March 14, 1862 - The Battle of New Bern

March 14, 1862

The Battle of New Bern

Craven County, NC

Brig. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside commanding the brigades of Brig. Gens. John G. Foster, Jesse Reno, and John G. Parke

vs.

Brig. Gen. Lawrence Branch commanding a mix of North Carolina infantry, cavalry, and artillery

* I'm going to offer context via an extended quote from the ABT and hyperlink it up because of all the places I've been recently in Coastal Carolina: "Hatteras Island, on the outer shore of North Carolina, fell to Union forces in August, 1861. Roanoke Island, just to the north, was captured on February 8, 1862. Elizabeth City on the mainland followed days later. With the freedom to navigate unmolested through Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, Burnside’s command looked for other strategic targets of opportunity. The city of New Bern was a significant target, as the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad that connected the coast with the interior passed through there. On March 11, 1862, Burnside’s force embarked from Roanoke Island to rendezvous with Union gunboats at Hatteras Inlet for a joint expedition against New Bern. On March 13th, the fleet sailed up the Neuse River and disembarked infantry south of the Confederate defenses, about 4,000 men behind breastworks at Fort Thompson....The Federals captured several nearby gun positions and occupied a base that they would hold to the end of the war, in spite of several Confederate attempts to recapture it." The Confederates retreated to Kinston. 

* Therefore this is North Carolina's largest city under continuous occupation. 

* If you'll forgive the gratuitous hyperlinking. I'm a fan of Reno, who shortly dies on South Mountain - the highest ranking Union death at that point. And I know a lot of these guys served in the Mexican War, but I just learned that Reno served directly with Lee there. 

* Just like in Elizabeth City and Washington, these Secesh tried to burn their own town down! <shakes head>  

* There are Second and Third Battles of New Bern (both in Feb. 1864)...but few talk about them. See the "V" markers at the battlefield park for the deep lore about the Confederates' failed attempts to retake New Bern. Otherwise, all the markers, and all references in the battlefield park, are to the first, biggest, and most important battle here. 

There are three stages to my extensive New Bern exploration: 

1.) the lovely town itself, 

2.) the magnificent battlefield park, and 

3.) also two cemeteries, 

Fort Macon, South of town on the coast, was originally on this page, but will now get its own, since that siege is about week after this battle.   

Uncredited image depicting the battle of "NEWBERN," found here: https://newbernhistorical.org/battle-of-new-bern/

First, downtown New Bern and the waterfront (on the intercoastal waterway), including the truly perplexing Tryon Palace, which looks colonial but was built in the 1950s. Everything was lovely, when I visited in the winter of 2026, and the town was out celebrating their annual Mardi Gras street festival. It is also the birthplace of Pepsi, which I missed completely. I thought the town was a cute, hot secret - but fans of Nicholas Sparks already knew.    

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=23508

The actual Stanly house

Here's what I learned from an historical marker that was replaced by the current one:

John Wright Stanly House

A House Divided

This house was the birthplace of two men who fought on opposing sides during the Civil War: Edward Stanly, the Unionist military governor of North Carolina, and Confederate Gen. Lewis Addison Armistead, who was mortally wounded during the Battle of Gettysburg. Stanly, born here in 1810, accepted the post of military governor from President Abraham Lincoln in May 1862, in the hope that he might lead his hometown and state back into the Union. He was unsuccessful and resigned in March 1863. Armistead, Stanley’s nephew, was born here in 1817. He fell at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863, during Gen. James Longstreet’s attack on the Federal position atop Cemetery Ridge (“Pickett’s Charge”) and died two days later.

After Union forces defeated Confederate troops in the Battle of New Bern on March 14, 1862, this house was selected as the headquarters of Union commander Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside. Later in the war, the house served as headquarters for Stanly General Hospital (later called Foster General Hospital) and as a convent for the Sisters of Mercy, Roman Catholic nuns who worked as nurses in the hospital.

John Wright Stanly built his house between 1779 and 1783. During the Civil War, it stood on it original site at the southwest corner of New and Middle Streets (current site of a 1930s Federal building and parking lot). The house was moved in 1932 and moved again to this site in 1966.

Erected 2004 by North Carolina Civil War Trails.

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=294038

John Wright Stanly House

Military Headquarters, Catholic Convent

—North Carolina Civil War Trails—

Union Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside briefly lived here, but he was not the most noteworthy resident. For seven month, nine Roman Catholic Sisters of Mercy lived in the Stanly House. They worked in adjacent hospitals caring for sick and wounded Union soldiers. A visitor described the dwelling: "One parlor was...to receive the world's people; the other was their chapel...All the rest of the rooms were simply furnished. Everything so neat and clean!" The sisters remain in New Bern until 1863. Anti-Catholic and anti-Irish sentiments were strong in the 19th century United States. The sisters faced prejudice and suspicion because of their religion and several for their Irish ethnicity. But they won over detractors with their excellent care and kindness. Their service took a toll: of the nine women who initially came to NOrth Carolina, four returned to New York City because of illness and several never recovered their full health. In 1918, COngress approved the Nuns of the Battlefield monument in Washington, DC. It recognizes the service of Catholic women religious in the Civil War.

