Early battles undertaken by troops from this department under General Butler included actions at Big Bethel and Hatteras Inlent.
On June 1, 1862, the area south of the Rappahannock River and east of the Fredericksburg-Richmond-Petersburg-Weldon Railroad were added to the department.
From January 18, 1865, to August 1, 1865, the Army of the James consisted of troops from this department which were the first to enter the fallen capital city of Richmond.
Ord (January 18, 1865 – June 14, 1865) Henry W. Halleck (appointed April 16, 1865, but revoked April 19, 1865) Alfred H. Terry (June 14, 1865 – August 6, 1866) The Department of North Carolina was created on January 7, 1862, to include the areas of North Carolina occupied by Union forces.
Early territories captured by Burnside's Expeditionary Force included Roanoke Island, New Bern, Morehead City, Beaufort and Fort Macon.
[3] On January 31, 1865, the department was re-created to include Union-occupied areas of North Carolina excluding those occupied by the armies of William T. Sherman.
In March 1865, The troops of the Department of North Carolina formed the "revived" X Corps, under the command of Alfred Terry.
It primarily served in Virginia during the Bermuda Hundred Campaign and during the siege of Petersburg conducting operations against the city of Richmond north of the James River.