Burnside's North Carolina Expedition

• Brigadier General Henry WiseRoanoke Island
• Brigadier General Lawrence O'Bryan BranchNew Berne
• Lieutenant Colonel Moses J. WhiteFort Macon
• Colonel Ambrose WrightSouth Mills
• Colonel George SingletaryTranter's Creek

• Brigadier General Ambrose E. BurnsideRoanoke Island, New Berne
• Brigadier General John G. ParkeFort Macon
• Brigadier General Jesse Lee RenoSouth Mills
• Lieutenant Colonel F. A. OsbornTranter's Creek

Between February and June of 1862, a string of clashes unfolded along the coastline of North Carolina, collectively known as Burnside's North Carolina Expedition, or simply the Burnside Expedition. This campaign fit within the broader design of Winfield Scott's Anaconda Plan, which sought to shut down ports behind the Outer Banks that were being used for blockade running. Troops from New England and North Carolina made up the bulk of the amphibious force, led by Brig. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, with support coming from Captain Louis M. Goldsborough and the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.

Opposing forces

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Coastal Division

Burnside deliberately avoided drawing troops away from McClellan's own Army of the Potomac, choosing instead to build his force by enlisting regiments from the states along the North Atlantic coast, banking on their existing comfort with maritime life. This assembled force became known as the Coastal Division, and it was organized into three brigades. Each brigade fell under the leadership of a man Burnside had known since his West Point years. Brig. Gen. John G. Foster took charge of the first brigade, while Brig. Gen. Jesse L. Reno led the second and Brig. Gen. John G. Parke headed the third. Burnside departed from Fort Monroe in January 1862, meeting up with Flag Officer Louis M. Goldsborough at Hatteras Inlet, which had only recently fallen into Union hands. There the two combined their forces. Their first target was set on the Confederate defenses positioned on Roanoke Island, which stood guard over Albemarle Sound.

Aftermath

Upon departing, Burnside placed General Foster in charge of 8,000 men. Foster later launched an expedition targeting the railroad at Goldsborough, succeeding in wrecking it by the close of 1862. After that, the conflict across North Carolina settled into a pattern of smaller raids and skirmishes rather than major engagements. By 1864, Confederate forces had shifted to the offensive within the state, attempting to reclaim ground surrendered during Burnside's earlier campaign. Their bid to retake New Bern fell short, though they succeeded in seizing Plymouth, holding onto it for six months afterward. North Carolina would not see another significant campaign until the fall of Fort Fisher and Sherman's advance through the region in 1865.