Battle of Albemarle Sound (1864)
Bertie County, Bertie County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
Naval Battle, 1864. The Confederate ironclad ram Albemarle, led by Capt. J. W. Cooke, crossed Batchelor's Bay, May 5, 1864, and fought seven Union warships 15 mi. E.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
On May 5, 1864, the Confederate ironclad ram Albemarle, under Capt. James W. Cooke, steamed across Batchelor's Bay and gave battle to a squadron of seven Union warships in the waters of Albemarle Sound. The powerful ram had already broken Union control of the Roanoke River, and this clash was part of the fierce naval struggle for northeastern North Carolina's rivers and sounds. The fighting the marker recalls took place some fifteen miles to the east.
Why it matters
The Albemarle's campaign shows how a single Confederate ironclad could threaten Union dominance of Southern waters, a reminder of the pivotal, often overlooked naval war of the Civil War.
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Related people
- · Capt. James W. Cooke
Related events
- · Battle of Albemarle Sound
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Ransom's Assault
Plymouth, NC
During the final Confederate push at the Battle of Plymouth on April 20, 1864, General Matt Ransom's North Carolina brigade formed its line of battle near this spot. Ransom's men were part of the broad assault that overwhelmed the Union defenses guarding the Roanoke River port. Within hours the entire garrison capitulated.
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.
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.
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.