
Battle Of Hatteras Inlet Batteries

On August 28, 1861, the first combined Union Army and Navy battle of the Civil War concluded at the Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries.
In the 19th century, trading vessels filled with goods from the Caribbean caught the Gulf Stream to travel North and sailed past the North Carolina shoreline. The Outer Banks of North Carolina formed the perfect location for raiding ships during the Civil War, and Cape Hatteras Lighthouse served as a lookout tower. When Northern ships were spotted, raiders hiding in the calm waters of the Sound rushed out and captured the ship. The Confederates realized the importance of protecting this area and built four forts near the deepest inlets. Fort Hatteras and Fort Clark were built on the most strategic location, Hatteras Inlet.

Naval Flag Officer Silas H. Stringham was put in charge of blockading the Outer Banks. He did not agree with the plan to sink the ships. Being an experienced sailor, he felt the currents would wash the ships away or quickly create a new inlet. Stringham realized the Union had to control the area, which meant capturing the forts. He requested help from the Army for what would be the first combined sea and land operation in US military history.

On August 26, 1861, the ships left Hampton Roads, Virginia, and sailed down the coast. The two forts protecting Hatteras Inlet had only twenty guns and fewer than 600 men between them. If reinforcements were needed, they would have to come from the under-manned forts nearby or the mainland.
As the sun rose on August 28, the Confederate soldiers in Fort Clark woke to the sounds of cannon fire from three Union warships. Rather than being anchored, as was routine at the time, the ships kept moving, making it hard for the men in the fort to train their guns upon them. The ships drew close to fire, quickly moved away to reload, before returning for another round. The scarce ammunition from the fort was wasted on shots that consistently missed the ships. By 12:20 p.m., the Confederates ran out of ammunition, abandoned the fort, and fled to Fort Hatteras for safety.


With Fort Clark secure, Stringham aimed his guns at Fort Hatteras. After a few rounds, the waters became rough again and ships moved deeper. During the night, Confederate reinforcements from Fort Ocracoke arrived by boat. There were now about 700 men in Fort Hatteras, and more were expected. When morning came on August 29, the weather had cleared and the Union Navy resumed its attack. Wet gunpowder prevented the Confederate soldiers from returning fire. After a few hours, commanding officer Samuel Barron surrendered unconditionally.
