After Union General Ambrose E. Burnside captured Roanoke Island on February 8, 1862, Elizabeth City on February 10, New Bern on March 14, and Washington on March 20, Union forces moved against Fort Macon, about 5 miles southeast of this point, which protected Beaufort's deepwater harbor. General John G. Parke's 3rd Division advanced from New Bern by way of the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad, reached Carolina City on March 21, occupied Morehead City on March 22 and Beaufort on March 26, and sent a surrender demand to Colonel Moses J. White on March 23, which he refused. On March 29 Union forces landed unopposed on Bogue Banks at the mouth of Hoophole Creek, brought siege mortars and other artillery over the Sound from Carolina City, and soon exchanged cannon fire with Confederate defenders and Captain Samuel Lockwood's Union fleet. On April 8 contact was established between the opposing forces, and after several days of heavy skirmishing the Confederates were driven into the fort, which was then completely invested. Union artillery was placed in three batteries between 1680 and 1280 yards from the fort, two with mortars and one with Parrott guns, protected by sand dune gun emplacements. The Confederates, lacking mortars, tried unsuccessfully to use six old carronades elevated to 40 degrees because they did not have enough ammunition. On April 25 the Union guns began bombarding the fort with aid from the Union fleet, but the fleet soon withdrew because of heavy seas and accurate Confederate fire. At 4:30 P.M. on April 25, after a heavy Union cannonade, the Confederates raised a flag of truce, and after a cease-fire Fort Macon surrendered on April 26 at 9:30 A.M. Its capture gave Union forces control of the entire northeastern North Carolina coastal area and gave the Union Navy an excellent deepwater supply base at Beaufort Harbor.