*

 

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=294040

Lurking as Spies

Jones House, Military Jail

— North Carolina Civil War Trails —

Union forces commandeered private dwellings in and around New Bern. They served as barracks, hospitals, headquarters and jails. The Jones House (built ca. 1809) served as a jail. According to local tradition, Union soldiers jailed a young Carteret County woman, Emelin Jamison Pigott. In February 1865, Pigott was arrested for smuggling goods and transporting letters. Pigott was no the only local woman who supposedly risked her life passing information through Union lines. When confronted by a Union officer puzzled by how mail was getting out of jail, Sarah Ann Cole Taylor confessed to carrying letters under her clothing. The officer took her confession as a joke, and she was not arrested. Penalties for spying were severe. As early as 1806, and again in 1862, Congress authorized courts martial to impose the death penalty to anyone who supplied money, food, ammunition or protected the enemy. The Confederacy adopted the same approach. Normal rules of legal due process were suspended. Civilians convicted of spying were hanged. Some received lighter sentences like imprisonment for the rest of the war. Women suspects were more often imprisoned or paroled. Pigott was never court-martialed. After her release, she returned home to Carteret County. 

*

Whatever 

Tryon Palace:
Historic Capitol and Governor's residence of N.C., 1770-1794. Burned 1798, and restored in 1952-1959. Open to the public.

*

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=294109

Attmore-Oliver House

Witness to War's Change

— North Carolina Civil War Trails —

When Revolutionary War officer Samuel Chapman built the 1790 core of the Attmore-Oliver house in front of your, he could never have imagined that during the Civil War the family who live in his home, by the grandly enlarged into this Greek Revival gem, would fight against the country he helped create. By 1861, Hannah Attmore Oliver owned the house through inheritance. Her husband, William Oliver, served as a Confederate quartermaster. Hannah's three brothers also served the rebellion. Isaac was killed on May 12, 1864, at Spotsylvania Court House, Va. Sitgreaves was captured at the January 1865 Battle of Fort Fisher, just a little more than tow house south of here, and died of dysentery in prison on May 22. Only George survived the war, returning home after Appomattox to a very changed New Bern. Imagine Hannah, pregnant with two toddlers, faced with the decision to stay in her beloved family home or flee. Evidence suggests that Hannah may have joined her husband in Graham, N.C. Besides her anguish as she learned of her brothers['] deaths, the fate of her family home her was in question as many in New Bern knew the occupation was inevitable. While more than 120,000 North Carolina residents fought for the Confederacy, the state was also home to many Unionists. Some 10,000 North Carolina men, including 5,000 African Americans, fought for the United States. Hannah's father willed her some of his more than 30 slaves. It's possible that some of them self-emancipated and enlisted in the U.S. Army. 

[photo caption] The Attmore-Oliver house was enlarged and updated to the Greek Revival style in 1834-1835. Today, it is the headquarters of the New Bern Historical Society, and contains exhibits that explain the March 14, 1862, Battle of New Bern.

[previous inscription] Like many other North Carolinians, New Bern’s residents enjoyed close economic and family ties with the North and were reluctant to leave the Union. Once the war began, however, many North Carolinians passionately supported the Confederate cause: 125,000 bore arms for the Confederacy and 40,000 died. No other Southern state provided as many fighting men or suffered as many deaths.

The men who lived here in the Attmore-Oliver House, which Hannah Attmore Oliver inherited just before the war, joined other residents under the “Stars and Bars.” William Oliver, Hannah’s husband, served as a Confederate quartermaster. Her three brothers also enlisted in the Confederate army. The oldest, Sitgreaves, of the Washington Grays, was captured with his battery at the Battle of Fort Fisher in 1865, and died of chronic dysentery on May 22. Isaac Attmore, of the Beaufort Rifles, fought in many major battles, including Gettysburg, and was killed at Spotsylvania Court House on May 12, 1864. George, the youngest at 13 when the war began, served in Manly’s Battery at Gettysburg, Spotsylvania Court House, The Wilderness, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg. He was at Appomattox Court House when Gen. Robert E. Lee capitulated, but his company left for North Carolina without surrendering. Attmore was pardoned at Greensboro on May 9, 1865, and returned to New Bern.

The New Bern Historical Society’s Attmore-Oliver House Museum contains a collection of Civil War artifacts assembled by the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. For many years, one of Hannah Oliver’s daughters, Mary Oliver, was chapter president.

*

Union Point Park on the Neuse River

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=77003

Battle of New Bern

Smoke and Flames

— Burnside Expedition —

On March 13, 1862, Union Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside prepared to capture New Bern after seizing Roanoke Island in February. Confederate Gen. Lawrence O’B. Branch defended the city in a line of fortifications located several miles down the Neuse River, but by late in the morning of March 14, Burnside’s overwhelming force had breached the line. The Confederates retreated to Kinston. Eleven thousand Federal troops were about to descend on New Bern with a large fleet of United States Navy gunboats sailing up the river in support.

On the nearby banks of both the Trent and Neuse Rivers, the retreating Confederates set fire to warehouses filled with cotton bales, military supplies, and thousands of barrels of pine tar and turpentine. The Confederates also fired the railroad bridge across the Trent River to delay the approaching Union army. The serene beauty of today’s Union Point Park stands in sharp contrast to the scene here in 1862. Huge clouds of billowing black smoke and flames poured out of the wooden warehouses. A flank speed, the Federal gunboats charged upriver with their coal-fired steam engines spewing black smoke and their heavy guns blazing as they bombarded New Bern.

During the next 24 hours, stray soldiers, sailors, and a few residents looted and vandalized New Bern until Burnside’s troops restored order. Soon thereafter, New Bern was transformed into a fortified city and remained under Union control for the duration of the war.

(captions)

(lower left) “The Battle of New Bern.” published by Currier & Ives - Courtesy of the Tryon Place Collection

(upper right) Gen. Lawrence Branch; Gen. Ambrose Burnside

*    *    *

Then, the amazing battlefield park, with pristinely preserved earthworks. Lots of markers here! I'll try to assemble them in some kind of order. The park map nicely shows all the redans we will be seeing - and also reveals the extent to which the battlefield extended far beyond the park. Maybe someday I'll even come back and type up all of these wordy markers that remain undocumented. 

