Timeline . . .
1864
RESISTANCE IN THE EAST (January-December)
GUERRILLAS AND BUSHWHACKERS IN THE WEST (January-December)
PICKETT MOVES AGAINST NEW BERN (January-February)
January
January 3 Destruction of blockade-runner Bendigo
January 4 Action at Lockwoods Folly Inlet between U.S. Navy and Confederate batteries, Cape Fear
January 7 Destruction of blockade-runner Dare near Lockwoods Folly Inlet, Cape Fear
January 10 Loss of USS Iron Age near Lockwoods Folly Inlet, Cape Fear
January 11 Destruction of Ranger and Vesta
January 18-February 10 Operations about New Bern against Whiting
January 22 Skirmish at Harrellsville
January 27 Expedition to Lake Phelps
January 28-February 4 Confederate expedition from Wilmington to Newport Barracks
January 29 Expedition up Roanoke River
January 30 Skirmish at Windsor
January 30 3rd North Carolina Infantry, African Descent (Union) organized at Norfolk, Va.
January 31 Joint expedition to Windsor
January Gen. Robert B. Vance leads 500 Confederate troops on an expedition from Asheville, N.C. to Gatlinburg, Tenn. Vance is captured by a Federal cavalry detachment. One of the largest military missions initiated from western North Carolina. (WEST)
January 31-February 7 Federal expedition from Maryville, Tenn. to Quallatown, N.C. Maj. Francis M. Davidson leads 600 Illinois cavalrymen into Cherokee County to destroy Thomass Legion. (WEST)
February
February 1-3 Skirmish at Beech Grove and Batchelder's Creek, near New Bern
February 2 Capture and destruction of USS Underwriter at New Bern
February 2 Destruction of blockade-runner Wild Dayrell near New Topsail Inlet
February 2 Action at Deep Creek (WEST)
February 2 Skirmish at Bogue Sound Block House
February 2 Skirmish at Newport Barracks
February 4-5 Pursuit and destruction of blockade-runner Nutfield
February 5 Skirmish at Quallatown (WEST)
February 6 Skirmish at Newport Barracks
February 6 Destruction of blockade-runner Dee near Masonboro Inlet
February 7 Affair at Waccamo Neck
February 8 35th U.S. Colored Troops redesignated from 1st North Carolina Infantry, African Descent
February 8 36th U.S. Colored Troops redesignated from 2nd North Carolina Infantry, African Descent
February 8 37th U.S. Colored Troops redesignated from 3rd North Carolina Infantry, African Descent
February 9 Reconnaissance toward Swansborough
February 10 Destruction of blockade-runners Emily and Fanny and Jenny near Masonboro Inlet
February 16 Affair ar Fairfield
February 16 Capture of blockade-runner Pet off Lockwoods Folly Inlet, Cape Fear
February 17-22 Federal expedition from Motleys Ford, Tenn. to Murphy and vicinity, Cherokee County. (WEST)
February 29 Boat expedition under Lt. Cushing into Cape Fear River
March
March 1 Capture of British steamer Scotia 85 miles S.S.E. of Cape Fear
March 1-2 Naval expedition up Chowan River to rescue army steamer Bombshell
March 4 Capture of British Steamer Don, inbound for Wilmington, 5 days out of Nassau
March 6 Capture of blockade-runner Mary Ann, outbound from Wilmington en route to Nassau
March 6 USS Peterhoff sunk by Confederate artillery (and a collision with the USS Monticello) off Smith's Island, Cape Fear
March 17 14th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery organized at New Bern and Morehead City, from 1st North Carolina Heavy Artillery, African Descent (Union)
March 24-26 Boat expedition to Swansborough and Bear Creek
March 25-26 Expedition to Bogue and Bear Inlets
March 26 Skirmish near Black Jack Church
March 26 Skirmish at Ivy Bend
OPERATIONS AGAINST PLYMOUTH (April-May)
April
April 1 Skirmish near Plymouth
April 2 Affair at Cape Lookout (destruction of lighthouse)
April 5 Affair near Blount's Creek
April 10 Montrevail Ray and 75 Unionist bushwhackers raid Burnsville in Yancey County (headquarters for the home guard) Plundering in Watauga County by Vaughns Confederate cavalry. (WEST)
April 17 Skirmish at Beaver Creek
April 17-20 Engagement, Siege, and Capture of Plymouth, and Fort Williams, with aid of ironclad CSS Albemarle (Hoke). Sinking of USS Southfield by CSS Albemarle Operations in defense of Plymouth, including naval actions. Casualties: roughly 2,834 on both sides
April 21 Destruction of Confederate salt works at Masonboro Inlet, near Wilmington
April 25 Skirmish at Plymouth
April 26-30 Confederate siege of Washington and Federal evacuation
April 27-28 Skirmishes at Washington
April 27-29 Affairs at Masonboro Inlet between USS Niphon and Confederate batteries (near Wilmington)
April 29-30 Expedition from Newport Barracks to Swansborough
May
May 4 Skirmish on Trent Road
May 4-6 Operations about New Bern, and in Albemarle Sound
May 5 Skirmish at Croatan
May 5 Engagement in Roanoke River, with Ram (ironclad warship) Albemarle Casualties: roughly 88 on both sides.
