battle of plymouth civil war navy reenactors

Albemarle was deemed by Confederate authorities to be more useful as an armored gun platform for the defense of Plymouth than it was in active operations, so it took on that role.īut to the U.S. But the Union Navy was ready and six ships engaged the Confederate ram, damaging it and driving it back to Plymouth. Now based in Plymouth, Albemarle steamed into Albemarle Sound to engage U.S.

Wessells surrendered his remaining force to Hoke, and Plymouth was in Confederate hands.ĬSS Albemarle Attacking USS Miami and USS Southfield On the 20th, with naval support gone and his garrison reduced to one fort, Brigadier General W.H. Albemarle went into action on April 19th, ramming and sinking USS Southfield and damaging and driving off USS Miami. Hoke began his initial land action on April 17th. Farther up the Roanoke River, an ironclad ram called the CSS Albemarle, armed with two 6.4 inch Brooke Rifles, was under construction and nearly complete in the spring of 1864. By April of 1864, the Plymouth garrison was manned by about 2800 troops with artillery, plus Navy gunboats patrolled the river and Albemarle Sound.Ĭonfederate General Robert Hoke was determined to capture Plymouth, but owing to the heavy land fortifications and gunboats on the river, he was certain that a combined army and navy operation was necessary for success. forces in coastal North Carolina, and engineers heavily fortified the area with various forts and earthworks.

Plymouth became an important supply base for U.S. Early on in the Civil War, the Union Army and Navy conducted operations along the North Carolina coast, which included the capture and occupation of Plymouth in June of 1862. The city of Plymouth, North Carolina is located about seven miles up the Roanoke River from its mouth at the eastern side of Albemarle Sound.

Battle of plymouth civil war navy reenactors