The first part of the extensive battlefield is this living history area, containing signs that may or may not be considered historical markers. 

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=293432

The Cost of War

While history records the Civil War as lasting four years, for those who lived it — the war never ended. Every day of those four years and every day after was an extended experience in death and suffering. An entire generation was touched by the war in some way and the suffering was not limited to those on the battlefield. Civilians suffered hunger, violence, and the destruction of homes, farms, and entire communities. From hospitals to care for the wounded, to cemeteries to bury the dead, to providing care for those permanently scarred by war, the country was not prepared for the suffering that lingered long after the last guns fell silent.

Approximately

1,500,000

Reported Casualties

What's in a Number?

If 620,000 (reported deaths) people stood side by side, holding hands, the line would extend across the state of North Carolina from approximately New Bern to Asheville.

If 1,500,000 (reported casualties) people did the same, the line would reach from approximately New Bern all the way to the Mississippi River at Memphis, Tennessee.

2% of the American population died in the Civil War. In 2015, this 2% would equal over 6 million people.

620,000

Deaths

More soldiers died in the Civil War than US soldiers in all of the following wars combined: Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, and Korean War.

1 of every 4 soldiers never returned home.

For every 3 soldiers killed in combat, 5 other died of disease.

476,000

Wounded

Modern medical treatments did not exist during the Civil War so the wounded suffered terribly from even the slightest injury. The unsanitary nature of surgery and wound care led to infection and gangrene. Those lucky enough to recover most likely had the injured body part amputated in order to stop the progression of infection.

400,000

Captured or Missing

For those taken prisoner, many suffered disease and even death at the hands of their captors. Almost as many soldiers died in prisoner of war camps as died in the entire Vietnam War (estimated at 56,000).

Many soldiers simply vanished in battle — their bodies never identified or found.

Unknown

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

The psychological wounds of war that doctors now know as post-traumatic stress disorder, were unknown to the doctors of the Civil War. Many who returned home suffered painful memories and never received the treatment and help needed to recover.

*

Next up, is the "V" portion of the markers, giving an overview of before, during, and after the battle - at the central Visitor's Center pavilion. These are lovely, but again arguably not markers: please don't ask where V9-10 are OR why only V11 is in the database.  

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=291777

Artillery at New Bern

Federal artillery

General Burnside's coast division was armed with light artillery designed to be easily launched from ship to shore with small rowboats. The cannon were part of an artillery battery consisting of eight 12-pound rifled light-boat howitzers manufactured by Canadian-born Norman Wiard. These howitzers were mounted on a metal field carriage. Each howitzer was manned by a crew of 11 sailors and marines. Once on land, the howitzers had to be pulled by the crew with a rope dragline. Only 2 ammunition crates could be strapped to the howitzer frame. The additional ammunition crates were carried by the gun crew.

Confederate artillery

The Confederate defenses at New Bern were reinforced with a variety of cannon, most of which were prewar cannon seized from Federal forts and armories. The river forts were armed with an assortment of cannon — the majority being 32-pound smoothbore guns. Many of these cannon were mounted "en barbette" which exposed the gun crews to enemy fire. Outside the forts, stationed along the entrenchments, were a variety of cannon similar to the one in front of you. On March 29, 1862, Captain James Wren, Company B, 48th Pennsylvania, toured the battlefield. That night, he recorded in his diary the variety of Confederate cannon seen in the vicinity of the Old Beaufort Road:

-two brass 24-pound howitzers

-two brass 12-pound smoothbore guns

-one 6-pound brass rifled gun

-one 6-pound iron gun

From these captured cannon, Captain Wren created a battery to strengthen the new Federal defenses that were being constructed outside New Bern.

The Amherst Gun is the only known surviving cannon from the Battle of New Bern. h was the first cannon captured by the 21st Massachusetts during its attack on the Brickyard. It was given to Amherst College in honor of Lieutenant Frazar Stearns, son of the college president, who was killed in the attack. This replica is owned by Tryon Palace. The original resides in Morgan Hall at Amherst College.

(captions)

Naval howitzer on a metal field carriage

32 pound "en barbette" carriage

Lieutenant Frazar Stearns

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=291766

Battle of New Bern

Thousands of Federal soldiers charged...

— Burnside Expedition —

On March 13, 1862, Union Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside prepared to capture New Bern after seizing Roanoke Island in February Confederate Gen. Lawrence O'B. Branch defended the city in a line of fortifications that extended about a mile from Fort Thompson on the Neuse River to the railroad tracks about 350 yards south of here. To the right of the tracks, in the low ground about 200 yards away, engineers dammed the stream to create a 30- to 40-inch-deep swamp to thwart an assault without building and manning additional fortifications. When Branch learned that Burnside had captured Roanoke Island by attacking through a similar swamp, however, he quickly ordered the 26th North Carolina infantry to fortify the fingers of land on this side of the flooded area. These earthworks remain in pristine condition.

The next day, Burnside made a frontal assault on Fort Thompson and the Confederate breastworks, but deadly accurate rifle and cannon fire prevented the Federals from advancing to within 300 yards. The Union Commanders then focused on the gap created by the setback in the Confederate line here. Thousands of Federal soldiers charged down the  western side of the railroad track in an attempt to flank the Confederate battle line. The 33rd North Carolina Infantry, held in reserve close to this spot, counter-charged to close the gap. Despite this effort, the Federals flanked the Confederate line, assuring a Union victory. The 26th North Carolina fought for another two hours-but retired across Brice's Creek retreated to Kinston.

