On September 18, 1861, the 8th NC Regiment (State Troops) was ordered to Roanoke Island and they arrived on September 21st, where they went into camp near Fort Bartow. While marching here, the regiment was transferred to Confederate service on September 20th. Two final companies were mustered in on September 28th and these were added to Confederate service on September 30th, giving the regiment its full complement of ten (10) companies. Here, the men set up camp and worked on improving the fortifications. This was abruptly interrupted when the regiment was ordered to take part in an expedition against Union forces at Chicamacomico on Hatteras Banks. The plan was for one regiment to land and attack the Union forces while a second regiment was to land behind the position to cut off the enemy's retreat. The attack was made on October 3-4, 1861 by the 3rd GA Regiment (Infantry) and it was successful, but the efforts to land the 8th NC Regiment (State Troops) failed, and the enemy made good their escape. The 8th NC Regiment (State Troops) returned to camp on Roanoke Island on October 6th.

The 8th NC Regiment proceeded to a point in Pamlico Sound opposite to where the landing was to be made. The position taken by the barges which conveyed the regiment was about three (3) miles from land. Orders were given to leave the barges and wade to the shore. After wading about one mile, a deep channel, too deep to cross, was met. The order to return to the barges was given. In the meantime the tide began to rise, and by the time the last of the men arrived at the barges the water was up to their armpits and chins. There was some suffering for water on this expedition, the supply carried by the men having been exhausted and no other drinkable being at hand to refill the canteens. On Sunday, October 6th, the 8th NC Regiment returned to camp on Roanoke Island, having spent Saturday on the sound, some of the men having been detailed to assist in moving the captured camp effects of the enemy. After returning to the island the usual drilling and other duties pertaining to camp occupied the time of the men. Also, regular details were made to work on the fortifications then in progress on the island. 

Col. Hawkins and his superiors were convinced that the Confederates were assembling a large force on Roanoke Island to send down to retake Fort Clark and Fort Hatteras. In order to thwart what he believed to be the enemy’s plans, Col. Hawkins ordered Col. William L. Brown to move the 600 men of his 20th IN Regiment to just north of the Outer Banks village of Chicamacomico, near the present-day location of Rodanthe. This move would provide an early warning of the expected Confederate attack, and would make it more difficult for them to organize their assault on Hatteras Island.

Two (2) days after the 20th IN Regiment arrived at Chicamacomico, on October 1st, the U.S.S. Fanny was sent from Hatteras with supplies, equipment, and rations for the troops of the 20th Indiana Regiment. More importantly, aboard the U.S.S. Fanny was a precious supply of drinking water, which was in very short supply on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. On that day, the U.S.S. Fanny was captured by men of the 3rd GA Regiment.

The Confederate plan was quite ambitious for such an inexperienced force. Using all available vessels, including towed launches and barges, the 3rd GA Regiment (Infantry) would be landed to the north of the Union forces at Chicamacomico, while Col. Henry M. Shaw’s 8th NC Regiment (Infantry) would be landed to the south, thereby cutting off the Union escape. After eliminating this enemy concentration, the Confederates could then march south to destroy the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and recapture Fort Clark and Fort Hatteras.

After three (3) days of preparation, the Confederate expedition embarked after midnight in the early hours of October 4, 1861. After steaming down Pamlico Sound, the "Mosquito Fleet" arrived off of Chicamacomico just after sunrise. The Confederates should have been landed a couple of miles above the Union camp so that they could assemble and organize their assault in good military order. Instead, they had to wade ashore through more than a mile of shallow water while in full view of the Union forces, who were lined up in battle formation on the beach. Meanwhile, the "Mosquito Fleet" continued to steam south, apparently intending to encircle and trap the Union forces.

Had Col. William L. Brown been more experienced, and his Indiana troops more seasoned, he might have exulted in the opportunity to wipe out the disadvantaged 3rd GA Regiment struggling through the water. He would then have the remaining Confederate troops trapped between his own forces and the Union reinforcements which he had sent for when the approaching "Mosquito Fleet" was first observed. But instead, Col. Brown ordered his men to withdraw all the way to Fort Hatteras. Thus began the famous “Chicamacomico Races.”

