14 March 1862: Union and Confederate forces clash in the Battle of New Bern, N.C., on the Neuse River.

Brig. Gen. Ambrose Burnside commanded the 11,000-man Coast Div. supported by a flotilla of 14 gunboats. On the Confederate side, Brig. Gen. Lawrence Branch occupied a line of entrenchments anchored on the Neuse River by a position called Ft. Thompson. The fort had 13 guns, 10 covering the river and three covering land approaches. Branch had six infantry regiments and a cavalry regiment at his disposal.

The battle lasted just one day. Rebel militia occupying breastworks panicked and fled, allowing Union forces to breach the line and roll up both flanks, forcing Branch to order a general withdrawal that quickly turned into a rout.

At the end of the day, Burnside was in control of the river leading to New Bern. His losses were 90 killed, 380 wounded, and one missing. The rebels lost 64 killed, 101 wounded, and 413 captured. In addition, nine guns were taken by the Union forces.

For details, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_New_Bern_(1862)

ILLUSTRATIONS: (1) Union gunboats advance upriver past a barricade of sunk vessels to shell rebel positions near New Bern, N.C. (2) The bombardment of Confederate Ft. Thompson by Union gunboats. (3)
Union troops overrun rebel breastworks during the Battle of New Bern.