Fort Brooke FL004

supportedunresolved Semmes placed stakes to the north and east as if to land there, and says a Confederate force was sent that night to oppose that landing; the escape of two men from the burned vessels was the only thing that betrayed the landing party. Westcott had assumed command on the 14th, two days before the shelling.

Attributed knowledge from interested reports. No original reconnaissance, order or message chain was inspected to establish contemporary knowledge. Surprise in a summary does not independently establish what each commander knew.

supportedunresolved Semmes found the Scottish Chief and the Kate Dale loaded with cotton and ready to run the blockade, and says their light draft would probably have let them elude him; his 200-pounder Parrott's fuzes acted badly. Westcott counts 126 shells fired on the 16th and says 57 rifles and other equipment were picked up after the action.

Cargo, ordnance and captured-equipment statements from the two reports; no returns inspected.

supportedunresolved Semmes's object was to destroy the blockade runners before they escaped; the shelling of the batteries and the stakes were diversions. NPS calls the bombardment of Fort Brooke a diversion for the landing party.

Stated plan from the Union report and NPS; the Confederate aim is to defend the post.

disputedpost_outcome The frozen and live results read Union victory. NPS says Harris's party captured the Scottish Chief and the Kate Dale and was surprised on its way back. Semmes regrets the loss but claims to have shown that blockade runners were not safe even up the Hillsboro River; Westcott says the Confederates burned the A. B. Noyes and badly whipped the party before it reached its boats.

Retain the original result and engagement interval; later movements and campaign contribution are different measures. No new probabilities or individual causal credit.

disputedpost_outcome The frozen casualty text reads Unknown; the live field reads 16 (US 16; CS 0). Semmes lists 3 killed, 10 wounded and 4 prisoners by name. Westcott reports 5 prisoners (one dying, one severely wounded) and believes about 50 were killed and wounded at the boats. Semmes also reports holding 2 prisoners of war and 5 blockade runners, one severely wounded, against the live CS 0.

Original casualty returns were not inspected; preserve totals, categories, cutoffs and differences. No canonical reconciliation or casualty-based opening count; related actions must not be added without resolving population overlap. Semmes's named list, the live 16 and Westcott's estimate differ.

supportedunresolved Semmes planned the operation and refers the shore action to Acting Master Harris, his executive officer, who commanded the landing party. Westcott commanded at Fort Brooke and says that with more men he could have captured the whole party. The frozen commanders are Lieutenant Commander A. A. Semmes (US, navy) and Captain John Westcott (CS).

Command roles from the two reports; neither listed commander receives automatic sole credit. Harris's report was read but not selected.

unknownunresolved

No inspected return establishes matched personnel at a common opening boundary. The frozen side-specific numerical strength bounds are blank (missing_numeric_strength). No figure in this pass is adopted as a simultaneous opening force.

disputedunresolved The frozen force text names the Tahoma, the Adela and a landing force (US) and Company A, 2nd Battalion, Florida Volunteers (CS); the live field reads zero. Semmes says a force of 100, exclusive of officers and guides, was landed at Ballast Point. Westcott says 130 men landed, printed as '120 men and 20 guides', and that his own force was too small.

A landing-party count and an opponent's estimate that differ; no Confederate strength figure. None is adopted as a matched opening strength. The live zero is not measured absence.

supportedunresolved Semmes moved the landing from Old Tampa Bay to Ballast Point, about 5 miles below Tampa; Westcott says the party marched through the woods, dragging a boat 2 miles before abandoning it, to the steamer about 4 miles above the town; NPS gives a 14-mile march to the Hillsborough River.

Distances from the two reports and NPS; no map verification.