Fort Anderson
Deep Gully
Civil War North Carolina

American Civil War
March 13-15, 1863

Lieutenant General James Longstreet took charge of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina on February 25 and initiated his Tidewater Operations.

He directed D.H. Hill, commander of the North Carolina District, to advance on the Union stronghold of New Berne with about 12,000 men. Major General William H.T. Whiting, who commanded the Wilmington garrison, refused to cooperate.

After an initial success at Deep Gully on March 13, Hill marched against the well-entrenched Federals at Fort Anderson on March 14-15.

Hill was forced to retire upon the arrival of Union gunboats.

The city's garrison was heavily reinforced, and Hill withdrew to threaten Washington, North Carolina.

Result(s): Union victory

Location: Craven County

Campaign: Longstreet's Tidewater Operations (February-May 1863) next battle in campaign

Date(s): March 13-15, 1863

Principal Commanders: Lieutenant Colonel Hiram Anderson [US]; Major General D.H. Hill [CS]

Forces Engaged: 1st Division, XVIII Corps [US]; Hill's Division [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 7 total


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Civil War History Book Club Selected Reading Titles

This book contains an examination of the army that General William Tecumseh Sherman led through Georgia and the Carolinas, in late 1864 and early 1865. Instead of being just another narrative of the March to the Sea and Carolina campaigns, however, Glatthaar's book is a look at the individuals that composed the army. In it, he examines the social and ideological backgrounds of the men in Sherman's army, and evaluates how they felt about various factors of the war--slavery, the union, and, most significantly, the campaign in which they were participating. The result is a fascinating look at Sherman's campaigns through the eyes of the everyday soldier. Glatthaar makes the army come alive, and shows the men not as heartless animals who delighted in wanton destruction, not as mechanized marching machines who could perform the most difficult marches without even flinching, but instead as real human beings, complete with sore feet, empty stomachs, and minds engaged in contemplation over the ethical ramifications of what they were doing to the people of the South.
Hess studies the use of fortifications by tracing the campaigns of the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia from April 1861 to April 1864. He considers the role of field fortifications in the defense of cities, river crossings, and railroads and in numerous battles. Blending technical aspects of construction with operational history, Hess demonstrates the crucial role these earthworks played in the success or failure of field armies. He also argues that the development of trench warfare in 1864 resulted from the shock of battle and the continued presence of the enemy within striking distance, not simply from the use of the rifle-musket, as historians have previously asserted.

Sources:
U.S. National Park Service
U.S. Library of Congress.