moved up the river to assist. They received only minor damage in passing the lower barrier, and then positioned themselves to shell Fort Thompson. When the fort was abandoned, they immediately passed the second barrier and moved on to New Bern. Because Branch's order to retreat included all of the Confederate river batteries, their guns were spiked and they were abandoned to the fleet. At the city, the fleet shelled the retreating Confederate troops, denying them the opportunity to regroup. The retreating units could not reform until they had fled all the way to Kinston. With both bridges destroyed, Burnside's soldiers had to be ferried across the river by the gunboats. Branch had lost 64 killed, 101 wounded, and 413 captured or missing, compared to Burnside's 90 killed, 380 wounded, and a single man captured. Aftermath New Bern fell and was occupied. It remained in control of the Union Army for the rest of the war. Immediately following the battle, Burnside turned his attention to his next important objective, getting control of the port at Beaufort, which was defended by Fort Macon. The Rebels did not defend Morehead City, which was occupied immediately by the Yankees, or Beaufort, which was taken on 25 March. The siege of Fort Macon began at that time. As the Union captured New Bern, it meant a turning point for union control of the coast of North Carolina. The New Bern region was an important victory for the union as it created more space for camps, housing, and employment for refugees. Battlefield preservation The battlefield is preserved today as the New Bern Battlefield Site. The Civil War Trust (a division of the American Battlefield Trust) and its partners, including the New Bern Historical Society, have acquired and preserved of the battlefield site. See also Burnside's North Carolina Expedition Battle of New Bern (1864), Confederate attempt to retake New Bern in February 1864. New Bern Battlefield Site, listed on the National Register of Historic Places Notes Abbreviations used in these notes: ORA (Official records, armies): War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ORN (Official records, navies): Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. References National Park Service battle description CWSAC Report Update Barrett, John G. The Civil War in North Carolina. The University of North Carolina Press, 1995. . Browning,