Fort Huger (3)

Fort Huger (3) (1861-1865) - A Confederate U.S. Civil War Fort established in 1861 on Roanoke Island, Dare County, North Carolina. Named Fort Hugar after Confederate General Benjamin Huger, (Cullum 399), who commanded the Roanoke Island defenses. The fort surrendered to Union Forces on 8 Feb 1862. Renamed Fort Reno after Union General Jesse Lee Reno, {[Cullum|1279}}, who was killed at South Mountain in September 1862 during the Antietam campaign. Abandoned in 1865 at the end of the war. History Established in 1861 by Confederate forces as one of three earthworks forts for the defense of Roanoke Island and the adjacent mainland. Fort Huger was the largest of the three, located on Weir Point, with twelve guns pointed to the Croatan Sound. Battle of Roanoke Island A combined Union Army-Navy expedition assembled at Hatteras Inlet in February 1862 to take Roanoke Island and seize control of the sounds around it. This force was under the joint command of Union General Ambrose E. Burnside, (Cullum 1348), and Navy Rear Admiral Louis Goldsborough. The Union force consisted of sixty ships and 13,000 men while the Confederate garrison numbered only about 3,000. On 7 Feb 1862, Union gunboats attacked all three of the Confederate forts on the sound side of Roanoke Island after being fired upon by Fort Bartow. Union troops were landed south of Fort Bartow. The Union gunboats were able to stay out of range of the fort guns and gunfire from the forts was ineffective. A naval battle ensued which lasted until darkness obscured the targets. The Confederate Navy was then forced to withdraw for lack of ammunition. On 8 Feb 1862 the Union bombardment of the Island resumed and by the afternoon of the 8th, the island defenses were surrendered to General Burnside, including all three forts. Union forces occupied the island for the duration of the war and renamed all of the forts. Current Status Marker at the US 64/264 boat access ramp at Croatan Sound bridge. Remains of the earthworks located on the shore south of the marker on private property with no public access. Can be observed and photographed from the bridge. The bridge is a narrow two lane bridge with NO walkways or sidewalks. Reportedly, some remains of the rear walls on the fort site. {"selectable":false,"width":"500"} Location: Roanoke Island, Dare County, North Carolina. Maps & Images Lat: 35.92584 Long: -75.72303 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 0' See Also: Fort Bartow Fort Blanchard Sources: Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 623. Links: North American Forts - Fort Hugar North Carolina Markers - Fort Hugar NPS - Battle of Roanoke Island Visited: 5 Apr 2018