created the blockade on the Southern ports.

This matters because the Union blockade would eventually lead to the attack on Port Royal and

many other major ports which would lead to the downfall of the Confederacy. Another tragedy

of the Fall of Port Royal is that during this battle the Confederacy lost control of Fort Walker and

Fort Beauregard. According to an article from”www.historynet.com,” it provides the intel that

“Confederates have given up their defense” (HistoryNet, Battle of Port Royal, 35). This

information that is provided tells us that when both of these forts were taken it provided

vulnerable spots to attack Port Royal and set up supply roots for the Union in the South. This

matters because when the Confederacy lost these two forts, Port Royal became vulnerable and

would eventually be taken over by the Union and provided a loss of supplies for Port Royal

which weakened Port Royal and the Southern coast overall. The Battle of Port Royal also

provided the tragedy to the Confederacy of losing men and supplies. When the stronghold of Port

Royal was under siege, the Confederacy had a loss of supplies which helped their war efforts

against the Union and lost men to death which provided the efforts to defend Port Royal. The
Battle of Port Royal had many tragedies that hurt the Confederacy which would eventually lead

to their defeat in the Civil War.

The Battle of Port Royal was a very significant and vital triumph for the Union that could

provide the Union with multiple ways to attack the Confederacy. The Capture of Port Royal was

a very significant battle for the Union that would give them access to Southern ports to begin the

siege of the South. When taking Port Royal, this would cut off the trade for the Confederate

which would weaken Southern ports and provide an insertion point in the South for the Union to

attack. According to an article from “www.historynet.com,” it summarizes the bases of Port

Royal is an important goal for the Union because it would cut trade-off between the South and

Europe which would provide a way for the Union to start the siege of the South and weaken

Confederate strongholds. This was a triumph for the Union because winning the battle of Port

Royal was one of the first successful sea-born attacks in American history which is a triumph for

the battle strategies we will use in the future, and this would allow the Union to start attacking

major Confederate strongholds which would be key in winning the Civil War. This triumph of

winning this battle was crucial for the Union because it provided insertion points in the South

that would begin the siege of the South, but would also cut off supplies that were being shipped

to the South to support war efforts. Another triumph from the battle of Port Royal was that it

provides knowledge for both the Confederate and the Union of what they are fighting against.

According to “chroniclingamerica.loc.gov,” the article from the period of this battles tells of how

the Union attacked, the Union weaponry, and what current technology they had. Even though the

Confederacy lost this battle this provided knowledge of what they need to be prepared for in able
to win battles in the Civil War. This was also a triumph for the Union because it provided

knowledge of what type of land they would be fighting on, the current technology stage of the

South, and would allow them to take current supplies stored in the South. These are very

important triumphs for the Union because in order to start the siege of the South they needed

knowledge of what they were fighting against and how they were going to attack Southern

strongholds and cities during times of war. During times of war, the battle of Port Royal was a

significant triumph for the Union, but would also provide necessary battle knowledge for the

Confederacy.

The battle of Port Royal was a very significant battle in the Civil War because of the

long-term and the short-term effects it would have in United States history. The battle of Port

Royal had many short-term effects such as the loss of an important trading port for the

Confederate and the loss of a large number of war supplies. According to “search.proquest.com,”

an article written a day after the battle states “one of the best fought and best-conducted battles

which have signalized the war in which we are engaged.” This quote represents both a long-term

and a short-term effect of the battle of Port Royal; this battle was both an effect for the

remembrance of a well fought and one of the first naval battles fought in United States history.

The battle of Port Royal was a critical battle that would cause the Confederacy to lose trading

ports with Europe which would lead to a weaker attacking front. The many long-term effects of

the battle of Port Royal are it leads to the defeat of the Confederate in the Civil War and also lead

to the loss of all Southern ports in the South which would weaken the South. These long-term

effects would end up playing a significant role in US history because it would lead to the

restraints put on the South after the war and the abolishment of slavery in the South. The
abolition of slavery and the restraints that were put on the South are many of the long-term

effects that were an effect of the battle of Port Royal.

In conclusion, the Capture of Port Royal ended in Triumph and Tragedy. The Capture of

Port Royal led to many more chained events in the Civil War which led to Union victory in

history. The battle of Port Royal was a significant battle in the Civil War that leads to a trading

loss for the Confederacy and also leads to the start of the siege of the South for the Union. The

Battle of Port Royal shows triumph for the Union and leads to tragedy for the Confederacy. In

the end, the Battle of Port Royal had many effects in the Civil War and had many long terms

effects for the United States. The Capture of Port Royal was an overall important event during

the Civil War and in American history. The Battle of Port Royal, triumph or tragedy?