The Battle of New Bern was fought on March 14, 1862, near the city of New Bern, North Carolina, as part of the Burnside Expedition. The Coast Division of the U.S. Army, led by Brig. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside and accompanied by armed vessels from the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, were opposed by regiments of green North Carolina soldiers and militia led by Brig. Gen. Lawrence O’Bryan Branch. Attacking Union soldiers exploited a weak spot in the defense’s breastworks, forcing a Confederate retreat to Kinston, N.C. The city of New Bern came under Union control, and remained so for the rest of the war.