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=207889

Battle of New Bern

The above map is self-explanatory. For a detailed account of the battle please read the large map-marker "Battle of New Bern" on U.S. Highway 17 at New Bern, 5¼ miles west of this road. The Croatan Earthwork, an extensive fortification not used during the battle, can be seen 6-3/10 miles southeast on this highway. Here, extensive earthworks can be seen on both sides of the highway in a direct line with this marker.

Troops engaged in the Battle of New Bern:

Union: 

Major General Ambrose Burnside - commanding Division.

Brigadier General John G. Parke's Brigade

4th and 5th R.I. Inf.; 8th and 11th Conn. Inf.

Brigadier General Jesse L. Reno's Brigade

21st Mass., 51st N.Y., 9th N.J., and 51st Pa. Inf.

Brigadier General John G. Foster's Brigade

23rd, 24th, 25th, and 27th Mass. and 10th Conn. Inf.

Confederate: 

Brigadier General Lawrence O'B. Branch - commanding Brigade

7th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 33rd, 35th, and 37th N.C. Inf.; 19th N.C. Regt. (1st Cavalry); Captain Thomas H. Brem's and Captain A.C. Latham's artillery batteries.

Confederates in Fort Thompson: Captain John N. Whitford's and Captain W.A. Herring's artillery companies.

(The men in the other Confederate forts did not directly participate in the battle).

Erected 1962 by Archives and Highway Departments, Confederate Centennial Commission. (Marker Number CC-2.)

*

Next up, the Gateway Plaza section of the battlefield park explains Burnside's campaigns, Branch's defense, and how the battle unfolded - before we actually go in to the redans. These were all erected by New Bern Historical Society.

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=291807

The Burnside Expedition

The road to New Bern began In the summer of 1861, when Confederate privateers successfully marauded merchant ships along the coast of North Carolina. The Federal navy was given the task of silencing these "pirates" by attacking their base of operations at Hatteras Inlet. Here the Confederates had constructed two forts — Hatteras and Clark. The navy's goal was to capture the two forts and sink two ships in the inlet to close the Outer Banks to the Confederate privateers. In late August of 1861, the combined forces of the Federal army and navy, under the command of Brigadier General Benjamin F. Butler and Commodore Silas H. Stringham, had captured the forts after a brief naval bombardment and landing by Butler's troops. After taking possession of the inlet, Butler and Stringham recognized the incredible naval value that the islands of the Outer Banks and their large shallow sounds provided. Not only were the islands a good base of operations for further actions in North Carolina, but they provided protection from the many storms that raged along the Carolina coast. Butler left a force to hold the inlet and went to Washington to discuss the matter with President Lincoln. Lincoln concurred and gave Butler permission to raise a new "coast division" expeditionary force. This proved to be difficult, however, since two other "coast divisions" were already being recruited and outfitted.

In September 1861, Major General George B. McClellan, commander of the Federal army, sent orders to his close friend Brigadier General Ambrose E. Burnside to raise one of these coast divisions'. in support of McClellan's upcoming operations in the tidewater region of Virginia. Even, transpired, however, that sent Burnside and his new expeditionary force further south to the coast of North Carolina.

Similar to the modern US Marine Corps and Navy Expeditionary Force, the concept of the "coast division" was a joint ground and naval force that operated along the coasts and rivers. Burnside's recruiting plan was to create a division of light \ infantrymen from the New England states who had ', experience with shallow-draft naval war vessels and light naval artillery. These troops would operate in conjunction with a force of supporting naval vessels while making amphibious landings as part of the ground-based actions of the army.

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=291927

From Annapolis to Roanoke

Through the fall and early winter of 1861, Burnside built his expeditionary force at Annapolis, Maryland. By December of 1861, he had stockpiled material and ships and was still in the process of forming the regiments. By early January 1862, he had completed his efforts; on January 9th the fleet set sail from Annapolis to Hatteras Inlet. The journey was uneventful until the fleet gathered off Hatteras Inlet. On January 12th a large storm struck the fleet and wreaked havoc scattering it up and down the coast. With a second storm pounding the battered fleet, it took until February 1st to get the ships through the "swash" at the inlet and into Pamlico Sound. Burnside then advanced on Roanoke Island, landing on February 7th and completed its capture the next day. For the remainder of February 1862, Burnside and the fleet made a number of strikes across the Albemarle Sound further securing the Federal foothold in coastal North Carolina.

Initial actions of the Burnside Expedition

Order of Battle at New Bern

Coast Division

Brigadier General Ambrose E. Burnside

First Brigade

Brigadier General John G. Foster

23rd Massachusetts • Col. John Kutz

24th Massachusetts • Col. Thomas G. Stevenson

25th Massachusetts • Col. Edwin Upton

27th Massachusetts • Col. Horace C. Lee

10th Connecticut • Lt. Col. Albert W. Drake

Second Brigade

Brigadier General Jesse L. Reno

9th New Jersey • Lt. Col. Charles A. Heckman

21st Massachusetts • Lt. Col. William S. Clark

51st New York • Col. Edward Ferrero

51st Pennsylvania • Col. John A. Hartranft

Third Brigade

Brigadier General John G. Parke

4th Rhode Island • Col. Isaac P. Rodman

5th Rhode Island (5 companies) • Maj. John Wright 8th Connecticut • Col. Edward Harland

