, 1865-04-01
sHERMAR'S MARCH.
Three Battles and Victories
in North Carolina.
Taylersvllle- NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
tOnTille.

Taylersrllle. .s-AEerysboro---Ben-
! tonville.
[Gleaned from Correspondence OF the New York
papera.l
THE FIGHT AT TATLoRsyILE.
On the afternoon Of the 18th, when twenty
rifles .frcm Wilmington, and between the
Cape Fear and Black Rivers. the advance en-
csuntered stronger resistance than usuat.
This advance consisted of q brigade Qf Kill
patrick's cavalry. They cldeavored to push
their way through, but in vain, the force in
their front WAS too strong, and from prison.
crs captured this force was a supposed rear
guard. weak division, weak In numbers,
under AcLnws. Fitzpatrick soon discovered
that he had q force before him much stronger
than anticipated. lie became hard pressed,
and sent back for: reinforcements. The I'd
brigade, LIST division. 10th corps, WAS sent
up to Inn. This brigade consists Of the 18Th
New Jersey, 10Th and 150th New York, ID
Wisconsin, and "a Massachusetts regiments,
commal de1 by Col. Hawley.
At seven in THE evening uawley's brigade
was moved forward, but 80 diflcMt was the
ground to be passed over, that it Vas one
O'clock in the morning when stc brigade
was deplt ysd aud got into line. Here they
rested in line Of battle till morning; at seven
O'Clock General Fitzpatrick advanced with his
Colonel Hawlcy's: The skii1nIshcrs had ad-
vanced but few PAGES when the enemy
opened on them. Gen. Fitzpatrick continued
hts demonstration till he developed the eu-
eny's strength and position. An army Lad
thrown itself across our path, tue lines
stretching from the Cape Fear to the Black
river. When the cncmy's strength and po-
sition were known General Sherman sent up
tht 1st and 9rd divisions Of the 2otl corps.
and three b:igades Of the 14th corps.
The engagement soon became general,
Gen Sherman was on the ground in person,
mud directed the fight under warm fire.
The rebels fought hard to hold their lines,
but were forced from one line to The other
till dark, when they were in their fourth aud
last linsr From the nature of the ground we
could employ no artillery The rebels had
but two pieces, which they used with good
effect till they were deprived Of them by
Corsc's brigade This conflict WIS severe
there was no fighting at long range with mr.
ti1lery. Not from choice Was there no artjl-
1ery employed, but because the nature OF the
ground would not admit Of it.
At one time the brlgades OF the 14th corps
were forced back; the 18Th New Jersey was
left almost unsupported between Tay1or's
Creek and Il rnTipc, but they gallanty held
their own till our broken line was re-estat-
ll5hed.
The battle continued till night, and tbs
I sun Of the 11th shone upon empty works on
our front. The rebel army had lcft in the
night.
The field In Shernan's front was covered
with The dead and wounded OF the enemy.
The wounded were all taken up and p|aced
In the bouseE Of the ncighborhooa, with sur
Eeons sufficient to take care of them. Among
tue Toundea, = Captain Macbeth, a son OF
the Mayor or Charleston; le commands O
battery ef the Charleston heavy artillery,
His wound is severe one. 4 la:ge number
Of the encmy'8aead were also buried by our
men. The rebel loss in this engagement can
not hare teen less than 200. From the best
estimates made, th..y had &C, 600 men hero to
oppose sheEman's further progress, General
Joe Johnston commanding them.
TIE MAecH, AND THE F1GHr At AyEnfsBoRo'.
Ad,tr leaving Fayetteville the line Of march
left column composed of the 10th and 14th
corps, under the command Of Gen. Slocum,
went up the rond which leads to Ayerysbo.o'.
Tic right winy-15th ind 18th corps-under
command Of Gen. Howard, proceeded along
the Bentonvilic road few miles to the east
ward. Still Dearer east, on the Clinton road,
tludged the motley crowd Of negro refugees
which had followed She.1nan's path through
GtoIgia and the Carolinas. These last, on
arriving at Clinton, we're to be forwarded to
Wilmington. The troops were pressing on
On the TANKS Of Slocum's column rode Kill
pat1}ck's cavalry, skirmishfng, as they rode,
with the rebel hoTsemcn almost eeaselessly.
