Timeline . . .
1863
OCCUPATION AND CONTAINMENT (January-December)
RAIDS AND ACTIONS IN THE WEST (January-December)
January
January 1 Emancipation Proclamation President Abraham Lincoln's war measure, declaring "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free."
January 5 Expedition for capturing Wilmington pilots (Cape Fear River)
January Thomas's Highland Legion hunts for bushwhackers in the French Broad Valley (WEST)
January 8 The Shelton Laurel Massacre (infamous showdown between Unionists and Confederate forces in the Laurel Valley). Unionist bushwhackers attack Marshall, taking salt, merchandise, and foodstuffs; also ransack the home of Col. Lawrence Allen (of the 64th North Carolina), and harass Allens wife and three sick children. Colonel Allen and James Keith (also of the 64th) respond from East Tennessee, with 500 men, to Marshall and the Laurel Valley. Keiths men badger the populace looking for suspects then execute 13 prisoners under the assumption of guilt. This incident best illustrates guerrilla clashes in the Carolina highlands. (WEST)
January 14 Loss of USS Columbia off Masonboro Inlet
January 17-21 Reconnaissance from New Bern to Pollocksville, Trenton, Young's Crossroads, and Onslow
January 19 Skirmish at White Oak Creek
January 20 Skirmish near Jacksonville
January 27-28 Reconnaissance on Neuse and Trent Roads
January 30-February 3 Naval expedition to Hertford on Perquimans River
February
February Yadkin County militiamen battle Unionist bushwhackers at a schoolhouse near Yadkinville (WEST)
February 1-10 Expedition from New Bern to Plymouth
February 2 Destruction of salt works at Wales Head, Currituck Beach
February 7 Skirmish near Edenton
February 10 Skirmish at Batchelder's Creek
February 12-13 Expedition from Batchelder's Creek
February 13 Skirmish at Sandy Ridge
February 13 Skirmish near Washington
February 14 Reconnaissance of Shallotte and Little River Inlets
February 25 Engagement between USS Monticello and Fort Caswell
February 27 Skirmish at New Bern
March
D. H. HILL MOVES AGAINST NEW BERN AND WASHINGTON (March-April)
March 1-6 Expedition from New Bern to Swan Quarter
March 2 Entrance of blockade-runner Cornubia into New Inlet
March 3 Skirmish near Fairfield
March 3 Capture of Federal landing party at Little River Inlet
March 4 Skirmishes near Fairfield and Swan Quarter
March 6-8 Demonstration on Kinston
March 6-10 Expedition from New Bern to Trenton, Pollocksville, Young's Crossroads, and Swansborough
March 7 Skirmish at Core Creek
March 7 Skirmish near Dover
March 7-10 Expedition from Newport Barracks to Cedar Point
March 7-14 Expedition from New Bern to Mattamuskeet Lake
March 8-16 Confederate expedition against New Bern, and Federal naval operations
March 10-13 Demonstration on New Bern
March 13-14 Skirmishes at Deep Gully and New Bern
March 14 Action at Fort Anderson (Deep Gully)
March 21 Capture of British steamer Nicolai I near Little River Inlet
March 23 Skirmish at Winfield (Buffaloes)
March 24 Skirmish at Rocky Hock Creek
March 30-April 20 Siege of Washington, and pursuit of Confederate forces, including Federal naval operations
March 30 Skirmish at Washington
March 30 Skirmish at Rodman's Point
March 30 Skirmish near Deep Gully
