Wilmington North Carolina in the Civil War

During the Civil War, Wilmington provided a vital service to the confederacy. Singled out after the fall of many other major ports such as Mobile, Alabama, Wilmington became the target of attack for many Union forces coming from both the north and the south. The Confederacy relied greatly on many outside resources from empires such as the British, who dominated the triangle trade and vital manufactured supplies as well ass raw materials from the West Indies. It was blockaded for a long duration of the war, but many goods were still smuggled in and out of it, making Wilmington a still thriving part of the Confederate economy. Goods from Wilmington, if relating to the war effort, went straight to Northern Virginia through a railroad to help provide support for Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, which remained one of the main buffer zones and areas of combat between the two sides. Wilmington was even considered more valuable to capture by the union forces than Richmond. The key to capturing the city and fort was to use both the army and navy to prevent any escape. The city remained free from complete occupation until February 22, 1865. Due to the fall of this city, the war ended in just three months because General Lee could no longer support his army or maintain a strong force of opposition. General Bragg managed to pull a retreat from the city with minimal casualties. He fought in many other forts along the Cape Fear River as they escaped with what remaining force they had.


http://www.nccivilwar150.com/history/lifeline.htm