 On May 8, 1862, the fort was fired upon by a Union Navy fleet consisting of the USS "Galena", "Aroostook", and "Port Royal" as part of the Peninsula campaign, an unsuccessful Union offensive from Fort Monroe to Richmond.With the Union guns outranging the fort's guns, the soldiers manning the fort spiked their guns and retreated.Union marines came ashore on 17 May, destroyed what they could, and blew up the powder magazine.