11th Connecticut • Lt. Col. Charles Mathewson

Unattached Units

Naval Battery • Lt. Roderick S. McCook

Detachments of Sailors and Marines

Company B, 99th New York Coast Guard

1st New York Marine Artillery

Battery F, 1st Rhode Island • Capt. James Belger 48th Pennsylvania (6 companies) • Col. Daniel Nagle

U.S. Naval Fleet

Commander Stephen C. Rowan

 Brigadier 

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=292040

Advance From Slocum's Creek

The Burnside Expedition arrived near the mouth of Slocum's Creek (modem day MCAS Cherry Point) on the evening of Wednesday, March 12, 1862, and commenced landing operations the next morning. The landings were unopposed by the Confederates and uneventful except for the grounding of the ship carrying Battery F, 1st Rhode Island. This battery and the 48th Pennsylvania were delayed in their landing and arrived in New Bern after the battle. From his beachhead, Burnside and his troops struck out overland for the Old Beaufort Road with the remaining artillery, McCook's Naval Battery, being pulled by the men of the 51st Pennsylvania. The march turned into an exhausting ordeal as rain turned the dirt roads into ankle deep mud. During this time, Commodore Rowan continued to advance his gunboats up river, periodically lobbing shells into the forest ahead of Burnside's column. This sporadic naval bombardment was successful in forcing the retreat of the Confederates at Fisher's Landing, which in turn caused the Croatan breastworks to be abandoned long before Burnside's troops arrived. Later that afternoon, the Federal gunboats went on to tight a duel with Fort Dixie, which in turn was also abandoned that night by the Confederates due to the proximity of Burnside's advancing troops. So with all Confederates In retreat before him, the main enemy Burnside faced that day was rain and mud.

(captions)

Burnside Expedition lands at Slocum's Creek

Situation on March 13, 1862

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=291776

Opening Volleys

Friday, March 14, 1862, dawned cold and wet. Rain had made sleep impossible for the men of both armies and by morning there was a thick blanket of fog covering the battlefield. Many soldiers found their rifles unserviceable due to the rain; charges were wet in the barrels and ramrods were stuck in swollen wooden gunstocks. As Burnside pushed his columns forward toward the Confederates, many of his soldiers were heading into battle with weapons that could not be fired.

Around 7:30 AM, Burnside's advance scouts on the Old Beaufort Road were fired upon by the cannon of Lieutenant Woodbury Wheeler, Latham's Battery. As that shot crashed through the forest, the men of Foster's Brigade quickened their pace and began to deploy along each side of the Old Beaufort Road. The cannon of McCook's naval battery were pulled into position by the 11th Connecticut and they opened fire as they arrived one at a time. Both armies were now engaged along a line from the Neuse River to the railroad.

Along the railroad, Reno's 2nd Brigade began their advance trying to outflank the Confederate lines. His lead regiment, the 21st Massachusetts, found what they thought was the right flank of the Confederates at a small brickyard. There the Confederates were emptying a supply train and mounting two 24-pound cannon. Acting quickly, Reno ordered the 21st Massachusetts to advance skirmishers to the Brickyard and deploy in a battle line. He then rushed back to his column to move them forward in support of an attack on the Brickyard.

(captions)

Brigadier General John G. Foster 1st Brigade

1st Lieutenant Woodbury Wheeler, Jr. Latham's Battery

Situation at 7:00 to 8:00 AM

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=291802

Attack in the Brickyard

Foster was stalemated. His probing attack on Fort Thompson by the 25th Massachusetts had failed when the fort responded with raking cannon fire down his line. At the same time, the navy was moving up the Neuse River firing blindly in the fog in search of the Confederates. His line was now caught in a deadly crossfire of Confederate and Federal "friendly" fire.

At the railroad, Reno's brigade moved forward rapidly. The 21st Massachusetts sent a company of skirmishers forward to the railroad embankment and with one volley scattered the Confederates unloading the train. Although Lieutenant Colonel Clark of the 21st Massachusetts did not have all of his regiment -deployed, he pressed forward his attack at the railroad. Reno then ordered Clark's Color Sergeant Edward Bates to enter the Brickyard and plant his colors on the roof of one of the buildings. Sergeant Bates raised high the United States flag as Clark and his men rushed the Brickyard. There they seized the two 24-pound cannon that the militia were attempting to position, and forced the Confederate supply train's retreat.

At General Branch's headquarters, the battle seemed to be going well. His troops were holding their own against the large army arrayed fore his main line. Then, 200 yards in front of him Branch witnessed his army collapse as a small force of Federals bolted into the Brickyard. His militia, which held that sector of the line, melted away as the enemy gained their foothold. Branch was unable to stem the attack as he had already committed his reserve, the 33rd North Carolina, to strengthen Colonel Vance's position to the right of the railroad. He could only watch in horror as this small band of Federals began to roll up his main line.

(captions)

Medal of Honor

Sergeant John D. Terry

Company E, 23rd Massachusetts

"In the thickest of the tight, where he lost his leg by a shot, still encouraged the men until carried from the field."

Brigadier General Jesse L. Reno 2nd Brigade

Situation at 8:00 to 8:30 AM

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=291803

The Fight Along Bullen Branch

Reno readjusted his lines to face a new foe that now emerged through the fog across Bullen Branch. Anchoring his line on the remaining right wing of the 21st Massachusetts, Reno deployed his brigade extending his line to his left. As his new battle line extended, each regiment found more Confederates.

