Battle of Fort Anderson, New Bern N.C.

From Wikipedia.

Not to be confused with the Fort Anderson on the Cape Fear River below Wilmington, N.C..

Also called the Battle of Deep Gully.  Fought March 13-15, 1863.  We are coming up on the 155th anniversary of it.

Part of the Longstreet Tidewater Campaign.

Confederate General D.H. Hill advanced on New Bern, North Carolina.  Confederate Gen. W.H.C. Whiting at Wilmington refused to cooperate and send men.

Hill had initial success at Deep Gully on March 13 and the federals retreated to Fort Anderson on the opposite side of the Neuse River from New Bern.  Investing it, Confederate forces were forced to withdraw with the arrival of Union gunboats.

Hill then moved to threaten Union forces at Washington, North Carolina.

--Old Secesh

Battle of Deep Gully and Fort Anderson-- Part 2: Confrontation At Fort Anderson

On March 13, the Confederates met the federal troops eight miles outside New Bern and pushed them back to Deep Gully.  There was more fighting there and then the Union troops retreated back to Fort Anderson.

At daybreak the next day, Pettigrew opened fire on the fort with his artillery hoping to avoid attacking it as he was sure he would lose a lot of men..  he sent a request to the Union commander of the fort, Lt.-Col. Hiram Anderson to surrender.  Anderson refused.

Anderson requested a cease fire so he could consult with New Bern's commander, General Foster, but this was a ruse to buy time so that the Union gunboats could come up and provide support.  When they did, Pettigrew withdrew

General Daniel Hill then retired to Washington, North Carolina and prepared to lay siege to it.  However, he was able to gather food and supplies from Union forces in his move on New Bern.

There were an estimated seven casualties at Deep Gully and Fort Anderson.

--Old B-Runner

Battle of Deep Gully and Fort Anderson, N.C.-- Part 1

Not to be confused with the Confederate Fort Anderson located on the Cape Fear River below Wilmington, N.C..

From North Carolina History.Org site.

In the last post about action in North Carolina in March 1863, there was quite a few mentions of Deep Gully and Fort Anderson.  I did some more research on them.

After the Confederate victory at the Battle of Fredericksburg, General James Longstreet was given the assignment to gather supplies and  maintain supply lines in North Carolina.

On February 25, 1863, he ordered General Daniel H. Hill, commander of the North Carolina District and his 12,000 men to recapture New Bern.

Hill planned a three-pronged attack on that city.  From Kinston, General Julius Daniel would attack New Bern fro the lower Trent Road.  General Beverly H. Robertson would attack from the upper Trent Road.  Then General James J. Pettigrew's brigade and Major John C. Haskell's artillery were to attack Federal Fort Anderson and gunboats from Barrington's Ferry.

--Old B-R'er

N.C. Timeline, March, 1863-- Part 3: Siege of Washington

MARCH 14--  Action at Fort Anderson (Deep Gully)

MARCH  21--  Capture of British steamer Nicholai I near Little River Inlet

MARCH  23--  Skirmish at Winfield (Buffaloes)

MARCH 24--  Skirmish at Rocky Hook Creek

MARCH  30 to 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 at Deep Gully

MARCH--  George W. Lee leads a Confederate cavalry squad from Atlanta, Georgia, into Cherokee County, North Carolina.  They abduct 8 suspected Unionists and take them back to Georgia.  As with the Shelton Laurel Incident, North Carolina's Governor Vance is outrages.  (West)