Col. Brown no doubt expected his men to withdraw in good military order. But the scene that followed was one of hundreds of men fleeing in disarray and in various degrees of terror. It was a hot, cloudless morning and most of the Union men had empty canteens. Before long, their heavy woolen uniforms and most of their equipment were discarded as the men struggled through the soft sand. The Georgia troops were in hot pursuit, attempting to fire at their fleeing opponents as they ran. The gap between the two forces widened somewhat when many of the Georgia troops paused to pillage the abandoned Union camp before resuming their pursuit. The Confederates were deriding the Yankees for discarding their uniforms, but before the day ended they were doing the same thing.

By late afternoon, the "Mosquito Fleet" had gotten far enough south of the fleeing Union forces to attempt a landing of Col. Shaw’s 8th NC Regiment. But the vessels had run aground far out in the Sound, and the soldiers were not able to wade ashore because much of the intervening waters were too deep. Thus, the planned Confederate trap was never sprung. The fleeing Yankees were unaware of this development because the very sight of the "Mosquito Fleet" had caused most of them to move over to the ocean side of the banks and out of sight of the aborted enemy landing.

The 3rd GA Regiment was also unaware of this development. They continued their pursuit, dragging two (2) howitzers through the soft sand, expecting that the North Carolina regiment would soon intercept the fleeing Yankees. Occasionally they would encounter stragglers. Several who resisted were killed or wounded, while about forty (40) others were taken prisoner. The Georgia soldiers continued the chase until darkness fell.

The retreat of the 20th IN Regiment continued until midnight, when they finally reached the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. There they found a supply of water, and the lighthouse itself became a fortified refuge. The exhausted soldiers had covered more than twenty-three (23) miles since their “strategic withdrawal” began that morning. They had WON the "Chicamacomico Races" that day.

The 3rd GA Regiment had made camp for the night about nine (9) miles from the lighthouse, still unaware that Col. Shaw’s NC regiment had not closed the trap. At dawn they resumed their pursuit. Believing that the enemy would by that time have been stopped by the North Carolinians, the Georgians were anxious to be there when the Yankees were forced to surrender. As they approached the lighthouse after several hours of marching, they first learned of the failure of the North Carolinians to effect a landing. This unwelcome news caused Col. Wright to order his men to begin a withdrawal back to Chicamacomico.

At about this time, the 9th NY Volunteers, which had been sent from Fort Hatteras in response to Col. William L. Brown’s urgent message of the previous day, had arrived at the lighthouse. They now began to chase the retreating Georgians! The 3rd GA Regiment, although moving with alacrity, presented a more orderly sight than did the Indiana troops of the prior day. However, that picture was soon to change. A Union steamer anchored off the coast opened upon the Georgians with shell, shot, and grape shot. They fired the first gun at 5 minutes after 1 o’clock, and continued to fire until dark, throwing by Commodore W.F. Lynch’s count 441 shells. It was a miracle that great numbers of Georgians were not killed.

The Georgians managed to reach the waiting "Mosquito Fleet" ahead of their pursuers with little lost but their clothes and their pride. Not only did the Confederates abandon Chicamacomico, but soon afterwards so too did the Union forces, who returned to Fort Hatteras to regroup. Thus the “Chicamacomico Races” ended with everyone back where they started. Each side felt they had foiled a major enemy offensive, and had succeeded in spite of being outnumbered by no less than two-to-one by their opponent.

On October 11, 1861, Union Maj. Gen. John E. Wool issued another letter to Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott, transmitting two (2) reports, one from Brig. Gen. Joseph K.F. Mansfield, and one from Col. Rush C. Hawkins (9th NY Volunteers).

He asserted that the U.S.S. Ceres and U.S.S. Putnam had arrived at Chicamacomico on October 3rd with five (5) days of provisions, then returned to Fort Hatteras. The next day, his camp was approached by some nine (9) steamers and sail vessels with the intent to discharge enemy troops nearby.

