334:), destroy the CSS Neuse, and proceed by shorter route to destroy the rail line at Goldsborough. The Confederates had a superior defensive position, and they burned the bridge to prevent the Union forces from crossing. The Federals spent most of December 16 bombarding the town with artillery fire to destroy the Confederate defenses and to destroy the boat. Meanwhile, Union riflemen fired at the Confederates defending the boat. Local tradition says the Union riflemen were firing high all day, because the south bank of the river (where the Federals were) is actually higher than the north bank, though the river creates an illusion that the banks are even. It is also likely the Confederates suffered less casualties because their position on the bank of the Neuse river was narrow, and so only one regiment could fire at a time and in turn be exposed to fire from the Union soldiers.
110:
93:
285:
719:
729:
360:
published banner headlines announcing the alleged victory, as several New York regiments had taken part. The Union men claimed they had won because they inflicted serious damage on the CSS Neuse, and because the forces resisting the United States were unable to halt the Army's advance. However, the
318:
Alleged unnamed Local historians dispute this account, claiming that one of the Union objectives of the
Goldsborough Campaign (also known as Foster's Raid) was to destroy an ironclad ramming boat that the Confederates were building on the north bank of the Neuse river at that location. This boat,
347:
Near sundown on
December 16, fearing they would be caught between Confederate forces from Kinston and others thought to be marching from Goldsborough, the Federals abandoned their attempt to cross the river at Whitehall and withdrew to the west. They crossed the Neuse River between Whitehall and
340:
During the two days of battle, Union artillery heavily damaged the town. The CSS Neuse also took some slight damage, and its construction was delayed several weeks. Tradition says that several civilians took refuge in a stone jailhouse, which was eventually destroyed by cannon fire.
314:
According to the report of the Union commanders, the
Federals demonstrated against the Confederates for much of the day on December 16, attempting to fix the Confederates in position, while the main Union column continued toward the railroad, achieving success of the campaign.
361:
Confederates claim they won, since they inflicted heavier casualties on the attackers than they suffered, prevented the United States from crossing the river, and had kept the gunboat from being totally destroyed.
792:
208:
802:
344:
More recent analyses by historians have argued that the Union artillery caused heavy friendly fire casualties and that the casualty lists for the Union regiments were purposely underreported.
462:
323:, was one of several identical boats that were being built in upriver locations throughout the South, their purpose being to break the Union naval blockade. Only one of these boats, the
797:
704:
683:
722:
201:
688:
732:
455:
327:, was completed in time to be useful, and succeeded in sinking several Union ships at Plymouth, North Carolina, and opening the port to Confederate shipping.
194:
337:
Alleged by an unnamed source, Tradition also says that among the
Confederate casualties were two free black teenagers, fighting with the local militia.
748:
364:
The CSS Neuse was completed late in the war, but she ran aground on a sandbar before reaching the sea and had to be scuttled to prevent her capture.
471:
448:
430:
812:
289:
807:
153:
485:
311:. There was some skirmishing as the Federals set up several artillery units on a hill overlooking the town and Confederate defenses.
297:
425:
406:
787:
647:
817:
822:
541:
331:
238:
114:
109:
61:
632:
526:
269:
261:
65:
385:
616:
435:
265:
101:
593:
588:
583:
511:
611:
506:
501:
652:
557:
284:
662:
657:
521:
393:(M.A. thesis ed.). Blacksburg, VA: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. p. 22.
637:
562:
642:
606:
516:
273:
30:
531:
304:
228:
133:
567:
440:
410:
403:
300:
126:
781:
667:
598:
324:
97:
92:
308:
763:
750:
320:
186:
307:
had taken command of
Confederate militia holding the north bank of the
387:
Confederate Brig. Gen. B.H. Robertson and the 1863 Gettysburg campaign
348:
Mount Olive, and continued on to fight an engagement at
Goldsborough.
