On 7 November, "Seminole" was in the task force which captured Port Royal, South Carolina. The ships bombarded Forts Walker and Beauregard and forced the Confederates to abandon them. This gave the Union Navy an invaluable base for blockade operations off South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. On 1 December, "Seminole" seized the sloop "Lida" off St. Simons Sound, Georgia, attempting to slip into the South laden with coffee, lead, and sugar from Havana, Cuba. Early in March, "Seminole" participated in the expedition which captured Fernandina, Florida.