After the Confederate naval force was defeated, Fort Powell's commander, Lieutenant Colonel Williams, asked General Page for instructions. The reply told him to hold as long as possible and save the garrison when the position became untenable. Williams interpreted that discretion as permission to spike his guns, destroy the magazine, and withdraw his men toward Mobile. Fort Gaines faced Granger's troops and naval bombardment, and an engineering report judged it weak against combined land and sea attack. Colonel Anderson negotiated its surrender despite Page's orders to stop negotiations and his subsequent attempt to remove Anderson from command. Gaines surrendered on 8 August. The two forts show different outcomes of unclear intent and distant authority after the supporting fleet had disappeared.
Notable Point · 3:40:15-3:44:08
Ambiguous orders weaken the bay forts
Fort commanders read orders to preserve their garrisons differently once the Confederate fleet was defeated and Union forces controlled their escape routes.