Battle of New Bern - Definition and Overview

The Battle of New Bern (also known as the Battle of New Berne) is a Civil War battle which took place on March 14, 1862, near the city of New Bern, North Carolina. On March 11, Brigadier General Ambrose Burnside’s command launched from Roanoke Island to rendezvous with Union gunboats at Hatteras Inlet for an attack on New Bern. The defending Confederate General was Brigadier General Lawrence Branch. On March 13, the fleet made their way up the Neuse River and disembarked on the river’s south bank only a few miles from the city's defenses. On March 14, John G. Foster’s, Jesse Reno’s, and John G. Parke’s brigades attacked along the railroad and drove the Confederates out of their fortifications after less than a half day of fighting. The Federals captured nine forts and 41 heavy guns. Despite several Confederate attempts to recover the town, it remained an occupied Union base until the end of the war.