436:
The War of the
Rebellion: a Compilation of Official Service Records
283:
330:
The Union plan was to take the bridge at
Whitehall (present-day
444:
190:
288:
Map of White Hall
Battlefield core and study areas by the
793:
Battles of the
Eastern Theater of the American Civil War
303:'s Union troops reached White Hall where Brig. Gen.
803:
Battles of the American Civil War in North Carolina
697:
676:
625:
576:
550:
494:
478:
23:
798:Inconclusive battles of the American Civil War
456:
202:
8:
379:
377:
463:
449:
441:
209:
195:
187:
20:
472:North Carolina in the American Civil War
426:National Park Service battle description
404:National Park Service battle description
373:
290:American Battlefield Protection Program
260:, took place on December 16, 1862, in
7:
728:
154:46th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment
486:Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries
147:23rd New York Independent Battery
14:
727:
718:
717:
356:Both sides claimed victory. The
108:
91:
16:Battle of the American Civil War
813:1862 in the American Civil War
384:Bowmaster, Patrick A. (1995).
1:
648:Battle of Monroe's Crossroads
542:Battle of Goldsborough Bridge
808:Wayne County, North Carolina
633:Second Battle of Fort Fisher
270:Goldsborough, North Carolina
262:Wayne County, North Carolina
66:Wayne County, North Carolina
617:First Battle of Fort Fisher
44:December 16, 1862
839:
258:Battle of White Hall Ferry
713:
594:Battle of Albemarle Sound
527:Battle of Tranter's Creek
409:January 21, 2009, at the
224:
180:
175:
162:
139:
120:
84:
36:
28:
612:Rainbow Bluff Expedition
507:Battle of Elizabeth City
502:Battle of Roanoke Island
788:Goldsborough Expedition
653:Battle of Averasborough
558:Battle of Fort Anderson
218:Goldsborough Expedition
818:1862 in North Carolina
293:
121:Commanders and leaders
663:Battle of Morrisville
658:Battle of Bentonville
522:Battle of South Mills
287:
176:Casualties and losses
145:3rd New York Cavalry
823:December 1862 events
638:Battle of Wilmington
563:Battle of Washington
537:Battle of White Hall
254:Battle of White Hall
24:Battle of White Hall
764:35.2272°N 77.8464°W
760: /
643:Battle of Wyse Fork
607:Capture of Plymouth
517:Siege of Fort Macon
431:CWSAC Report Update
239:Goldsborough Bridge
158:Robertson's Brigade
151:Stevenson's Brigade
589:Battle of Plymouth
584:Battle of New Bern
512:Battle of New Bern
294:
274:American Civil War
256:, also called the
31:American Civil War
769:35.2272; -77.8464
743:
742:
532:Battle of Kinston
305:Beverly Robertson
264:, as part of the
247:
246:
185:
184:
134:Beverly Robertson
115:CSA (Confederacy)
80:
79:
830:
775:
774:
772:
771:
770:
765:
761:
758:
757:
756:
753:
731:
730:
721:
720:
568:Siege of Suffolk
465:
458:
451:
442:
413:
401:
395:
394:
392:
381:
296:On December 15,
219:
211:
204:
197:
188:
149:Amory's Brigade
113:
112:
96:
95:
51:
49:
38:
37:
21:
838:
837:
833:
832:
831:
829:
828:
827:
778:
777:
768:
766:
762:
759:
754:
751:
749:
747:
746:
744:
739:
709:
693:
672:
621:
599:Sinking of CSS
572:
546:
490:
474:
469:
422:
417:
416:
411:Wayback Machine
402:
398:
