Abstract:
The coastal sounds of North Carolina made ideal anchorages for vessels looking to avoid Atlantic storms and were used by Confederate forces as a base for naval operations. Adjacent terrestrial defenses were constructed to protect these anchorages, but were poorly manned and supplied. In 1861, the Union led an expedition against Hatteras Inlet fortifications, followed by attacks on Roanoke Island, New Bern, and Fort Macon. The fall of these fortifications increased Union strength in Eastern North Carolina and provided Union forces with protected naval bases they would utilize through the end of the war.