Because North Carolina's coastline has so many penetrable openings, a number of wartime forts were constructed to protect the interior. Hodge describes a number of these forts, including forts Branch, Raleigh, Anderson, Macon, and Fisher.
Earthen fortifications in Winton provided little protection to Confederates during the Civil War. Winton was the first town burned during the war and was lost in 1862 as a result of gunboats on the Chowan River.