It Came Down To The Navy

The Battle of Plymouth was fought between April 17^th and April 20^th 1864 in Washington County, North Carolina.

Confederate Brigadier General Robert F Hoke moved to disrupt Union occupation on the North Carolina coast in early 1864.  Moving with 13,000 troops and the naval support of the CSS Albemarle Hoke’s men attacked Plymouth, North Carolina on April 17^th 1864.  Union defense of Plymouth was under the command of Brigadier General Henry W Wessells.  Wessells had about 3,000 men with him, and the support of the Union navy.

Both sides saw heavy fighting on April 18^th 1864, with Union troops well entrenched in Plymouth, and the Union gunboats able to fire on the Hoke’s soldiers at will, as the CSS Albemarle hadn’t yet arrived.  The Albemarle under the command of Commander James W Cooke, came down the Roanoke in the early morning of April 19^th 1864 and joined the fight.  The Confederate ship quickly wiped out the Union navy leaving Wessells surrounded.

The Union troops held out until April 20^th 1864.  Wessells surrendered about 10 am.

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The Shell Bounced Off The Armoring

Union Navy officer Charles Williamson Flusser was killed April 19^th 1864 while in battle on the USS Miami.

Charles Williamson Flusser was born in Annapolis, Maryland September 27^th 1832.  He received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1853.

Flusser started the Civil War in command of the gunboat the USS Commodore Perry.  In 1864 he was commanding the USS Miami off the coast of North Carolina.  On April 19^th 1864 the Miami went into a battle with the Confederate ironclad the CSS Albemarle.  Flusser fired the cannons at the ironclad, but a shell bounced off the armoring on the Albemarle and landed back on the deck of the Miami.  The shell exploded killing Flusser.

A Naval And Ground Battle

Fought in Washington County, North Carolina, the Battle of Plymouth took place April 17th through April 20th 1864.


The Battle of Plymouth started April 17th 1864 when the combined force of the Confederate ironclad the CSS Albemarle and Major General Robert F Hoke’s soldiers attacked the Union garrison at Plymouth, North Carolina. The Union force was under the command of Colonel Henry W Wessells, and included 4 infantry and artillery units. The CSS Albemarle sunk the Union USS Southfield, damaged the USS Miami and drove off the rest of the Union ships that were protecting the garrison at Plymouth on April 19th 1864. Following this Hoke’s men captured Fort Comfort and drove the Union troops into Fort Williams. On April 20th 1864 the Union garrison surrendered.

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