On October 31, 1862, artillery batteries in Lavaca returned fire after two Union gunships first fired on the small town. Accurate fire from the shore batteries forced the gunboats, Clifton and Westfield, to move outside the range of the smaller shore guns before resuming fire. The gunboats fired again on Lavaca on the morning of November 1. A total of 252 rounds were fired into the town, but no lives were lost. Lieutenant and Adjutant George E. Conklin praised the officers and men for performing their duty calmly while shot and shell rained around them, even though yellow fever had decimated their ranks.