New Bern in Craven County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

26th North Carolina Infantry Regiment

26th North Carolina Infantry Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mike McKeown, January 16, 2026

1. 26th North Carolina Infantry Marker

Inscription.

26th North Carolina Infantry Regiment. . Twenty-Sixth Regiment North Carolina Troops Zebulon Baird Vance Colonel Abner Bynum Carmichael . Henry King Burgwyn, Jr Major . Lieutenant Colonel. "Soldiers!!The enemy Is before you and you will on be in combat. You have the reputation of being one of the best drilled regiments in the service. Now I wish you to prove yourselves one of the best fighting. Men, stand by me and I will by you." Lt. Col. Henry Burgwyn, Jr. To the men of 26th NC on the eve of the battle... On March 14, 1862, n combined Union army and naval expedition. consisting of 11.000 troops, under., Brig. Gen. Ambrose Burnside commenced an assault upon Brig. Gen. Lawrence O'B Branch's 4,900 man Confederate defenses at New Bern., The 26th NC was assigned to defend the right section of the Confederate line following Bullen Branch from the and North Carolina Railroad, west to Bryce's Creek. The right wing of the 26th NC's line covered Weathersby Road and was manned by companies B, E, and K of the 26th NC and several attachments, all under Lt. Col. Burgwyn's command. The center of the 26th NC's line, companies C, F, H, and I, were under the direct command of Colonel Vance., The left wing of the 26th NC was defended by companies A, D and G, and was under the command at Major Carmichael. From this line, east to Wood's Brickyard 4, occurred the most intense fighting of the day. For over three hours the 26th NC, with assistance from the 7th NC and 33rd NC, repelled the enemy's assaults along, the railroad and Bullen Branch. A final Union assault on the brickyard succeeded in breaking the Confederate center., With this, the Confederate forces, holding the line from the brickyard to Fort Thompson, retreated to New Bern destroying the bridges over the Trent River. The 26th NC, cut off and nearly surrounded, was the 1ast Confederate unit to leave the field. This engagement was the baptism of fire for the 26th NC, which at Gettysburg would sustain the largest numerical losses of any unit, North or South, during the entire course of the war., 26th NC Soldiers Who Died at New Bern Major Abner B. Carmichael , Captain William P. Martin, Co. H Corporal Michael M. Woode, Co. A Private M. Kevley, Co. C , Private Thomas M. McRory, Co. B Private Joseph Miller, Co. A , Private Solomon Mullis, Co. B Private Jackson W. Pope, Co. D , Private Hugh M. Ray, Co. H Private William Taylor, Co. A Private Lewis B. Tysor, Co. H. In addition to the 11 members-.who died at New-Bern, the 26th NC also lost; 1 man mortally wounded, 9 men wounded, 2 men wounded and captured and 68 men-captured for a total of 91 casualties., Under the leadership bl Colonel Zebulon Baird Vance, these North Carolinians made the ultimate sacrifice while defending their native soil May they always-be remembered., Erected by the the Society for the Historical Preservation of the Twenty Sixth Regiment North Carolina Troops March 10, 2007

Twenty-Sixth Regiment
North Carolina Troops
Zebulon Baird Vance
Colonel
Abner Bynum Carmichael • Henry King Burgwyn, Jr
Major • Lieutenant Colonel
"Soldiers!!The enemy Is before you and you will on be in combat. You have the reputation of being one of the best drilled regiments in the service. Now I wish you to prove yourselves one of the best fighting. Men, stand by me and I will by you."
Lt. Col. Henry Burgwyn, Jr. To the men of 26th NC on the eve of the battle...
On March 14, 1862, n combined Union army and naval expedition. consisting of 11.000 troops, under., Brig. Gen. Ambrose Burnside commenced an assault upon Brig. Gen. Lawrence O'B Branch's 4,900 man Confederate defenses at New Bern.

The 26th NC was assigned to defend the right section of the Confederate line following Bullen Branch from the and North Carolina Railroad, west to Bryce's Creek. The right wing of the 26th NC's line covered Weathersby Road and was manned by companies B, E, and K of the 26th NC and several attachments, all under Lt. Col. Burgwyn's command. The center of the 26th NC's line, companies C, F, H, and I, were under the direct

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command of Colonel Vance.

The left wing of the 26th NC was defended by companies A, D and G, and was under the command at Major Carmichael. From this line, east to Wood's Brickyard 4, occurred the most intense fighting of the day. For over three hours the 26th NC, with assistance from the 7th NC and 33rd NC, repelled the enemy's assaults along, the railroad and Bullen Branch. A final Union assault on the brickyard succeeded in breaking the Confederate center.

With this, the Confederate forces, holding the line from the brickyard to Fort Thompson, retreated to New Bern destroying the bridges over the Trent River. The 26th NC, cut off and nearly surrounded, was the 1ast Confederate unit to leave the field. This engagement was the baptism of fire for the 26th NC, which at Gettysburg would sustain the largest numerical losses of any unit, North or South, during the entire course of the war.

26th NC Soldiers Who Died at New Bern
Major Abner B. Carmichael — Captain William P. Martin, Co. H
Corporal Michael M. Woode, Co. A
Private M. Kevley, Co. C — Private Thomas M. McRory, Co. B
Private Joseph Miller, Co. A — Private Solomon

26th North Carolina Infantry Regiment Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mike McKeown, January 16, 2026

2. 26th North Carolina Infantry Regiment Marker

Mullis, Co. B
Private Jackson W. Pope, Co. D — Private Hugh M. Ray, Co. H
Private William Taylor, Co. A Private Lewis B. Tysor, Co. H
In addition to the 11 members-.who died at New-Bern, the 26th NC also lost; 1 man mortally wounded, 9 men wounded, 2 men wounded & captured and 68 men-captured for a total of 91 casualties.

Under the leadership bl Colonel Zebulon Baird Vance, these North Carolinians made the ultimate sacrifice while defending their native soil May they always-be remembered.

Erected by the the Society for the Historical Preservation of the Twenty Sixth Regiment North Carolina Troops
March 10, 2007

Erected 2007 by The Society for the Historical Preservation of the Twenty Sixth Regiment North Carolina Troops.

Topics. This memorial is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is March 14, 1862.

Location. 35° 2.781′ N, 77° 0.946′ W. Memorial is in New Bern, North Carolina, in Craven County. It can be reached from Battlefield Trail 0.3 miles south of Taberna Way, on the right when traveling south. Along the walking trail at the New Bern attlefield Park. Touch for map. Memorial

Photographed by Mike McKeown, January 16, 2026

3. 26th North Carolina Infantry Regiment Marker

is at or near this postal address: 300 Battlefield Trail, New Bern NC 28560, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this memorial is in North Carolina’s Coastal Plain. It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Tidewater.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Medal of Honor (within shouting distance of this marker); Avery Surrenders (within shouting distance of this marker); Redan 3: Late Morning (within shouting distance of this marker); The Attack of the 4th RI (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Attack in the Brickyard (about 400 feet away); The Fight Along Bullen Branch (about 400 feet away); Battle of New Bern (about 500 feet away); Final Stand (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map

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of all markers in New Bern.

Also see . . .
1. New Bern Battlefield Park (New Bern Historical Society). (Submitted on February 1, 2026, by Mike McKeown of Baltimore, Maryland.)
2. 26th North Carolina Infantry Regiment (the Civil War in the East). (Submitted on February 1, 2026, by Mike McKeown of Baltimore, Maryland.)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 1, 2026, by Mike McKeown of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 99 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 1, 2026, by Mike McKeown of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.