He noted that Col. William L. Brown (20th IN Regiment) had seven (7) companies with him - say 500 strong - and it was estimated that the enemy to be at least 2,000 strong, and Col. Hawkins ordered Col. Brown to march for Hatteras Lighthouse. The two met and both fell back towards Fort Hatteras, Col. Brown lost 3 sergeants, 2 corporals, and 24 men, stragglers. Col. Hawkins sent back a party to destroy their old camp, which was supposedly done, then fell into the hands of the enemy.

3rd GA Regiment (Infantry):
Col. Ambrose R. Wright, Commanding Officer
Lt. Col. James Sidney Reid,
Maj. Arthur H. Lee
Company A – “Burke Guards” – Capt. William C. Musgrove
Company B – “Brown Rifles” – Capt. Reuben B. Nisbet
Company C – “Dawson Grays” – Capt. Robert L. McWhorter
Company D – “Madison Home Guards” – Capt. Charles H. Andrews
Company E – “Governor’s Guard” – Capt. Joel R. Griffin
Company F – “Wilkinson Rifles” – Capt. William O. Beall
Company G – “Confederate Light Guards” – Capt. Edward J. Walker
Company H – “Young Guards” – Capt. Augustus H. Lee
2nd Company I – “Carswell Guards” – Capt. Nathaniel A. Carswell
Company K – “Athens Guards” – Capt. Henry C. Billups
Company L – “Clark County Rifles” – Capt. James Hendon 

8th NC Regiment (Infantry):
Col. Henry M. Shaw,
Lt. Col. William J. Price,
Maj. George Williamson
Adjutant Joseph B. Cherry,
Company A – Capt. James W. Hinton
Company B – Capt. James M. Whitson
Company C – Capt. Henry MacRae
Company D – Capt. Andrew J. Rogers
Company E – Capt. James M. Williams
Company F – Capt. Charles Johnston Jones
Company G – Capt. Edward C. Yellowley
Company H – Capt. Rufus A. Barrier
Company I – Capt. Gaston D. Cobb
Company K – Capt. Pinkney A. Kinnerly

7th NC Volunteers (Infantry):
Company E – Currituck Atlantic Rifles – Capt. Daniel McD. Lindsey

"Mosquito Fleet" of ~ Nine (9) CSN Vessels:
Commodore William F. Lynch - Commanding Officer

9th NY Volunteers (Infantry):
Col. Rush C. Hawkins, Commanding Officer,
Lt. Col. George Frederick Betts,
Maj. Edgar Allison Kimball,
Adjutant Thomas L. Barthlomew,
Company A – Capt. Andrew S. Graham,
Company B – Capt. William G. Barnett,
Company C – Capt. Otto W. Parisen,
Company D – Capt. Charles W. Prescott,
Company E – Capt. Adolph Libaire,
Company F – Capt. William H. Hammill,
Company G – Capt. Edward Jardine,
Company H – Capt. Joseph C. Rodrigues,
Company I – Capt. Leon Barnard,
Company K – Capt. James R. Whiting, Jr.,

20th IN Regiment (Infantry):
Col. William L. Brown ,
Lt. Col. Charles D. Murray,
Maj. Benjamin H. Smith,
Adjutant Israel N. Stills,
A Company – Capt. John Van Valkenburg
B Company – Capt. John Wheeler,
C Company – Capt. Oliver H.P. Bailey,
D Company – Capt. George F. Dick,
E Company – Capt. James H. Shannon,
F Company – Capt. John Kistler,
G Company – Capt. Nathaniel G. Herron,
H Company – Capt. George W. Geisendorff,
I Company – Capt. James W. Lytle,
K Company – Capt. Alfred Reed

1st U.S. Artillery Detachment - led by Unknown,

Unnamed US Gunboat - led by Unknown.

-

North Carolina Troops 1861-1865 A Roster, Volume IV, pages 515.

Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-'65 - Volume I, edited by Walter Clark, P.387-415.

https://www.mycivilwar.com/battles/611004.html

Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume IV, P.597-598, 622-626.

https://civilwarintheeast.com/confederate-regiments/georgia/3rd-georgia-infantry-regiment/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_Indiana_Infantry_Regiment

https://ia903204.us.archive.org/7/items/01728301.3375.emory.edu/01728301_3375.pdf