Key Facts
- Date
- February 7–8, 1862
- Confederate defenders
- ~2,000 soldiers plus Mosquito Fleet gunboats
- Confederate forts
- 4 shore forts plus 2 outlying batteries
- Duration
- 2 days
- Part of
- Burnside Expedition
Strategic Narrative Overview
On February 7, Union gunboats engaged Confederate shore forts and the small Mosquito Fleet in a sustained artillery duel. Burnside's soldiers landed unopposed late that day and camped overnight. On February 8, Union troops advanced inland but were halted by a Confederate artillery battery and infantry. Flanking movements through terrain the defenders believed impassable collapsed the Confederate center, driving troops back into the forts, which were then taken from the rear.
01 / The Origins
By early 1862, Union strategy called for seizing Confederate coastal positions to tighten the blockade and open interior waterways. Roanoke Island, guarding the North Carolina Sounds just south of Virginia, was a key Confederate defensive point. A combined Union naval and army expedition—the Burnside Expedition—was organized under Flag Officer Louis Goldsborough and Brig. Gen. Ambrose Burnside to capture the island and gain control of the surrounding waters.
03 / The Outcome
With his men trapped and escape impossible, Confederate commander Col. Henry M. Shaw surrendered to prevent further casualties. The fall of Roanoke Island gave the Union a valuable base in the North Carolina Sounds, enabling subsequent operations against New Bern and other coastal towns. It also exposed the weakness of Confederate coastal defenses and boosted Burnside's early reputation as a capable commander.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Ambrose Burnside, Louis M. Goldsborough.
Side B
1 belligerent
Henry M. Shaw, Henry A. Wise, William F. Lynch.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.