Towards the end of 1861, Major General George B. McClellan, commander of the Army of the Potomac, gave Brig. Genl. Ambrose E. Burnside the task of raising a Coast Division. This division was to proceed to Hatteras Inlet off the North Carolina coast, which had been captured by Union forces in August 1861. In conjunction with similar expeditions to S. Carolina and Georgia. McClellan hoped this operation would interdict Confederate supplies coming from the south and draw off Confederate troops from the main theatre of the war in Virginia.
Burnside's expedition set sail for Hatteras early in January 1862. His first objective, Roanoke Island, was captured on February 8th. It would provide a stable base for future operations against the coast. Several days later, the naval portion of Burnside's force destroyed the small Confederate fleet at Elizabeth City, N. Carolina. Now, with no need to worry about Rebel naval harassment, Burnside turned to his next objective, the city of Newbern (this was the contemporary form of the city's name). This city would provide an excellent base of operations on the coast.
On March 12-13, Burnside, with 3 brigades of infantry and a naval howitzer battery, pushed up the Neuse River and landed about 20 miles south of Newbern. In the meantime, the Confederates had constructed a series of forts and defensive lines to protect Newbern from the south. The strongest line was 4 miles south of the city. The left flank of this line was anchored at Ft. Thompson on the bank of the Neuse River. From here a mile of earth and log breastworks headed west and culminated at the Atlantic and N. Carolina Railroad. To the west of the railroad, on top of some sandy hillocks behind a swampy stream called Bullen's Branch, several redans were constructed to protect the right flank. The Confederate commander of the area, Brig. Genl. Lawrence Branch, had collected several thousand green North Carolina troops to defend these lines.
After landing on the morning of March 13th, Burnside pushed northward along the Beau fort-Newbern road. The swiftness of the march caused Branch to abandon the southernmost defensive lines and he fell back to the Fort Thompson line. A rain began to fall, thus slowing Burnside's progress. The Federals camped for the night about a mile from the line. The next morning, March 14, 1862, dawned foggy, but Burnside's men Pushed toward the Confederate lines. About 7:30 a.m. Branch's artillerymen spotted the advancing Federals and opened fire. The Battle of Newbern had begun.
More Battle of Newbern, NC: March 14, 1862
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