Back in the Brickyard, with the sounds of a larger fight growing behind him, Lieutenant Colonel Clark realized that he and his 200 men were on their own. Clark's initial attack had cleared the enemy from the Brickyard, but the Confederate line was stretched Out before him for over a mile. If he remained in the Brickyard his men could very well be cut to pieces. Determined to keep the advantage, Clark ordered his men to fix bayonets and charge. The disorganized Confederate line collapsed as Clark's men advanced down the line of breastworks.

On the opposite banks of Bullen Branch the Confederates under the command of Colonel Vance, 26th North Carolina, manned a series of earthworks. His left wing, commanded by Major Carmichael, opened long range fire on the Federals as they emerged from the fog. Carmichael was soon reinforced by Colonel Avery, 33rd North Carolina, and together they kept the initial Federal advance in check.

Across the railroad the Confederates fared much worse. With the collapse of the militia in the Brickyard, the 35th North Carolina and Brem's Battery were the next to flee. Colonel Campbell then ordered the 7th North Carolina out of the breastworks to face this attack. The 7th North Carolina redeployed to a small ravine behind the lines and with bayonets fixed they emerged to drive the enemy back As his men secured the Confederate center, Branch realized he had too few men to defend this half-mile section of the line against another attack.

(captions)

Fort Thompson battles Federal navy gunboats

Medal of Honor

Private Orlando E. Caruana

Company K, 51st New York

"At New Bern, North Carolina, brought off the wounded color Sergeant and the Colors under a heavy fire of the enemy."

Situation at 8:30 to 9:30 AM

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=291921

Breakthrough at the Brickyard

Lieutenant Colonel Clark and the remnants of the 21st Massachusetts leapt over the breastworks and raced for the safety of the railroad. When they reached the railroad cut they encountered the head of Parke's 3rd Brigade. There, Clark met with Colonel Isaac Rodman of the 4th Rhode Island, Parke's lead regiment, and described the state of the Confederate center. He advised Rodman to take his regiment and attack. Rodman, seeing the opportunity to crush the Confederate center, ordered his regiment to attack. Followed into the breach at the Brickyard by the 8th Connecticut and 5th Rhode Island, Rodman's men broke through the Confederate center.

With no way to seal the breach at the Brickyard, the 7th North Carolina, reinforced With five companies sent from the 37th North Carolina, attempted to stem the next wave of Federal attacks. But there was nothing that could be done. With no other choice, Branch ordered a general retreat as the Main Confederate line began to quickly give way to the Federals now swarming over the breastworks.

Seeing the colors of the 3rd Brigade in the breastworks, Foster's 1st Brigade that had been held at bay for over three hours surged forward. Soon the regiments of Foster's and Parke's brigades controlled the mile long segment of line from the railroad to the river and the United. States flag was raised over Fort Thompson. As the brigades began to reform behind the breastworks, sounds of continued intense fighting could be heard from beyond the railroad. Burnside ordered Foster and Parke to advance to the sounds of the guns to aid Reno.

(captions)

Medal of Honor

Surgeon James H. Thompson 1st Brigade

"Voluntarily reconnoitered the enemy's position and carried orders under the hottest fire."

Brigadier General John G. Parke 3rd Brigade

Situation 9:30 to 10:30 AM

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=291923

Final Stand

Branch's retreat order never reached Colonel Avery or Colonel Vance. The 26th and 33rd North Carolina had continued to hold off the repeated attacks of the Federal army for over three hours. Initial indications of trouble on the other side of the railroad began around 11:30 AM as Major Lewis and his four companies of the 33rd North Carolina at Redan 1 began to take fire from their rear. Facing enemy attacks on three sides, Lewis and his men ran down the railroad in order to clear the Federals now assembling to attack. With Major Carmichael of the 26th North Carolina dead, Colonel Avery of the 33rd North Carolina ordered the men in Redan 3 to retreat. They fought the Federals along the railroad as they retreated. When they emerged from the forest into a small clearing they found a Federal battery supported by a regiment blocking their retreat. They were surrounded. Avery and approximately 150 men surrendered.

Parke's final attack on the railroad was piecemeal - first the 5th Rhode Island attacked, then the 8th Connecticut, and finally the 4th Rhode Island. As the 4th Rhode Island approached the railroad they began to take heavy fire from the Confederates trying to escape through the woods on the other side of the railroad. Colonel Rodman ordered his men to charge and for the second time that morning they collapsed the Confederate line. Simultaneously, Reno launched an all-out attack along Bullen Branch. As his men plunged into the icy swamp, the Confederates of Colonel Vance's 26th North Carolina fired one final volley and disappeared into the forest.

(captions)

Federal navy gunboats advance past the obstructions off Fort Thompson

Final Federal assault by Reno's 2nd Brigade

Colonel Zebulon B. Vance 26th North Carolina

Situation at 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

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Next, let's finally get in there and start walking around the redans. We can learn additional details about the fighting at all six of them (despite incomplete documentation in here too), and see one significant memorial for the North Carolinians who got even more famous after this battle. Now we are following the trial, not the chronology - apologies, but we already covered the order of battle, several times. The trailhead map below is helpful: I enter at the circle, walk up the railroad to the first redan, and then across the Confederate front to the other 5 more or less in order. More or less. 

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=291763

Avery Surrenders

 "The order was given and we went out of the trenches amidst a perfect storm of bullets from both the right and left."

 -Captain Oscar R. Rand Company D, 26th North Carolina

The battle had reached a critical stage and it did not look good for Colonel Avery and his men in Redan 3. Major Lewis was flanked and had pulled out of Redan 1. Minutes later Avery saw that he was also in danger of being flanked. He ordered a retreat and headed for the railroad. The going was rough. His men were being attacked along their right flank while they pushed through the heavy underbrush. About 300 yards from Redan 3, the retreating Confederates burst into a clearing near the railroad only to find themselves face to face with their enemy. Fifty yards away, a three gun battery of artillery and a Federal regiment were moving to surround them. The Confederates were trapped. A Federal officer rode out to Avery and demanded his surrender or the artillery would open fire. Avery had no choice — he and 150 men of the 26th and 33rd North Carolina laid down their arms.

