Following is extract from the March 4, 1863 report of Capt. Samuel Drayton, U.S.N. regarding the attack on Ft. McAllister in which his vessel, U.S.S. Passaic, sustained one direct hit and several near misses from the 10 inch seacoast mortar under the command of Capt. Martin, C.S.A.

"My deck having been badly injured, will require some repairs before I could, I think, safely go outside. The mortar shell which fell on deck over the bread room, would undoublably gone through had it not struck on a beam; as it was, it has completely crushed in the planking at the side of the beam, opening quite a hole through, and had it been loaded with powder instead of sand, might have set the vessel on fire. I have measured a piece of it (Wonder if that artifact is still around?HW) and it does not seem to have been larger than X-inch; this does not say much for the strength of the deck, the injury to which has been so much more serious than to that of the Montauk, that I must attribute it to a worse class of iron, unless heavier guns have been mounted since the attack made by Capt. Worden."