The Neuse and Trent Rivers, which converged at the port, served as transportation routes for freedom seekers from inland plantations. With easy access to the Atlantic Ocean, the port was one of North Carolina’s three top refuges for freedom seekers, who were aided by sympathetic sailors and watermen. A network of Black watermen drove New Bern’s maritime Underground Railroad. 

The surrounding tributaries and forests provided concealment and work for those seeking freedom via the waterfront. Upon the Union Army’s occupation of New Bern in March 1862, the nature of Underground Railroad activity shifted dramatically. The town became a mecca for thousands of enslaved people seeking the protection of Union forces.