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=291743

The Attack of the 4th RI

 "Forward the Fourth Rhode Island and drive them out." 

-Brigadier General John G. Parke 3rd Brigade

General Burnside joined Generals Foster and Parke in the captured Fort Thompson breastworks near the Old Beaufort Road (modern day Old Cherry Point Road). The Confederate line had collapsed and the men of the two brigades were clearing out the remaining Confederates and reforming their ranks. The sounds of battle were then heard across the railroad where General Reno was still fighting. Burnside ordered Parke and Foster to redeploy and assist Reno.

Parke's regiments moved into a staggered battle line and advanced toward the railroad with the 5th Rhode Island engaging the Confederates at Redan 1 and the 8th. Connecticut moving to support them from the Brickyard. The 4th Rhode Island moved toward the right of the 5th Rhode Island on the opposite side of Bullen Branch. As the 4th. Rhode Island approached the railroad they took heavy fire from the retreating Confederates In the woods ahead. With several of his officers struck down, Colonel Rodman ordered one final charge. The men of the 4th Rhode Island leapt forward and in 15 minutes the fight along the railroad was over. The Confederates had fled toward New Bern.

(captions)

Colonel Isaac P. Rodman 4th Rhode Island

Situation along the railroad — Noon to 12:30 PM

The extant railroad tracks, and sign pointing off in the direction of Fort Thompson. The fort and the famous brickyard (or whatever may remain of either) fall outside the park boundary. That wouldn't have stopped me if I wasn't running out of daylight and needing to still see Fort Macon later that day. 

Hiking without a coat in February.
Maybe the South isn't all bad. 

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=291762

Redan 3: Late Morning

"Boys they like to have gotten me." 

-Colonel Clark M. Avery 33rd North Carolina

As Major Carmichael and his men fought off the initial Federal assaults, the 33rd North Carolina arrived and deployed to their aid. Colonel Clark M. Avery and five of his companies joined Carmichael in Redan 3, while four companies under Major William G. Lewis advanced across Sullen Branch to occupy Redan 1. Lieutenant Colonel Robert F. Hoke was placed in reserve with one company behind Redan 3 in a small ravine. As the fight continued, Hoke pulled one company out of Redan 3 and with the reserve company redeployed to Redan 4 to plug the gap between Redan 3 and Colonel Vance's forces.

The fire directed at Redan 3 was incredibly intense. At one point in the fight, Colonel Avery received a bullet through his hat, to which he promptly joked with his men that "they liked to have gotten me." Around 11:00 AM Colonel Avery, Major Carmichael, and Captain Oscar Rand of Company D, North Carolina moved to the traverse within the unoccupied Redan 2 adjacent to the railroad. There they observed the action in Redan 1 and the Federal attacks at the Brickyard. As the Major was speaking, a bullet struck him in the mouth and he was killed instantly. Word of his death spread quickly, sending a wave of shock and grief through the men as this combat loss was their first of a beloved officer.

(captions)

Colonel Clark M. Avery 33rd North Carolina

Situation at Redan 3 — 9:00 AM to Noon 

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=292748

26th North Carolina Infantry Regiment

Twenty-Sixth Regiment

North Carolina Troops

Zebulon Baird Vance

Colonel

Abner Bynum Carmichael • Henry King Burgwyn, Jr

Major • Lieutenant Colonel

"Soldiers!!The enemy Is before you and you will on be in combat. You have the reputation of being one of the best drilled regiments in the service. Now I wish you to prove yourselves one of the best fighting. Men, stand by me and I will by you."

Lt. Col. Henry Burgwyn, Jr. To the men of 26th NC on the eve of the battle...

On March 14, 1862, n combined Union army and naval expedition. consisting of 11.000 troops, under., Brig. Gen. Ambrose Burnside commenced an assault upon Brig. Gen. Lawrence O'B Branch's 4,900 man Confederate defenses at New Bern.

The 26th NC was assigned to defend the right section of the Confederate line following Bullen Branch from the and North Carolina Railroad, west to Bryce's Creek. The right wing of the 26th NC's line covered Weathersby Road and was manned by companies B, E, and K of the 26th NC and several attachments, all under Lt. Col. Burgwyn's command. The center of the 26th NC's line, companies C, F, H, and I, were under the direct command of Colonel Vance.

The left wing of the 26th NC was defended by companies A, D and G, and was under the command at Major Carmichael. From this line, east to Wood's Brickyard, occurred the most intense fighting of the day. For over three hours the 26th NC, with assistance from the 7th NC and 33rd NC, repelled the enemy's assaults along, the railroad and Bullen Branch. A final Union assault on the brickyard succeeded in breaking the Confederate center.

With this, the Confederate forces, holding the line from the brickyard to Fort Thompson, retreated to New Bern destroying the bridges over the Trent River. The 26th NC, cut off and nearly surrounded, was the 1ast Confederate unit to leave the field. This engagement was the baptism of fire for the 26th NC, which at Gettysburg would sustain the largest numerical losses of any unit, North or South, during the entire course of the war.

