Early in the American Civil War, Union forces were deployed to blockade North Carolina's coast and then occupy the islands in order to strangle Southern-friendly shipping and control the deep-water rivers that fed the "sounds." The Atlantic coast of North Carolina was protected by a series of barrier islands, and control of the islands and the bodies of water west of them known as "sounds" was crucial for both sides during the Civil War. Losing the coast, consequently, placed most of eastern North Carolina in danger and threatened the critically important supply line on the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad. The Union referred to its strategy as the Anaconda Plan; the implementation of Union General Winfield Scott's strategy of "divide and conquer."

Civil War Battles Fought in North Carolina

Hatteras Inlet Batteries (also known as Forts Clark and Hatteras; and Hatteras Campaign)
Date: August 28–29, 1861
Location: Dare County
Principal commanders: US: Major General Benjamin F. Butler; CS: Colonel William F. Martin
Estimated casualties: 773 (US 3; CS 770)
Outcome: Union victory

Roanoke Island (A) (also known as Fort Huger)
Date: February 7–8, 1862
Location: Dare County
Principal commanders: US: Brigadier General Ambrose E. Burnside; CS: Brigadier General Henry Wise
Estimated casualties: 10,500 (US 7,500; CS 3,000)
Outcome: Union victory

New Bern (A) (also known as New Berne)
Date: March 14, 1862
Location: Craven County
Principal commanders: US: Brigadier General Ambrose E. Burnside; CS: Brigadier General Lawrence O'B. Branch
Estimated casualties: 1,080
Outcome: Union victory

Fort Macon (A)
Date: March 23–April 26, 1862
Location: Carteret County
Principal commanders: US: Brigadier General John G. Parke; CS: Lieutenant Colonel Moses J. White
Estimated casualties: 490 (US 10; CS 480)
Outcome: Union victory

South Mills (A) (also known as Camden)
Date: April 19, 1862
Location: Camden County
Principal commanders: US: Brigadier General Jesse Lee Reno; CS: Colonel Ambrose Wright
Estimated casualties: 150
Outcome: Inconclusive (Union forces withdrew)

Tranter's Creek (A)
Date: June 5, 1862
Location: Pitt County
Principal commanders: US: Lieutenant Colonel F. A. Osborne; CS: Colonel George Singletary
Estimated casualties: 40
Outcome: Union victory

Kinston (B) (also known as First Kinston)
Date: December 14, 1862
Location: Lenoir County
Principal commanders: US: Brigadier General John G. Foster; CS: Brigadier General Nathan Evans
Estimated casualties: 685
Outcome: Union victory

White Hall (B) (also known as White Hall Ferry)
Date: December 16, 1862
Location: Wayne County
Principal commanders: US: Brigadier General John G. Foster; CS: Brigadier General Beverly Robertson
Estimated casualties: 150
Outcome: Inconclusive

Goldsboro Bridge (B) (also known as Goldsborough)
Date: December 17, 1862
Location: Wayne County
Principal commanders: US: Brigadier General John G. Foster; CS: Brigadier General Thomas Clingman
Estimated casualties: 220
Outcome: Union victory

Fort Anderson (C) (also known as Deep Gully)
Date: March 13–15, 1863
Location: Craven County
Principal commanders: US: Lieutenant Colonel Hiram Anderson; CS: Major General D. H. Hill
Estimated casualties: 7
Outcome: Union victory

Washington (C)
Date: March 30–April 20, 1863
Location: Beaufort County
Principal commanders: US: Brigadier General John G. Foster; CS: Major General D. H. Hill
Estimated casualties: 100
Outcome: Inconclusive (Confederate forces withdrew)

Plymouth (D) 
Date: April 17–20, 1864
Location: Washington County
Principal commanders: US: Colonel Henry W. Wessells; CS: Major General R. F. Hoke
Estimated casualties: 2,834
Outcome: Confederate victory

Albemarle Sound (D)
Date: May 5, 1864
Location: Chowan and Washington Counties
Principal commanders: US: Captain Melancton Smith; CS: Commander J. W. Cooke
Estimated casualties: 88
Outcome: Inconclusive

Fort Fisher (also known as First Fort Fisher)
Date: December 7–27, 1864
Location: New Hanover County
Principal commanders: US: Rear Admiral David D. Porter and Major General Benjamin Butler; CS: Major General Robert Hoke
Estimated casualties: 320
Outcome: Confederate victory

Fort Fisher (E) (also known as Second Fort Fisher)
Date: January 13–15, 1865
Location: New Hanover County
Principal commanders: US: Rear Admiral David D. Porter and Major General Alfred Terry; CS: General Braxton Bragg, Major General Robert Hoke, and Colonel Charles Lamb
Estimated casualties: 2,000
Outcome: Union victory

Wilmington (E) (also known as Town Creek, Forks Road, and Sugar Loaf Hill)
Date: February 12–22, 1865
Location: New Hanover County
Principal commanders: US: Major General John Schofield; CS: General Braxton Bragg
Estimated casualties: 1,150
Outcome: Union victory

Wyse Fork (F) (also known as Wilcox's Bridge, Wise's Fork, Second Kinston, Second Southwest Creek, and Kelly's Mill Pond)
Date: March 7–10, 1865
Location: Lenoir County
Principal commanders: US: Major General John Schofield; CS: General Braxton Bragg
Estimated casualties: 2,601 (US 1,101; CS 1,500)
Outcome: Union victory

Monroe's Cross Roads (F) (also known as Fayetteville Road and Blue's Farm)
Date: March 10, 1865
Location: Hoke County
Principal commanders: US: Brigadier General Judson Kilpatrick; CS: Major General Joseph Wheeler and Lieutenant General Wade Hampton
Estimated casualties: 269 (US 183; CS 86)
Outcome: Inconclusive

Averasborough (F) (also known as Averasboro, Taylor's Hole Creek, Smithville, Smith's Ferry, and Black River)
Date: March 16, 1865
Location: Harnett and Cumberland Counties
Principal commanders: US: Major General Henry Slocum; CS: Lieutenant General William Hardee
Estimated casualties: 1,419
Outcome: Inconclusive

Bentonville (F)
Date: March 19–21, 1865
Location: Johnston County
Principal commanders: US: Major General William T. Sherman and Major General Henry Slocum; CS: General Joseph E. Johnston
Estimated casualties: 4,738 (US 1,646; CS 3,092)
Outcome: Union victory

A) Burnside's North Carolina Expedition

B) Goldsboro Expedition

C) Longstreet's Tidewater Operations

D) Operations against Plymouth

E) Operations against Fort Fisher and Wilmington

F) Campaign of the Carolinas

There were more than 10,500 skirmishes and battles fought during the American Civil War. North Carolina experienced numerous skirmishes and battles that are not listed. The above is only a partial list of the widely "known battles" fought on North Carolina's soil. Examples: Asheville, Deep Creek (Bryson City), Waynesville and Swannanoa Gap also witnessed skirmishes or battles. Union General George Stoneman even exercised a series of fierce cavalry raids through Western North Carolina's communities during the spring of 1865.