 The population within the Appalachian Mountains in the western part of the state mostly continued supporting the Union.Even so, North Carolina contributed more troops to the Confederacy than any other state (though it also raised Union regiments), and channeled many vital supplies through the major port of Wilmington, in defiance of the Union blockade.Fighting occurred sporadically in the state from September 1861, when Union Major General Ambrose Burnside set about capturing key ports and cities, notably Roanoke Island and New Bern.