Tag: Department of North Carolina

Wikipedia says: The Department of Virginia and North Carolina was a United States Military department encompassing Union-occupied territory in the Confederate States during the Civil War. In 1863 it was formed by the merging of two previously existing departments: the Department of Virginia and the Department of North Carolina. In 1865 the two departments were once again separated.

Department of North Carolina

1862

The Department of North Carolina was created on January 7, 1862, to include the areas of North Carolina occupied by Union forces. These areas were formerly part of the Department of Virginia. Brigadier General Ambrose E. Burnside was the department’s first commander. Early territories captured by Burnside’s Expeditionary Force included Roanoke Island, New Bern, Morehead City, Beaufort and Fort Macon. On December 24, 1862, XVIII Corps was created, composed of the five divisions stationed in North Carolina. On July 15, 1863, the department was merged with the Department of Virginia. The Department of North Carolina was headquartered at the Slover-Bradham House in New Bern, North Carolina.

1865

On January 31, 1865, the department was re-created to include Union-occupied areas of North Carolina excluding those occupied by the armies of William T. Sherman. General John M. Schofield was hand picked by Ulysses Grant to head the department. Schofield assembled troops within the department into the Wilmington Expeditionary Force which he personally led in the capture of Wilmington. Significant territories included in the department were those captured by Ambrose Burnside in 1862 along with recently captured Fort Fisher and Wilmington. In March 1865, The troops of the Department of North Carolina formed the “revived” X Corps, under the command of Alfred Terry. On May 19, 1866, it was merged into the Department of the Carolinas.

Commanders

1862

Ambrose Burnside (January 7, 1862 – July 6, 1862)

John G. Foster (July 6, 1862 – March 29, 1863)

Innis N. Palmer (March 29, 1863 – April 16, 1863)

John G. Foster (April 16 – July 15, 1863)

1865

John M. Schofield (January 31, 1865 – June 20, 1865)

Jacob D. Cox (June 20, 1865 – June 28, 1865)

Thomas H. Ruger (June 28, 1865 – May 19, 1866)

Posts in Department of North Carolina

Fort Ocracoke, 1861–1865), Beacon Island

Fort Clark, 1861–1865, Hatteras Inlet

Camp Wool, 1862–1865, just west of Fort Clark

Fort Hatteras, 1861–1865, Hatteras Inlet

Bogue Sound Blockhouse, 1862–1864, Morehead Township

Fort Macon, 1862–1865, Atlantic Beach

Newport Barracks, 1862–1864, Newport

Fort Lane, 1862, James City

Defenses of New Bern, NC, (1862–1865), New Bern

Camp Hoffman, 1862–1865, near Tuscarora

Defenses of Washington, NC, (1862–1865), Washington