New York 99th Infantry (Union)

Hampton Roads

When Virginia seceded in April 1861, many of the vessels, guns and repair facilities of the U. S. Navy at the Gosport Naval Yard in Portsmouth were hastily scuttled, destroyed or left behind for the new Confederate government to use. This included the steam frigate USS Merrimack, which had been sunk pierside and her upper works destroyed by fire. The Confederates raised the ship, moved her into the graving dock, and replaced her wooden superstructure with an iron-covered citadel mounting 10 guns. By early…READ MORE

New Bern

Hatteras Island, on the outer shore of North Carolina, fell to Union forces in August, 1861. Roanoke Island, just to the north, was captured on February 8, 1862. Elizabeth City on the mainland followed days later. With the freedom to navigate unmolested through Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, Brig. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside's command looked for other strategic targets of opportunity. The city of New Bern was a significant target, as the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad that connected the coast with the in…READ MORE

ColonelDavid Wardrop

Lieutenant ColonelRichard Nixon