Leatha,

You do not say if Mr. Colson was ever released from Fort Delaware, either by parole or exchange. The Battle of Port Royal at Hilton Head took place in november, 1861 so this was relatively early and he may have been exchanged. Other engagements took place there in early 1862.Since you do not say when he was captured I cannot speculate on his status. Mr. colson was a PVT in Co. F. Here is some info on the unit. It seems to have had quite a record.

Len

11th Infantry Regiment [also called 9th Regiment] was organized during the summer of 1861 with men from Beaufort, Clarendon, and Colleton counties. The unit served in the Charleston area, fought at Pocataligo, then was stationed at Hardeeville. It was assigned to Hagood's Brigade, then one company was permitted to organize and equip as a light battery (Beaufort Artillery), and the regiment served with nine companies. During the summer of 1863 it was again active in the Charleston area but later moved to Florida and then to Virginia in the spring of 1864. Here it fought at Drewry's Bluff and Cold Harbor and in the trenches of Petersburg. In 1865 the unit moved to Fort Fisher and saw action at Bentonville. It lost 4 killed, 15 wounded, and 2 missing at Pocotaligo, had 14 killed, 39 wounded, and 12 missing in front of Petersburg (May 6-9), and sustained 14 killed, 28 wounded, and 45 missing at Deep Bottom. Its casualties were about sixty percent in the fight at Weldon Railroad, and scarcely the strength of a company surrendered on April 26, 1865. The field officers were Colonels Daniel H. Ellis, F. Hay Gantt, and William C. Heyward; Lieutenant Colonels Robert Campbell, Allen C. Izard, and William Shuler; and Majors John J. Gooding, John J. Gooding, John J. Harrison, and B. Burgh Smith.