January 20, 1862 (Sunday): The Burnside Expedition Sights Land

Defenses of Roanoke Island (Library of Congress)

GOLDSBOROUGH, January 20, 1862-10 p. m. 

General COOPER,
Richmond, Va.:
Just received the following via Washington, N. C.:
    At 4 p. m. yesterday (19th) there were in the sound at Hatteras 100 sail of the enemy, and 25 steamers, large-class, outside. They had pressed into the service all the pilots; three had made their escape and gave this information. The pilots report that the fleet is destined for New Berne, Washington, Hyde County, and Roanoke, and that a portion of them would move this morning.
    Please send the arms for the Thirty-fourth and Thirty-seventh Regiments by special train, and such re-enforcements as can be spared.



R. C. GATLIN,
Brigadier-General.

Official Records, Series I., Vol. 51, Part 2, Page 448.

As Shakespeare said, "Problems come not singly but in battalions."  For the Confederacy in January of 1862 many of those problems related to the naval capacity of the Union forces.  In the West, Union gunboats were about the business of securing the Mississippi.  In the east, an expeditionary force had already landed and taken Port Royal Sound and now Burnside's troops were preparing a landing in eastern North Carolina.  Gatlin, in charge of all North Carolina militia forces, had scant troops or (as seen in this case) arms.  Coastal defenses were inadequate and were not nearly a match for Union firepower.