85th Redoubt
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
85th Redoubt. Union fort built by the 85th New York Regiment. It was taken on April 18, 1864, in one of the heaviest assaults of the siege.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
This earthwork fort, thrown up by the 85th New York Regiment, anchored part of the Union defensive ring around Plymouth. On April 18, 1864, it fell in one of the fiercest assaults of the three-day siege. Its capture helped unravel the town's outer defenses ahead of the final Confederate attack two days later.
Why it matters
The redoubt is a tangible reminder that far-northern regiments like the 85th New York fought and died deep in the Carolina lowlands, and that field fortifications were central to Civil War coastal warfare.
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Related events
- · Battle of Plymouth
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Hoke's Final Line
Plymouth, NC
On April 20, 1864, the three-day Battle of Plymouth reached its climax as Confederate forces closed in on the Union-held river town near Albemarle Sound. This spot marks the extreme left flank of General Robert F. Hoke's brigade as it formed just before the decisive assault. Hoke's coordinated attack, aided by the ironclad ram CSS Albemarle on the Roanoke River, forced the surrender of the garrison.
Fort Williams
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Fort Williams was the principal Union stronghold at Plymouth, named for General Thomas Williams. As the Confederate assault of April 1864 collapsed the surrounding works, the garrison fell back to this fort, which held out until it too surrendered on April 20. Its capitulation ended the battle and handed the town to Confederate forces.
Union Earthworks at Plymouth
Plymouth, NC
The main line of Union defenses during the Battle of Plymouth ran across the road at this point from April 17 to 20, 1864. Dug earthworks like these, bristling with artillery, were meant to hold the river town against any land approach. They were ultimately overrun when Confederate forces pressed the assault on all sides.
CSS Ram Albemarle
Plymouth, NC
The Confederate ironclad ram Albemarle, commanded by James W. Cooke, helped Confederate forces recapture the river town of Plymouth in the spring of 1864. The powerful vessel dominated the Roanoke River until a daring Union raid sank her; she went down about 600 feet north of here on October 27, 1864. Her loss reopened the region to Union control.