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The Battle of Bentonville (Including the Carolinas Campaign) |
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| March 19-21, 1865 |
By early Feb. 1865, Union MG William Tecumseh Sherman's cocksure, veteran army (60,000 men) had crossed the Savannah River into South Carolina. Sherman's well-rested infantry were beginning their last campaign with an unusual sense of eager anticipation. The "Cradle of the Confederacy" and the site of Fort Sumter would soon feel the wrath of the relentless juggernaut that conquered Georgia and marched to the sea. The Union army moved into the Palmetto State as it had through Georgia - two wings of two corps each with a cavalry screen. Defending Carolina were fewer than 30,000 troops, including 11,000 battle weary veterans of the Army of Tennessee enroute by rail (GEN P.G.T. Beauregard, over-all command; LTG William J. Hardee in the field). Along Sherman's route from south to north the "birthplace of secession" was plundered and burned to an extent unseen in Georgia. On 17 February, Columbia, the capital, was occupied and that night much of the city was swept by fires of uncertain origin. To the north the blockade-running stronghold of Wilmington, NC fell on 22 February. Also that day Confederate General-in-Chief Robert E. Lee appointed GEN Joseph E. Johnston to replace GEN Beauregard as over-all commander in the region. President Jefferson Davis had named Lee to command all Confederate armies on 3 February. By early March, Sherman was in North Carolina, and another Union column (XXIII Corps - MG John M. Schofield, commanding - detached from the victorious Army of the Cumberland in Nashville, TN) was enroute to central North Carolina from coastal Wilmington. Near Averasboro, NC on 16 March, the left wing of Sherman's advance was slowed by a Confederate blocking force (7,500 men - LTG William J. Hardee, commanding). Sherman's two wings were now almost a day's march apart. It was time for GEN Johnston to strike - before all three Union columns (each more than 20,000 men) could converge on Goldsboro. On 19 March, Johnston (21,000 men) surprised Sherman's left wing just south of Bentonville. The Confederates were initially successful, but the Federals were able to entrench, blunting several late day assaults. Fighting had been very intense yet indecisive. The next day brought no heavy fighting; however, by late in the afternoon Sherman's right wing had taken-up positions on the battlefield. On the third day (21 March) Union infantry briefly threatened Mill Creek Bridge to the north - a probable retreat route for Johnston. That night the vastly out-numbered Confederate force did withdraw across Mill Creek. The Battle of Bentonville was over as was the Carolinas Campaign. Since leaving Savannah, Sherman's army had marched and fought across 425 miles of Carolinas countryside. Only one task remained - join Grant near Petersburg for the fast approaching finish. Estimated Casualties (Bentonville only): Union - 1,527; Confederate - 2,606.
Notes:
Numbers in parentheses reflect estimated strength of armies or units.
Estimated casualty figures are totals for killed, wounded, missing in action, and taken prisoner.
Alternative names of battles and campaigns appear in parentheses.
Military and naval rank abbreviations in text: LT - Lieutenant, CPT - Captain, MAJ - Major, LTC - Lieutenant Colonel, CDR - Commander (Navy), COL - Colonel, BG - Brigadier General, MG - Major General, RADM - Rear Admiral (Navy), LTG - Lieutenant General, VADM - Vice Admiral (Navy), and GEN - General.
Army Organization: Although authorized and actual strength and the rank of the commanding officer often varied, the standard military unit during the War was the infantry regiment (1,000 men, COL commanding) which was comprised of 10 companies (100 men each, CPT commanding). 3-4 Regiments = 1 Brigade (3,000-4000 men, BG commanding). 3 (sometimes 4) Brigades = 1 Division (9000-12,000 men, BG or MG commanding). 2-4 (usually 3) Divisions = 1 Corps (18,000-24,000+ men, MG - North and MG or LTG -South commanding). 2 or more Corps = An Army (usually 20,000-100,000+ men - MG, LTG, or GEN commanding). 2 or more Armies = An Army Group (usually 100,000+ men - MG, LTG, or GEN commanding).
Sources:
Atlas for the American Civil War, The West Point Military History Series, 1986.
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era, by James M. McPherson. 1988.
Battlefields of the Civil War, by Roger W. Hicks and Frances E. Schultz. 1989.
The Centennial History of the Civil War, 3 Vols., by Bruce Catton. 1961-65.
The Civil War (Series), Editors of Time-Life Books. 1983.
The Civil War: A Narrative, 3 Vols., by Shelby Foote. 1958-1974.
The Civil War: An Illustrated History, by Geoffrey C. Ward with Ric Burns and Ken Burns. 1990.
The Civil War Battlefield Guide, Ed. by Frances H. Kennedy. 1990.
The Civil War Day by Day: An Almanac, by E.B. Long with Barbara Long. 1971.
The Encyclopedia of Military History, Second Rev. Ed., by R. Ernest Dupuy and Trevor N. Dupuy. 1986.
West Point Atlas of American Wars, Vol. I, Ed. by Vincent J. Esposito. 1959.
Who Was Who in the Civil War, by Stewart Sifakis. 1988.
Photographs courtesy of The Generals of the American Civil War Website.
