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The Nevada Traverse Vol.51, No.3, 2024 5Robert Stockton Williamson Surveying with the Army in War & Peace 1848 ~1882 By: Paul S. Pace, PLSThe morning of March 13, 1862 dawned rainy and cold along the North Carolina coast. At first light, a flotilla of troop transports, escorted by Union gunboats previously at anchor near the mouth of the Neuse River, started upstream. Union General Ambrose Burnside had brought the war to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and to Roanoke Island, with a successful amphibious attack on the island in February. This led the way to attack New Bern, North Carolina (variously spelled New Berne or Newberne), North Carolina%u2019s second largest city, an important Confederate coastal port and transportation center on the Neuse River.The flotilla steamed upstream until it met resistance from Confederate shore batteries. The gunboats braved %u201ctorpedoes%u201d, better known today as mines, and sunken ships to engage the Rebel batteries while the troop ships and landed three brigades of infantry. The brigades were under the command of Generals Foster, Parke and Reno, all under the overall command of General Burnside.1Nearly 12,000 men had waded ashore by around 2PM. They carried all their ammunition, food and medical supplies with them. The men marched forward until 9PM, when they halted, made camp and readied for the morning%u2019s attack on the well dug-in, but badly outnumbered and poorly trained Confederates. General Burnside explained what happened next in his after-action report: %u201cIn the meantime I%u2026 detailed Captain R. S. Williamson, Topographical Engineer, to move on in advance of the column for the purpose of reconnoitering the positions of the enemy%u2026I then moved on to the head of the column, and found it had reached the first intrenchment at Otter Creek%u2026which had been deserted by the enemy. Captain Williamson, having discovered this fact and previously reported it to General Foster, proceeded on with his party to make a further reconnaissance.%u201d Williamson was breveted from Captain to Major for %u201cGallant and Meritorious Services in actions at New Bern, NC.%u201d New Bern was a significant victory for the Union, despite suffering 90 killed, 380 wounded, and 1 missing. CSA losses were higher.1 General Jessie Reno is the namesake of the city in western Nevada.%u201cAdvance of the Gunboats,%u201d a watercolor from Herbert Eugene Valentine%u2019s Sketches of Civil War ScenesCONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE uUnion infantry overwhelm Confederate defenders at New Bern, North Carolina, March 14, 1862