ROAD FROM MCPHERSONVILLE. SHERMAN and his staff passing through
WATER AND MIRE.
From a sketch made at the time.
from Savannah, reinforced by the garrison from Charleston, slowly retreated in face of the Union advance.
On the 19th of March, Slocum’s column was checked near Bentonville by the stubborn resistance of a long line of the enemy, strongly intrenched. A Confederate deserter informed General Slocum that General Joseph E. Johnston was on his front at the head of a large army, and preparing to crush Sherman’s columns in detail. Johnston, who was assigned to the command of the Department of the Carolinas on the 23d of February previous, had united with Hardee’s force, three strong detachments from Hood’s Army of the Tennessee, under Beauregard, Cheatham and Wheeler, Hampton’s cavalry and Hoke’s division of infantry from Virginia and Bragg’s Army of North Carolina,* and was able to muster 25,000 to 30,000 men for battle. Slocum threw up slight intrenohments, covering the Fayetteville and Goldsboro’ road near the intersection of that road with the one leading from Bentonville southward to Clinton, and received the Confederate assaults. These were repeated several times with great gallantry. During the night of the 19th and on the 20th Howard’s advance brigades reached the field, having marched at the sound of the firing to Slocum’s aid. On the 21st Sherman’s united army enveloped Johnston’s line on three sides, and during the night the latter retreated toward Raleigh.
From Bentonville Sherman continued his march to Goldsboro’, which was already occupied by the Army of the Ohio, under Schofield, and the Tenth Corps, Army of the James, under General A. H. Terry. Schofield and Terry had occupied Wilmington after its evacuation by Bragg, February 22d, and opened the road to Goldsboro’, encountering Bragg on the south bank of the Neuse and at Kingston, March 8th and 10th.
Sherman’s army reached Goldsboro’ about the 25th, and went into camp. On the 5th of April the general announced in a confidential order to his chief subordinates that the next objective would be the union of his armies at some point north of the Roanoke with those then operating under Grant against Lee. The lltli was the
* After the battle of Chattanooga General Bragg acted as confidential military adviser to President Davis, and in November, 1864, assumed command of the Department of North Carolina.
tween our wing and the right wing had been allowed to increase beyond supporting distance in the endeavor to find easier roads for marching as well as for transporting the wounded. The scope of this paper precludes a description of the battle of Bentonville, which was a combination of mistakes, miscarriages, and hard fighting on both sides. It ended in Johnston’s retreat, leaving open the road to Goldsboro’, where we arrived ragged and almost barefoot. While we were receiving letters from home, getting new clothes, and taking our regular doses of quinine, Lee and Johnston surrendered, and the great conflict came to an end.
CONCLUDING NOTE.
On leaving Fayetteville, Sherman directed bis march toward Goldsboro’, his army proceeding in two columns on roads several miles apart. Howard commanded the right wing, Slocum the left. Hardee’s Confederates
THE STORMING OF THE LITTLE SALKEHATCHIE RIVER BY WEVER’S BRIGADE OF
THE FIFTEENTH CORPS.
From a war-time sketch.
broke the line as we advanced. No ordinary troops were in our front. They would not give way until a division of Davis’s corps was thrown upon their right, while we pressed them closely. As we passed over their dead and wounded, I came upon the body of a very young officer, whose handsome, refined face attracted my attention. While the line of battle swept past me I knelt at his side for a moment. His buttons bore the arms of South Carolina. Evidently we were fighting the Charleston chivalry. Sunset found us in bivouac on the Goldsboro’ road, and Hardee in retreat.
As we trudged on toward Bentonville, distant sounds told plainly that the head of the column was engaged. We hurried to the front and went into action, connecting with Davis’s corps. Little opposition having been expected, the distance be-
BENTONVILLE THE MORNING AFTER THE BATTLE.—THE SMOKE IS FROM RESIN THAT WAS FIRED BY THE CONFEDERATES.
From a sketch made at the time.
307
The clear wintry dawn disclosed a long line of blue-coats spread over the ground in motionless groups. This was the roaring torch-light brigade of the night before. The orders “Fall in!” “Forward ! ” in gruff tones broke upon the chilly air, and brought us shivering to our feet. We moved to the edge of the woods with the cavalry. The skirmish-line, under Captain J. I. Grafton, had already disappeared into the opposite belt of woods, and evidently were losing no time in developing the enemy and ascertaining his force. They were drawing his fire from all points, indicating a force more than double that of our brigade. Dismounted cavalry were now sent forward to prolong the skirmish-line. Captain Grafton was reported badly wounded in the leg, but still commanding with his usual coolness. Suddenly he appeared staggering out of the wood into the open space in our front, bareheaded, his face buried in his hands, his saber hanging by the sword-knot from his wrist, one leg bound up with a handkerchief, his uniform covered with blood; in a moment he fell toward the colors. Officers clustered about him in silence, and a gloom spread through the brigade as word passed that Grafton was dead.
The main column was now arriving, and as the troops filed off to the right and left of the road, and the field-guns galloped into battery, we moved forward to the attack. The enemy gave us a hot reception, which we returned with a storm of lead. It was a wretched place for a fight. At some points we had to support our wounded until they could be carried off, to prevent their falling into the swamp water, in which we stood ankle-deep. Here and there a clump of thick growth in the black mud