7 feb 1862 año - Battle of Roanoke Island

Descripción:

The fleet arrived off Stumpy Point, North Carolina, where they viewed Roanoke Island for the first time, on February 6, 1862 with sixty ships and 13,000 men. From local escaped slaves, Burnside learned the Confederate strength and layout of their defenses. The eastern or Roanoke sound side was too shallow for most ships so Burnside would have to land on the western side of the island. Confederate defenses were arranged with this in mind. At the top third of the island, the Confederates massed their defensive strength. From Fort Bartow to Fort Forrest, the Confederates had driven piles and sunk eight ships to block the Union Navy’s approach to the rest of the island. Beyond Fort Bartow were Forts Blanchard and Huger and, dominating the only road on the island on a knoll called Supple’s Hill, was a three-gun battery. About 3,000 Confederates from North Carolina and Virginia manned all these installations. Burnside discovered the only favorable landing was south of Fort Bartow on Captain William Ashby’s farm. Besides a relatively protected harbor to land at, Ashby’s was also out of the range of Forts Blanchard and Huger and Fort Bartow’s guns were partially blocked by a slight hill in between. Here, on the next morning, Burnside would make the landing

https://www.nps.gov/fora/learn/historyculture/battleofroanokeisland.htm

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