The movements Of this left wing appear to
/ have been watched by some portion Of John
ston's army, supposed to be the remnant Of
The force with which Harlec escaped from
Charleston or Savannah. Two or three days
out from Fnyetteyl1le-that is, on the 10Th
Slocum came upon Hnrdee, carefully in
trcnched on well selected ground between
the Cape Fear aud Black rivers, his front pro-
tccted BY small stream called Silver creek
From this Position it was ncedful to dislodse
him. and Wards division, of the Goth
corps, was ordered up for that purpose. The
rebel works were gallant]y charged, the num-
ber of killed and wounded On both sides at
testing the Ea'iantry aud obstlnacy Of the at
tack and defense. JCckson's division OF the
70 29'h H. eo5nS n7 tor%Se5y iI Wlla%s aytsIon
Army of the Potomac at Chancellorsvillc and
GettyshurG,) we're also sent In, and charged
with their accustomed Impetuosily and va.or,
driving the rebels out OF their works and
taking three or four guns. After sharply
contested fight Of several hours the rebols
their dead upon the field.
CASUALTIES IN TIE BATTLE OF AyERYspoRo,-
The following tabular statement of the
lces Of the left wing In the battle Of Aycrys-
boro is official:
ss:'ts ssSss s:s as;':; ss
Total: al:,............1 Total.
Hcbcis .103
Rete! prisoners captured. d.....................15
Slocum crossed the Black River-General
Sherman in person still Accompanying him
upon the l7lh., On the 18th they were over
Hfingo creek. On the 10th they came upon
the 10th corps Of Howard's column. which,
without meeting any opposition, had been
Sherman changed his headquarters from the
left to the right wing Of his army. H
THE BATTLE OF BESToNsy1LLE.
Nothing, saye en- occasional skirmish with
small body Of caynlry, occurred till We
reached this point, three miles south of Ben
louisville, twelve from Cox's bridge ION The
Neuse). on the morning Of the Goth As at
Black River, the enemy showed nothing ut
ilrst but small force Of eayalry, Of Di6brslt's
en- back by the skirmishers Of Carlin's diyi-
sion, IN advance. Coming to point where
the skhmfsh line could 70 no further, and the
enemy fired from piece Of artillery, General
Car]in formed Buell's and Hobart's brigadcs
in line, to: drive the tronblcsomAec cavalry
away. Generals Bnen and Hobart moved to
the left Of The road, on the enemy's flank,
about mile In advance Of Morgan's division,
when they discovered the enemy's Infantry In
u strong line Of works and in great Numbers.
Although it seemed Incredible that
the rebels could be In any great force
here, General Slocum made preparations for
q fight Morganss division was formed, aud
word cent back for the two divisions of the
Goth corps to hurry forward. The enemy's
line extended far beyond Morgan's right, and
C0ggsWell's brigade, OF the lat division, 23th
corps, Tas put IN there when 1t came up.
StilIthe rebel lett could not be found
TIE E&EMT ATTACKS DAVIS.
At noon the enemy left hts- works and I'D
vanccd on JEFF. C. Davis two divisions.
Buell. and Hobast were overwhelmed, aud
passed back though tho woods more than
mile and q half Vandeyecr's,~ MitShelrs,
FcEing's and Coggsuell's brigades, on the
right, fought stubborn1y and desperately,
and lost but little ground. There was tenn
pornry confusion, and rout was Imminent
Five batteries Of artillery were massed at o
point where hospital had been established
IN the morning, the balance of Jackson's d.
Eision, Goth corps, put In on the left,
and q rev line formed. During the day five
grand charges were made by the enemy, /
masscd, but each Was repulsed. They sue
eeedcd IN capturing three guns Of the 10Th,
Indiana battery, but only two were taken off.
There vas desperate fighting all day, the
musketry fire beng Us heavy rs our men have
hea1d In many day. Although they gained
considerable ground on the lett during the
day. the rebels retired to their main line
wien night leli, leaving the greater part Of
their dead and Wounded on the field.
10 L. = .