May 5 Skirmish on south side of Trent River
May 6 Capture of British steamer Young Republic
May 6-7 Attack on Federal vessels at New Inlet by CSS Raleigh
May 7 CSS Raleigh (Confederate ironclad steamer) ran aground inside New Inlet, destroyed by Confederates (Cape Fear)
May 9 Capture of steamer Minnie
May 10 Capture of British steamer Greyhound
May 15 Capture of blockade-runner Tristram Shandy
May 24 Appearance of CSS Albemarle in Albemarle Sound
May 25 Expedition from USS Wyalusing for torpedo attack on CSS Albemarle
May 26 Torpedo Explosion at Batchelder's Creek
May 30 Capture of British steamer Caledonia
KIRK'S RAID (June-July) (WEST)
June
June 3rd North Carolina Mounted Infantry (Union) organized at Knoxville, Tenn.
June 2 Destruction of steamer Georgiana McCall
June 4 Capture of steamer Thistle
June 5 Capture of steamer Siren off Cape Lookout
June 9 Destruction of blockade-runner Pevensey near Beaufort
June 13-July 15 Kirk's Raid: Federal raid from Morristown, Tenn. into North Carolina, the capture and destruction of Camp Vance near Morganton, and skirmishes. (WEST)
June 16 Joint expedition in Pungo River
June 20-23 Expedition from Batchelder's Creek to near Kinston
June 20-25 Expedition to Wilmington & Weldon Railroad, including naval operations
June 22 Skirmish at Southwest Creek
June 22-23 Scout from Piney Green to Snead's Ferry and Swansborough
June 22-23 Skirmish at Swansborough
June 23-24 Reconnaissance by Lt. Cushing in Cape Fear River
June 28 Skirmish at Kinston
June 28 Skirmish near Murphy
June 28 Capture of Camp Vance (WEST)
June Unionist marauders target Flat Rock (in Henderson County), and the 64th North Carolina (headquartered at the Farmer Hotel) is assigned to the area to protect citizens and property. (WEST)
June Marauders, after being treated to a meal and hospitality, kill Andrew Johnstone (a rice planter from South Carolina) at 1840 Beaumont estate. Johnstones young son fights back, killing two and injuring a third. This incident illustrates the wholesale violence in the region. (WEST)
July
July 2 Capture of steamer Rouen
July 9 Capture of steamer Little Ada
July 18-31 Expedition from New Bern to Manning's Neck
July 27-August 4 Expedition from Norfolk, Va. into North Carolina
July 28-29 Joint expedition in Chowan River
August
August 1-3 Pursuit of Confederates from Athens, Tenn. into North Carolina. (WEST)
August 2 Skirmish at Murphy (WEST)
August 6-7 Appearance of CSS Albemarle at mouth of Roanoke River
August 7 Loss of USS Violet
August 23 Blockade-runner chased ashore near Fort Caswell by USS Vicksburg
August 24 Capture of steamer Lilian
September
September 4 Capture of steamer Elsie
September 8 The only capture of a Unites States Congressman during the Civil War at Coinjock in Currituck County. George Washington Julian was taken prisoner when Capt. J. N. Maffitt ordered pilot J. B. Hopkins to take a detail of twenty Confederate sailors to the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal and capture the mail boat Fawn. Julian was subsequently released in Elizabeth City.
September 10 Capture of steamer A. D. Vance
September 19 Reconnaissance near Wilmington for the examination of its defenses
September 25 Destruction of blockade-runner Lynx
September 27 Reconnaissance near Wilmington for the examination of its defenses
September 29 Destruction of British steamer Night Hawk
September 29 Action in Scuppernong River, engagement of USS Valley City with Confederate forces
October
October 1 Blockade-runner Condor, inbound from Nova Scotia, ran aground off Fort Fisher with two prominent passengers on board: James B. Holcomb (Confederate Commissioner to Great Britain), and the famous Confederate spy, Rose O'Neal Greenhow. "Wild Rose" drowned in the surf when her lifeboat capsized. She is buried in Wilmington, and her tombstone reads September 30. The hulk of the Condor was later used for target practice by Confederate gunners at Fort Fisher(Cape Fear).
October 8 Union tug USS Aster ran aground and was lost off Carolina Shoals, while chasing a blockade-runner (Cape Fear)
October 10 Capture of British steamer Bat
October 11-13 Scout from Camp Palmer to Gum Swamp
October 22 Capture of Confederate steamer Hope
October 27-28 Destruction of the CSS Albemarle at Plymouth (Cushing)
October 28 Capture of British steamer Lady Sterling
October 29-November 1 Federal re-occupation of Plymouth, including naval operations
October 31 Capture of British steamer Annie
November
November Federal re-occupation of Washington
November 23 Entrance of blockade-runner Little Hattie into New Inlet
FIRST EXPEDITION AGAINST FORT FISHER (December)
December
December 2-6 Naval expedition to Pitch Landing
December 3 Blockade-runner Ella, inbound for Wilmington, detroyed by Union blockaders off Old Inlet, Cape Fear
December 4 Capture of steamer Armstrong
December 10-15 Scout from Core Creek to Southwest Creek
December 6-10 Expedition from Portsmouth, Va. to Hertford, N.C.
December 9 Sinking of USS Ostego
December 9-28 Joint expedition to Rainbow Bluff
December 10 Skirmish at Mosely Ford
December 11-12 Skirmishes at Southwest Creek Bridge
December 15 Blockade-runner Stormy Petrel ran aground and sank (Cape Fear)
December 20-22 Engagement at Poplar Point
December 24 "Powder Vessel" USS Louisiana fails to destroy Fort Fisher
December 24-25 First Bombardment of Fort Fisher
December 25 Failed Assault on Fort Fisher Casualties: roughly 485 on both sides (land and sea).
December 27 Federal fleet returns to Beaufort
