 commanded a brigade of free blacks and former slaves recruited from the coastal North Carolina counties. They called it Wilde's African Brigade. It's an all-black combat brigade led by white officers. And they are going into North Carolina's heart of its irregular war. Now, Wilde launches a raid at the behest of his commander, General Benjamin Butler, in early December of 1863. And it had three fundamental goals, this raid. Protect the loyal unionists in the northeastern part of the state.