Advance From Slocum's Creek

Advance From Slocum's Creek. . The Burnside Expedition arrived near the mouth of Slocum's Creek (modem day MCAS Cherry Point) on the evening of Wednesday, March 12, 1862, and commenced landing operations the next morning. The landings were unopposed by the Confederates and uneventful except for the grounding of the ship carrying Battery F, 1st Rhode Island. This battery and the 48th Pennsylvania were delayed in their landing and arrived in New Bern after the battle. From his beachhead, Burnside and his troops struck out overland for the Old Beaufort Road with the remaining artillery, McCook's Naval Battery, being pulled by the men of the 51st Pennsylvania. The march turned into an exhausting ordeal as rain turned the dirt roads into ankle deep mud. During this time, Commodore Rowan continued to advance his gunboats up river, periodically lobbing shells into the forest ahead of Burnside's column. This sporadic naval bombardment was successful in forcing the retreat of the Confederates at Fisher's Landing, which in turn caused the Croatan breastworks to be abandoned long before Burnside's troops arrived. Later that afternoon, the Federal gunboats went on to tight a duel with Fort Dixie, which in turn was also abandoned that night by the Confederates due to the proximity of Burnside's advancing troops. So with all Confederates In retreat before him, the main enemy Burnside faced that day was rain and mud., (captions) , Burnside Expedition lands at Slocum's Creek , Situation on March 13, 1862