The Union capture of Wilmington in February 1865 closed the Confederacy's last major Atlantic port, critically cutting its supply lines.
Key Facts
- Date range
- February 11–22, 1865
- Conflict
- American Civil War
- Distance from Fort Fisher
- 30 miles upriver from Wilmington
- Confederate commander
- General Braxton Bragg
- Supplies destroyed
- Tobacco, cotton, and other stores burned by Confederates
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Union victory at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher in January 1865 neutralized the coastal defenses guarding Wilmington, North Carolina, leaving the city vulnerable. Wilmington had been a vital Confederate port, and its loss of coastal protection allowed Union forces to advance up the Cape Fear River.
Between February 11 and 22, 1865, Union and Confederate forces fought a series of battles and skirmishes along the Cape Fear River south of Wilmington. Union troops overcame Confederate defensive positions, forcing Confederate General Braxton Bragg to withdraw. Before retreating, Bragg ordered the burning of tobacco, cotton, and other military supplies to deny them to advancing Union forces.
Union forces captured Wilmington, closing the Confederacy's last significant Atlantic port and severing a critical supply route. The destruction of stores by the Confederates before their retreat further depleted already strained Confederate resources, contributing to the accelerating collapse of Confederate logistics in early 1865.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Braxton Bragg.