Porter faced criticism for continuing resistance after Essex's position became hopeless. The duration of his attempted surrender complicates that judgment. Ten minutes is the stated delay, but a longer interval is considered possible. Smoke and the many flags in the rigging made it difficult to identify the national colors. A flag disappearing could indicate surrender or battle damage while other flags remained aloft.
Notable Point · 2:23:34-2:24:27
Smoke and competing flags obscured Essex's surrender
The reported ten-minute delay in recognizing Essex's surrender may understate the confusion caused by smoke, battle damage, and numerous flags.