Abstract:
Barely a year after North Carolina seceded, General Ambrose Burnside and 11,000 soldiers captured New Bern in March 1862. The city was vital to the South as a port and as a railroad hub. Leaving their property behind, many citizens fled the city, but a number remained to endure the occupation. Letters, memoirs, sketches, and other primary sources from both the North and South provide a picture of New Bern under occupation.