Thursday marks a dark anniversary in Beaufort County.
On this date in 1864, the town of Washington was left in ruins as Union forces began a chaotic retreat. After occupying the town for two years, federal troops received orders to evacuate following the fall of nearby Plymouth.
But, according to the state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, as the garrison prepared to board ships on the afternoon of April 30th, the withdrawal turned into a disaster. Fires broke out across the settlement, destroying at least half of the town and leaving hundreds of people homeless and destitute.
The looting and arson were so severe that even the Union’s own district commander, Brigadier General Innis Palmer, joined Confederates in harshly condemning the conduct of his departing troops.
It remains one of the most devastating chapters of the Civil War in Eastern North Carolina.