March George W. Lee leads a Confederate cavalry squad from Altanta, Ga. into Cherokee County, N.C. They abduct eight suspected Unionists and take them back to Georgia. As with the Shelton Laurel incident, Governor Vance is outraged. (WEST)
April
April Marcus Erwin and Buncombe County militia flush 80 anti-Confederates from Laurel Valley
April 1 Engagement at Rodman's Point
April 2 Engagement at Hill's Point
April 3 Skirmish at White Forks
April 3 Skirmish at Washington
April 4-5 Engagement at Rodman's Point
April 4-6 Operations on the Pamlico
April 6 Skirmish at Nixonton
April 7-10 Expedition from New Bern for relief of Washington
April 9 Action at Blount's Creek
April 13-21 Expedition to Swift Creek Village
April 15 Skirmish at Washington
April 16 Affair at Hill's Point
April 16 Affair at Rodman's Point
April 16-21 Expedition from New Bern toward Kinston
April 17-18 Skirmishes at Core Creek
April 17-19 Expedition from New Bern to Washington
April 19 Skirmish at Big Swift Creek
April 20 Skirmish at Sandy Ridge
April 23 Entrance of blockade-runners into New Inlet
April 27-May 1 Expedition from New Bern toward Kinston
April 28 Action at Wise's Crossroads (Wyse Fork)
May
May 5 Skirmish at Peletier's Mill
May 7 Skirmish at Stony Creek
May 15 Capture of steamers Emily and Arrow by Pasquotank Guerrillas
May 20-23 Demonstration on Kinston
May 22 Action at Gum Swamp
May 22 Chase of blockade-runner by USS Penobscot under guns of Fort Fisher
May 23 Skirmish at Batchelder's Creek
June
June 5-7 Reconnaissance through Gates County and down Chowan River
June 8 Scout from Suffolk, Va. to South Mills, N.C.
June 11 Capture of blockade-runner Calypso
June 17-18 Scout from Rocky Run to Dover and Core Creek
June 22 Escape of blockade-runners at New Inlet
June 24 Sinking of USS Sumpter
June 28 Reconnaissance from Plymouth to Nichols Mill
June 30 1st North Carolina Infantry, African Descent (Union) organized at New Bern, N.C. and Portsmouth, Va.
June-September Union forces under William Rosecrans and Ambrose Burnside occupy Knoxville and much of East Tennessee, intensifying the Union military danger to North Carolina. (WEST)
July
July 3-7 Raid on Wilmington & Weldon Railroad
July 4-8 Expedition to Trenton
July 5 Skirmishes at Warsaw and Kenansville
July 5-7 Expedition from Plymouth to Gardner's Bridge and Williamston
July 6 Action at Free Bridge
July 6 Action at Quaker Bridge
July 6 Skirmish at Trenton
July 8 Skirmish at Warsaw
July 12 Blockade-runner Kate is driven ashore
July 13-16 Expedition from Newport Barracks to Cedar Point and White Oak River
July 17-20 Expedition from New Bern to Swift Creek Village
July 18-24 Expedition from New Bern to Tarboro and Rocky Mount
July 20 Skirmish at Tarboro
July 20 Skirmish at Sparta
July 21 Skirmish at Rocky Mount
July 21 Skirmish at Street's Ferry
July 22 Skirmish at Scupperton
July 24 Capture of Merrimac 40 miles east of Masonboro Inlet
July 25-31 Expedition from New Bern to Winton
July 25-August 3 Expedition from Portsmouth, Va. to Jackson, N.C. (Boones Mill)
July 26 Action at Pottecassi Creek, Mt. Tabor Church
July 26-29 Expedition from Plymouth to Foster's Mills
July 27 Skirmish at Foster's Mills
July 28 Skirmish at Jackson
August
August 1 Cutting out of blockade-runner Kate
August 5-12 Expedition from Kempsville, Va. to Currituck and Camden counties, N.C.
