After he rounded up a group of Rhode Island militiamen, he participated in the First Battle of Bull Run as a colonel on July 21, 1861. Following the defeat, he was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers. Later that year in September, he was put in charge of an expeditionary force in North Carolina and he oversaw attacks on the coastline, claimed Roanoke Island, and took over the town New Bern, North Carolina, all of which helped the Union establish their naval blockade. During this time, he was asked to be head general of the Union twice, but he declined both times out of modesty. His next major campaign took place in Maryland, where he let the Confederates get away during the Battle of Antietam after being unable to effectively move his troops across a stone bridge, which is now known as “Burnside’s Bridge.” In November 1862, he became the commander of the Potomac Army since McClellan was fired, so he went to Richmond with his troops and was crushed in the Battle of Fredericksburg. He tried to rally his troops again the next day, but it was thwarted by bad weather. Burnside blamed other generals and told Lincoln to either fire those generals or fire him. Lincoln chose to fire Burnside. In 1863, he was assigned to the Department of Ohio, and in Tennessee he held the city Knoxville from being captured by Confederates by outmaneuvering General
After he rounded up a group of Rhode Island militiamen, he participated in the First Battle of Bull Run as a colonel on July 21, 1861. Following the defeat, he was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers. Later that year in September, he was put in charge of an expeditionary force in North Carolina and he oversaw attacks on the coastline, claimed Roanoke Island, and took over the town New Bern, North Carolina, all of which helped the Union establish their naval blockade. During this time, he was asked to be head general of the Union twice, but he declined both times out of modesty. His next major campaign took place in Maryland, where he let the Confederates get away during the Battle of Antietam after being unable to effectively move his troops across a stone bridge, which is now known as “Burnside’s Bridge.” In November 1862, he became the commander of the Potomac Army since McClellan was fired, so he went to Richmond with his troops and was crushed in the Battle of Fredericksburg. He tried to rally his troops again the next day, but it was thwarted by bad weather. Burnside blamed other generals and told Lincoln to either fire those generals or fire him. Lincoln chose to fire Burnside. In 1863, he was assigned to the Department of Ohio, and in Tennessee he held the city Knoxville from being captured by Confederates by outmaneuvering General