As soon as the war began, the U.S. Navy established a blockade of Confederate ports to prevent the South from exporting its cotton or receiving military supplies from Europe. An invasion of North Carolina followed in January 1862. Led by General Ambrose Burnside, Union forces landed on Roanoke Island and fought their way through most of the state’s northern coastal region. In this chapter, we’ll examine some of the battles fought in eastern North Carolina in 1862 and the impact they had on the people who lived there.

Section Contents

• The Burnside Expedition
• War on the Outer Banks
• The Battle of Roanoke Island
• The Burning of Elizabeth City
• The Battle of New Bern