How Did the Confederates Capture Plymouth, North Carolina in April 1864?

Some final thoughts on the Battle of Plymouth in North Carolina to mark the anniversary of the fight. This is all detailed in The Fight For the Old North State: The Civil War in North Carolina, January-May 1864. Here is Thread 4:

Battle of Plymouth Anniversary: THREAD FOUR 

How Did the Confederates Capture Plymouth, North Carolina in April 1864?

Robert Hoke arrived outside the Plymouth fortifications on April 17. He captured an outer work, Fort Wessells, in a nighttime attack on the 18th. However, the primary Union positions- a continuous line on the right & detached redoubts on the left – remained secure.

But everything changed when the ironclad Albemarle arrived early on April 19th and attacked the USS Southfield and Miami, ramming & sinking the former immediately and driving the Miami away downstream.

The Albemarle’s victory made all the difference. The Union positions at Plymouth were not designed to protect from a naval threat. With the rebel gunboat firmly in control of the Roanoke River, it shelled the rear of Union positions. And Hoke prepared to land a decisive blow.

On April 20, Matt Ransom’s brigade, supported by the Albemarle, attacked the Union left to the east of Plymouth, overran the detached positions there, and flooded into town behind the Federal lines. After intense fighting, Union commander Henry Wessells surrendered to Hoke.

 

Who Were the Union Defenders at Plymouth, North Carolina in April 1864?

Still yet more thoughts on the Battle of Plymouth in North Carolina to mark the anniversary of the fight. This is all detailed in The Fight For the Old North State: The Civil War in North Carolina, January-May 1864. Here is Thread 3:

THREAD THREE:  Yankees, Buffaloes, & USCT Recruits.  Who Were the Union Defenders of Plymouth, North Carolina?

The Plymouth garrison, led by Henry Wessells, totaled about 2,800, including the 16th CT, 85th NY, and 101st and 103rd PA - along w/ detachments from the 2nd MA & 3rd PA Heavy Arty, 12th NY Cav., 24th NY Lt. Indep. Batt., 2 co's. of white NC volunteers (2nd NCUV), and 200+ African-American recruits.

The white NC Union volunteers were known as “Buffaloes.” At New Bern in Feb, Pickett captured and executed nearly two dozen of these men after finding they had previously served in rebel units. The controversy from the “Kinston Hangings” would follow Pickett well beyond the war.

Plymouth was an important recruiting station for USCT units. At the time of the battle, recruiting officers from the 10th, 37th, and 38th USCT, & the 2nd USCC were in the town. The new recruits, about 245, filled the fortifications to help fend off the Confederate attack.

Behind Plymouth's fortifications, the USS Southfield and Miami patroled the Roanoke River. The naval commander at Plymouth was Charles Flusser, a young, aggressive officer who had become obsessed with defeating the Confederate ironclad Albemarle incubating upriver. 

 

Battle of Plymouth Anniversary: Why Did the Federals Establish a Base at Plymouth, North Carolina?

More thoughts on the Battle of Plymouth, North Carolina to mark the anniversary of the battle. This is all detailed in The Fight For the Old North State: The Civil War in North Carolina, January-May 1864. Here is Thread 2:

THREAD TWO 
Battle of Plymouth Anniversary

Why Did the Federals Establish a Base at Plymouth, North Carolina?

The Federal garrison at Plymouth was set up in 1862 after Union forces under Ambrose Burnside took control of eastern NC. It provided a springboard for operations into the surrounding area & served as an important refuge & recruiting station for emancipated persons.

Not everyone thought a base at Plymouth was such a good idea. Union naval officers, particularly Admiral S. Phillips Lee, objected early on to maintaining small, isolated positions at places like Plymouth & Washington (on the Pamlico). He urged greater concentration at New Bern.

Much later, after Plymouth’s loss, both U.S. Grant and Benjamin Butler claimed to have expressed similar reservations about maintaining these positions. However, no evidence of such objections has surfaced.

Whatever the case, by early 1864, a force of several thousand men led by Henry Wessells manned the works covering the town. Several wooden gunboats bobbing in the Roanoke River backed up the garrison.

What Led the Confederates to Attack Plymouth, North Carolina in April 1864?

Here are a few thoughts on the Battle of Plymouth, North Carolina to mark the upcoming anniversary of the battle. This is all detailed in The Fight For the Old North State: The Civil War in North Carolina, January-May 1864.  

THREAD ONE: What led the Confederates to attack Plymouth, North Carolina in April 1864?

In early Jan. 1864, from his headquarters outside Orange, Va., Robert E. Lee wrote Jefferson Davis recommending an offensive in North Carolina to capture New Bern, the key Union base there. He proposed this operation for two reasons.

First, Lee was in the middle of a supply crisis. His troops were lacking nearly everything and his correspondence at the time repeatedly broadcast his anxiety over this. The capture of Union positions in NC would open up large, agriculturally rich areas to feed his army. Second, military victories in NC would aid the Confederate political situation there. Beginning in 1863, a growing peace movement, informally led by editor William Holden, was calling for NC to leave the Confederacy. Lee knew successful operations would help counter this.

 Curiously, Davis offered to command Lee's proposed military operation, a clear example of his tendency to micromanage. The President then recommended the role to Lee, who begged off. Eventually, the pair tapped the NC Dept. commander, the hapless George Pickett. 

In February, Pickett led an unsuccessful expedition against New Bern, hampered by the absence of ironclads still under construction on the Neuse and Roanoke Rivers. Following the New Bern failure, Lee anticipated further operations and left some of his army's troops in NC.

By April, the ironclad Albemarle was complete and the Confederate high command determined to resume the offensive. The town of Plymouth was the target, a fortified Union position on the Roanoke. Casting Pickett aside, Confederate leaders handed the task to Tar Heel Robert Hoke.

Thanks to the Old Baldy CWRT of Philadephia

Many thanks to the Old Baldy Civil War Round Table. I had a great time talking to them on Thursday night about The Fight For the Old North State. Rich Jankowski, Dave Gilson, Arlene Shchnaare, and the other officers & members have made a smooth transition to virtual meetings, having used the approach for some of their past speakers. The good-natured banter between members across the Zoom platform was entertaining and the Q&A session at the end was great. If you are looking to manage virtual talks for your group during these difficult times, they've set a great example.

A Great Online Resource for New York's Civil War Regiments

Looking for information on New York's Civil War regiments? If you haven't checked this out, you should. The New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center has a fantastic database of all the state's units. I've found it invaluable for several projects, including my recent book, The Fight For the Old North State, which featured several units from the Empire State. For each regiment, the site provides a brief service history, photographs, muster rolls and rosters, a detailed bibliography, newspaper clippings, and, in some cases, images of banners from the New York State Battle Flag Collection.

For me, the newspaper clippings have been particular useful. Some come from publications not readily available online. In my current book project on Union operations against Richmond during the Gettysburg Campaign (the "Blackberry Raid"), the Museum's resource has provided a bonanza of detailed soldier accounts about Union operations against Richmond's defenses as well as the railroads in Hanover County in June and July of 1863.