Union Earthworks at Plymouth
Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
Union Earthworks. The main line of Union defenses during the Battle of Plymouth, April 17-20, 1864, was built across the road at this point.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
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.
Why it matters
These trenches mark how Civil War soldiers reshaped the very ground of a town into a battlefield, and how such fixed lines could still fall to a determined combined attack.
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Related events
- · Battle of Plymouth
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Fort Williams
Plymouth, NC
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.
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.
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.