26th NC Soldiers Who Died at New Bern

Major Abner B. Carmichael — Captain William P. Martin, Co. H

Corporal Michael M. Woode, Co. A

Private M. Kevley, Co. C — Private Thomas M. McRory, Co. B

Private Joseph Miller, Co. A — Private Solomon Mullis, Co. B

Private Jackson W. Pope, Co. D — Private Hugh M. Ray, Co. H

Private William Taylor, Co. A Private Lewis B. Tysor, Co. H

In addition to the 11 members-.who died at New-Bern, the 26th NC also lost; 1 man mortally wounded, 9 men wounded, 2 men wounded & captured and 68 men-captured for a total of 91 casualties.

Under the leadership bl Colonel Zebulon Baird Vance, these North Carolinians made the ultimate sacrifice while defending their native soil. May they always-be remembered.

Erected by the the Society for the Historical Preservation of the Twenty Sixth Regiment North Carolina Troops

March 10, 2007

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=292752

Medal of Honor

"At New Bern, North Carolina, brought off the wounded color Sergeant and the Colors under a heavy fire of the enemy."

-Private Orlando E. Caruana

Medal of Honor Citation

November 14, 1890

The first Confederate volley that struck Brigadier General Reno's brigade sent panic through its ranks. The 21st Massachusetts was deployed to the right of the head of the brigade column and the 51st New York was moving forward to extend the line to the left of the 21st Massachusetts facing the Brickyard. The first Confederate volley caught the Federals by surprise. Reno thought the right flank of the Confederates was at the Brickyard and was unaware of the Confederate positions across Bullen Branch. Quickly, Reno changed his brigade front and redeployed his men to face the new threat across the swamp.

Colonel Edward Ferrero advanced his 51st New York down the hill and engaged the Confederates. A heated firefight ensued and the Federals got the worst of it in their exposed position. The regimental chaplain was killed, several officers were wounded, and the ranks suffered numerous casualties. As Ferrero withdrew his regiment from this exposed position, the color sergeant was shot and the colors fell. Private Orlando Caruana rushed back to his aid amidst a hail of bullets. Caruana picked up the colors and the color sergeant and carried them both to safety. Later he would be awarded our nation's highest military honor for bravery — the Medal of Honor.

Private Orlando E. Caruana Company K, 51st New York

Private Caruana, an immigrant from Ca Valletta, Malta was awarded the Medal of Honor for two separate acts of heroism.

The Battle of New Bern, NC - March 14, 1862 and The Battle of South Mountain, MD (Fox's Gap) - September 14, 1862

Hold up! You're telling me both these guys, Caruana and Reno, both distinguished themselves here at New Bern and also both at South Mountain, specifically at Fox's Gap. And, while Caruana survived and Reno doesn't, they were BOTH reconnoitering Confederate positions at Fox's Gap. That's relatively wild. 

Bullen Branch

Now that's what I call "pristine" earthworks

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Sorry to say that I missed the National Cemetery here and its monuments to Union heroes. However, I actually saw these two coming into town: Greenwood and Cedar Grove Cemeteries.

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=76965

Cedar Grove Cemetery

New Bern, North Carolina

Those who died during the yellow fever epidemic in 1798-99 completely filled the Christ Episcopal churchyard cemetery. By 1800, the church had purchased five lots in the Dryborough area fronting on Queen Street.

What was originally called the “Episcopal Cemetery” became, by 1853, the city cemetery and renamed Cedar Grove Cemetery. The marl perimeter wall and the entrance gates were added soon thereafter, and over the years the cemetery boundaries were extended.

Cedar Grove Cemetery is known for having one of North Carolina’s finest collections of nineteenth century gravestones, markers, and monuments—especially its unique statuary monuments. Cedar Grove is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its place in the city’s and state’s two-century history.

...

Confederate Memorial - constructed  1878-85, beneath statue in brick vault lie remains of nearly 70 Confederate soldiers killed in Battle of New Bern, March 14, 1862.

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https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=76972

Greenwood Cemetery

Historic Burial Site

Greenwood Cemetery, established in 1882 on the grounds of an earlier cemetery, is New Bern’s second-oldest public cemetery and the first city-owned cemetery for African Americans. Thirteen grave markers are dated between 1816 and 1859. At least five men who served in the U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War are buried here, as well as prominent African American legislator of the postwar period, James Edward O’Hara.

O’Hara was born in New York City on February 26, 1844, the son of an Irish merchant and a West Indian mother. He sailed on vessels between the city and the West Indies as a youth, then settled in New Bern about 1862 and taught in freedman’s schools here and in Goldsboro after the war. He was elected to the state legislature from here in 1868, while studying law, and passed the bar examination in 1871. O’Hara represented North Carolina’s Second District in the U.S. Congress from 1883 to 1887, and served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1884. While in Congress, he was a member of the House Committees for Pensions, Mines and Mining, and Expenditures on Public Buildings. He spoke against racial violence, introduced one of the first bills to make lynching a federal crime, and tried but failed to amend an interstate commerce bill to require equal accommodations for all travelers.

After O’Hara lost his bid for reelection in 1886, he practiced law in New Bern with his son Raphael and published a small newspaper, the Enfield Progress. He died on September 15, 1905, and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery.

(sidebar)

At least five men who served in the U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War are buried here. They include Thomas Fisher, Co. C, 38th USCT, which fought in Virginia in 1864 and occupied Richmond in 1865; Payton White, Battery A, and Cornelius W. Jones, Battery B, 14th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery, which was organized nearby; Jonas McDonald, Battery B, 2nd U.S. Colored Light Artillery, which served in Virginia and Texas from 1864 to 1866; and William A. Wood, 20th USCT, which served in Louisiana and Texas between 1864 and 1866.

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Sources include:

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/new-bern