Fort Branch
Encyclopedia
Fort Branch was a fort built by the Confederate Army especially to defend against attacks from the Union Army
along the Roanoke River
in North Carolina
.
The fort was originally built in 1862 along Rainbow Banks in North Carolina
as a suitable location for defense of the Roanoke Valley. Twelve pieces of artillery were stationed at the fort to prevent Union access to the Wilmington-Weldon Railroad Bridge.
On December 12, 1864, members of the 2nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Heavy Artillery
, 27th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
, 9th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
, 16th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, 176th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Battery A of the 3rd New York Heavy Artillery Regiment, and the 12th Regiment New York Volunteer Cavalry under the command of Colonel Jones Frankle advanced towards Fort Branch. The night was bitterly cold and quite dark, which enabled the Union contingent to move easily. Colonel John Hinton, commanding officer of the fort, was caught unawares and was captured easily by Captain Samuel P. Russell of Battery A of the 3rd New York. Despite this initial success, the decision to chase down Confederate soldiers of the Weldon Junior Reserves gave Hinton's men time to regroup, and the fort was abandoned as Frankle and his men retreated back to Williamston, North Carolina
.
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
along the Roanoke River
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...
in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
The fort was originally built in 1862 along Rainbow Banks in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
as a suitable location for defense of the Roanoke Valley. Twelve pieces of artillery were stationed at the fort to prevent Union access to the Wilmington-Weldon Railroad Bridge.
On December 12, 1864, members of the 2nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Heavy Artillery
2nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Heavy Artillery
The 2nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Heavy Artillery was a regimental unit that fought in the American Civil War from 1863 to 1865. Initially formed 28 July of 1863 in Readville, Massachusetts with Company A, it was supported with 11 other companies ending with Company M on 24 December 1863...
, 27th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
27th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
The 27th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment recruited in Massachusetts for service in the American Civil War.-History:...
, 9th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
9th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
The Ninth New Jersey Volunteer Infantry was an American Civil War infantry regiment from New Jersey that served from October 1861 through July 1865 in the Union Army...
, 16th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, 176th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Battery A of the 3rd New York Heavy Artillery Regiment, and the 12th Regiment New York Volunteer Cavalry under the command of Colonel Jones Frankle advanced towards Fort Branch. The night was bitterly cold and quite dark, which enabled the Union contingent to move easily. Colonel John Hinton, commanding officer of the fort, was caught unawares and was captured easily by Captain Samuel P. Russell of Battery A of the 3rd New York. Despite this initial success, the decision to chase down Confederate soldiers of the Weldon Junior Reserves gave Hinton's men time to regroup, and the fort was abandoned as Frankle and his men retreated back to Williamston, North Carolina
Williamston, North Carolina
Williamston is a town in Martin County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,843 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Martin County. The closest major city is Greenville, approx. 28 mi to the southwest.-Geography:...
.
External links
- Fort Branch Civil War Site - Fort Branch Battlefield Commission
- Photos of Fort Branch Confederate Earthen Fort
- Photos