Winton, Burning of Winton, the seat of Hertford County, was
burned by Federal troops on 20 Feb. 1862. It was the first North
Carolina town burned by Union forces during the Civil War and
the only one burned completely. On 19 February a flotilla of
eight Union gunboats steamed up the Chowan River. As the vessels
approached Winton's wharf, Confederate artillery and infantry
opened up from the river bluff, but the boats sustained no
serious damage. When the flotilla returned the next morning,
Winton was deserted, but several buildings had clearly been used
for Confederate billeting and storage. These were torched,
resulting in a blaze that left only one small house standing.
The Hertford County Courthouse had been destroyed in 1830, and
virtually all records from 1830 to 1862 were consumed in this
fire, along with several dozen houses, stores, and other
buildings. The cooperation of Union army and navy forces in the
action constituted one of the first amphibious operations in the
history of the American military