August 11-19 Expedition from Portsmouth, Va. to Edenton, N.C. and skirmishes
August 14 Skirmish at Washington
August 15 Skirmish at Edenton
August 18 Skirmish near Pasquotank
August 18 Blockade-runner Hebe, inbound for New Inlet, run aground and destroyed by Union blockaders, Cape Fear
August 22 Destruction of schooner Alexander Cooper in New Topsail Inlet
August-December Militant Unionist enclaves, such as Trap Hill in Wilkes County. The 21st and 56th North Carolina Regiments, under command of Gen. Robert F. Hoke, proceed to Wilkes and adjoining counties to break up lawless bands. Hoke stations men in Yadkin and Wilkes counties and makes many arrests. (WEST)
September
September 12 Skirmish at South Mills
September 14-17 Reconnaissance to the Blackwater River
September 15 Blockade-runner Arabian forced aground by Union blockaders, and later broke apart during a storm (Cape Fear).
September 15-19 Expedition from Great Bridge, Va. to Indiantown, N.C.
September 20 Skirmish at Indiantown
September 23 Blockade-runner Phantom is chased ashore
September Gen. Robert B. Vance takes command of the Western Military District of North Carolina, with oversight of Confederate local defense units and state troops. (WEST)
September 200-300 Federal troops attack and hold Waynesville. As a result, Confederate armory at Asheville is moved to South Carolina. (WEST)
October
October 2nd North Carolina Mounted Infantry (Union) organized at Knoxville, Tenn.
October 10-17 Expedition from New Bern to Elizabeth City and Edenton
October 11 Blockade-runner Duoro, outbound from New Inlet, destroyed by Union blockaders, Cape Fear
October 13 Scout from Great Bridge, Va. to Indiantown, N.C.
October 16-17 Affair at Pungo Landing
October 17 Skirmish at Camden Court House
October 20 Skirmish at Warm Springs. Union incursion (Kirk) from East Tennessee (WEST)
October 21 Blockade-runner Venus, inbound for New Inlet, run aground by Union blockaders, Cape Fear
October 23 Skirmish at Warm Springs (WEST)
October 26 Skirmish at Warm Springs (WEST)
October 27 Skirmish in Cherokee County. Confederate Gen. John C. Vaughn fights Capt. Goldman Bryson and the 1st Tennessee National Guard ("mounted robbers"). Bryson is then hunted down and killed. (WEST)
October 28 2nd North Carolina Infantry, African Descent (Union) organized at Portsmouth, Va.
October 30 Skirmish at Ford's Mill near New Bern
November
November 2nd North Carolina Volunteer Infantry (Union) organized at New Bern
November 4 Skirmish near Rocky Run
November 8 Capture of steamer Margaret and Jessie off Cape Lookout
November 4-9 Expedition up Chowan River
November 9 Capture of Ella and Annie
November 9 Capture of Steamer Robert E. Lee off Cape Lookout
November 9 Operations near Weldon
November 10 Capture of blockade-runner Ella
November 13-14 Reconnaissance of entrances to Cape Fear River (New Inlet and Old Inlet, or Western Bar)
November 21 Capture of steamer Banshee off Cape Lookout
November 25 Skirmish at Greenville
November 26 Skirmish at Plymouth
November 26 Skirmish at Warm Springs
December
December 1 Skirmish at Cedar Point
December 5 Expedition from New Bern toward Kinston
December 6 Capture of British steamer Ceres
December 5-24 Expedition from Norfolk, Va. to South Mill and Camden Courthouse, etc., N.C. (colored troops)
December 9-16 Capture, release, and destruction of British schooner G. O. Bigelow
December 10 Skirmish at Hertford
December 11 Blockade-runner Beauregard, inbound for Wilmington, destroyed by Union blockaders near New Inlet, Cape Fear (off present-day Carolina Beach)
December 14 Skirmish near Pasquotank
December 16 Skirmish at Free Bridge
December 17 Expedition from Washington to Chicoa Creek
December 18 Skirmish at Indiantown, Sandy Swamp
December 20 Capture of blockade-runner Antonica
December 21-24 Scout from Rocky Run to Trenton
December 25 Destruction of salt works on Bear Inlet
December 27-29 Expedition from Newport Barracks to Young's Crossroads, Swansborough, and Jacksonville
December 30 Engagement at Greenville