390:
383:
382:
375:
370:
358:New York Herald
354:
282:
250:
249:
248:
243:
220:
217:
215:
152:
150:
148:
146:
129:
107:
90:
68:
47:
45:
17:
12:
11:
5:
836:
834:
826:
825:
820:
815:
810:
805:
800:
795:
790:
780:
779:
741:
740:
738:
737:
725:
714:
711:
710:
708:
707:
701:
699:
695:
694:
692:
691:
686:
680:
678:
674:
673:
671:
670:
665:
660:
655:
650:
645:
640:
635:
629:
627:
623:
622:
620:
619:
614:
609:
604:
596:
591:
586:
580:
578:
574:
573:
571:
570:
565:
560:
554:
552:
548:
547:
545:
544:
539:
534:
529:
524:
519:
514:
509:
504:
498:
496:
492:
491:
489:
488:
482:
480:
476:
475:
470:
468:
467:
460:
453:
445:
439:
438:
433:
428:
421:
418:
415:
414:
396:
372:
371:
369:
366:
353:
350:
301:John G. Foster
281:
278:
268:expedition to
245:
244:
242:
241:
236:
231:
225:
222:
221:
216:
214:
213:
206:
199:
191:
183:
182:
178:
177:
173:
172:
169:
168:11,000 (total)
165:
164:
160:
159:
156:
142:
141:
140:Units involved
137:
136:
131:
130:Jeptha Garrard
127:John G. Foster
123:
122:
118:
117:
105:
87:
86:
82:
81:
78:
77:
74:
70:
69:
59:
57:
53:
52:
42:
34:
33:
26:
25:
19:
18:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
835:
824:
821:
819:
816:
814:
811:
809:
806:
804:
801:
799:
796:
794:
791:
789:
786:
785:
783:
776:
773:
736:
735:
726:
724:
716:
715:
712:
706:
703:
702:
700:
696:
690:
687:
685:
682:
681:
679:
675:
669:
668:Bennett Place
666:
664:
661:
659:
656:
654:
651:
649:
646:
644:
641:
639:
636:
634:
631:
630:
628:
624:
618:
615:
613:
610:
608:
605:
603:
602:
597:
595:
592:
590:
587:
585:
582:
581:
579:
575:
569:
566:
564:
561:
559:
556:
555:
553:
549:
543:
540:
538:
535:
533:
530:
528:
525:
523:
520:
518:
515:
513:
510:
508:
505:
503:
500:
499:
497:
493:
487:
484:
483:
481:
477:
473:
466:
461:
459:
454:
452:
447:
446:
443:
437:
434:
432:
429:
427:
424:
423:
419:
412:
408:
405:
400:
397:
389:
388:
380:
378:
374:
367:
365:
362:
359:
351:
349:
345:
342:
338:
335:
333:
332:Seven Springs
328:
326:
325:CSS Albemarle
322:
316:
312:
310:
306:
302:
299:
291:
286:
279:
277:
275:
272:, during the
271:
267:
263:
259:
255:
240:
237:
235:
232:
230:
227:
226:
223:
212:
207:
205:
200:
198:
193:
192:
189:
179:
174:
171:1,500 (total)
170:
167:
166:
161:
157:
155:
144:
143:
138:
135:
132:
128:
125:
124:
119:
116:
111:
106:
103:
99:
98:United States
94:
89:
88:
83:
75:
72:
71:
67:
63:
58:
55:
54:
43:
40:
39:
35:
32:
27:
22:
745:
733:
600:
536:
399:
386:
363:
357:
355:
346:
343:
339:
336:
329:
317:
313:
295:
257:
253:
251:
233:
85:Belligerents
29:Part of the
767: /
684:Confederate
309:Neuse River
782:Categories
755:77°50′47″W
752:35°13′38″N
705:Wilmington
368:References
298:Brig. Gen.
234:White Hall
62:White Hall
48:1862-12-16
601:Albemarle
352:Aftermath
321:CSS Neuse
723:Category
407:Archived
163:Strength
56:Location
734:Commons
420:Sources
229:Kinston
46: (
698:Places
280:Battle
73:Result
689:Union
677:Units
391:(PDF)
266:Union
102:Union
60:Near
626:1865
577:1864
551:1863
495:1862
479:1861
252:The
181:150
76:Draw
41:Date
784::
376:^
276:.
64:,
464:e
457:t
450:v
292:.
210:e
203:t
196:v
104:)
100:(
50:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
