 The 21st , about 960 strong , boarded the steamer Northerner on January 6 , 1862 . The fleet transporting Burnside 's North Carolina Expedition encountered harsh weather off the coast of Cape Hatteras . Prolonged poor weather and the shallowness of Hatteras Inlet resulted in weeks of delay as the fleet struggled to enter Pamlico Sound . Finally , just as most of the vessels began to run low on potable water , the fleet entered the sound and made for Roanoke Island on February 5 , 1862 . 
