Bentonville
Bentonsville
Civil War North Carolina


American Civil War
March 19-21, 1865

While US General Slocum's advance was stalled at Averasborough by Hardee's troops, the right wing of Union General Sherman's army under command of Major General O.O. Howard marched toward Goldsborough.  On March 19, Slocum encountered the entrenched Confederates of General Joseph E. Johnston who had concentrated to meet his advance at Bentonville.

Late afternoon, Johnston attacked, crushing the line of the XIV Corps. Only strong counterattacks and desperate fighting south of the Goldsborough Road blunted the Confederate offensive. Elements of the XX Corps were thrown into the action as they arrived on the field. Five Confederate attacks failed to dislodge the Federal defenders and darkness ended the first day's fighting.

During the night, Johnston contracted his line into a "V" to protect his flanks with Mill Creek to his rear. On March 20, Slocum was heavily reinforced, but fighting was sporadic. Sherman was inclined to let Johnston retreat. On the 21st, however, Johnston remained in position while he removed his wounded. Skirmishing heated up along the entire front. In the afternoon, Major General Joseph Mower led his Union division along a narrow trace that carried it across Mill Creek into Johnston's rear.

Confederate counterattacks stopped Mower's advance, saving the army's only line of communication and retreat. Mower withdrew, ending fighting for the day. During the night, Johnston retreated across the bridge at Bentonville. Union forces pursued at first light, driving back Wheeler's rearguard and saving the bridge. Federal pursuit was halted at Hannah's Creek after a severe skirmish. Sherman, after regrouping at Goldsborough, pursued Johnston toward Raleigh.

On April 18, Johnston signed an armistice with Sherman at the Bennett House, and on April 26, formally surrendered his army.

Result(s): Union victory

Location: Johnston County

Campaign: Campaign of the Carolinas (February-April 1865) previous battle in campaign    Campaigns

Date(s): March 19-21, 1865

Principal Commanders: Major General William T. Sherman and Major General Henry Slocum [US]; General Joseph E. Johnston [CS]

Forces Engaged: Sherman's Right Wing (XX and XIV Corps) [US]; Johnston's Army [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 4,738 total (US 1,646; CS 3,092)

Kindle Available
Southern Strom

Southern Storm
Sherman's March to the Sea

The destruction spanned more than sixty miles in width and virtually cut the South in two, disabling the flow of supplies to the Confederate army. He led more than 60,000 Union troops to blaze a path from Atlanta to Savannah, ordering his men to burn crops, kill livestock, and decimate everything that fed the Rebel war machine





Sherman's March: The First Full-Length Narrative of General William T. Sherman's Devastating March through Georgia and the Carolinas
Beginning with the fall of Atlanta, the unrelenting aggressive slash and burn total warfare of General Sherman's Union troops, and then the final march into Raleigh

Civil War soldier toys 102 pieces
Civil War Soldier 102 Piece Playset
 
  • 25 Union and 25 Confederate Soldier Figures, 18 Horses, 10 Cannon
  • 2 Covered Wagons, 2 Tents, 2 Canoes, 2 Flags, 16 Fences
  • Size: Figures Stand up to 2-1/8 inches tall
  • Scale: 1/32nd, Wagons and Horses slightly smaller
 
North Carolina State Battle Map
State Battle Maps
American Civil War Exhibits
Civil War Timeline
Women in the War
Civil War Picture Album
Civil War Maps
Confederate President Jefferson Davis
Civil War Submarines
Kids Zone Gettysburg
General Stonewall Jackson
Civil War Replica Musket
Civil War Musket
Wood & Steel Frontier Rifle Designed After The Original Rifle


Confederate Army
Civil War Collectibles
American Civil War Book Titles

The 4th North Carolina Cavalry in the Civil War: A History and Roster
With the Civil War was entering its second year North Carolina was rallying to supply more troops. The Partisan Ranger Act prompted local leaders to recruit companies of irregular soldiers for service in the Confederate Army. Seven such companies were banded together into a regiment to form the 4th North Carolina Cavalry.
Kindle Available

Six Years of Hell
Harpers Ferry During the Civil War

While Harpers Ferry was an important location during the Civil War, in most Civil War books it's a sideshow of something larger. John Brown's raid, Lee's invasions of 1862 & 1863 as well as Early's 1864 raid are all covered in depth

Lee's Tar Heels: The Pettigrew-Kirkland-MacRae Brigade
The most successful of North Carolina's units during the Civil War. The brigade played a central role in Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg and also fought with distinction during the Petersburg campaign and in later battles including the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor
Kindle Available
Chancellorsville Aftermath

Chancellorsville
The Battle and Its Aftermath

Chancellorsville was a remarkable victory for Robert E. Lee's troops, a fact that had enormous psychological importance for both sides, which had met recently at Fredericksburg and would meet again at Gettysburg in just two months. But the achievement, while stunning, came at an enormous cost: more than 13,000 Confederates became casualties, including Stonewall Jackson

Ironclads and Big Guns of the Confederacy : The Journal and Letters of John M. Brooke
Information about the Confederate Navy's effort to supply its fledgling forces, the wartime diaries and letters of John M. Brooke tell the neglected story of the Confederate naval ordnance office, its innovations, and its strategic vision.
Kindle Available
Wade Hampton

Wade Hampton: Confederate Warrior to Southern Redeemer
General Wade Hampton was for a time the commander of all Lee's cavalry and at the end of the war was the highest-ranking Confederate cavalry officer
Struggle for the heartland
Struggle for the Heartland: The Campaigns from Fort Henry to Corinth
The military campaign that began in early 1862 with the advance to Fort Henry and culminated in late May with the capture of Corinth, Mississippi. The first significant Northern penetration into the Confederate west
Kindle Available
John Hunt Morgan Raiders

John Hunt Morgan and His Raiders
The "Thunderbolt of the Confederacy" John Hunt Morgan from Tompkinsville, Kentucky to Greeneville, Tennessee.

 

Women in the War
Civil War Picture Album
Civil War Maps
Confederate President Jefferson Davis
Civil War Submarines
Kids Zone Gettysburg
General Stonewall Jackson

Sources:
U.S. National Park Service
U.S. Library of Congress.