The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-05-06

hopes to hold me to save time for the con
centrat1on of JOhnston's armies at SOM
point to bis rear, namely, Raleigh, Smith
held or Goldsboro. Hardee's force wa
estimated at twenty.thousand men. /
was necessary to dislodge him that N,
might nave the use Of the Goldsboro road
as also to keep up the feint on Raleigh .,
long as possible. General Slocum, va,
therefore, order ed to press and carry th,
position, only difficult ny reason OF tn,
nature of the ground, which was 30 sof
that the horses would sink everywhere
and even men could hardly make theil
way over the common pine barren.
THE BATTLE OF AvERYsBoRo.
The 10Th Corps, Gen. Williams, had the
lead, and Wards division the advance
This was deployed, and The skirmish line
developed the position of a brigade of the
Charleston heavy artillery armed as infan.
try (Rhett's) posted across the road behind
9 light parapet, with q battery of guns en-
f1lading the approach across cleared field,
Gen. Williams sent brigade (Chase's), by
circuit to his left that turned this line,
ana, by quick charge, broke the brigade,
line, better built, and more strongly held.
A battery of artillery (WinniDger's) we'll
posted, under the immediate direction OF
Maj. Reynolds, Chief of Artillery of Goth
Corps, did good execution on the retreat
ing brigade, and, on advancing Wards di-
vision over this ground, Gen. Williams
captured guns and ol7 prisoners, of which
6s were wounded, and left in a house near
by with a rebel officer, four men and five
days rations. 10S rebel dead were buried
by us. AS Wards division advanced he
developed a second and a stronger line.
when Jackson's division was deployed for.
ward on the right Of Ward, and the two
divisions of JEFF. G. Davis (14th) corps on
the left, well toward the Cape Fear. Atthe
same time Fitzpatrick, who was acting sin
concert With Gen. Williams, was ordered
to draw back his cavalry and mass it on
the extreme right, and in concert with
Iackson's right, to feel forward for the
Goldsboro road. He got brigade on the
road. but was attacked by McLaws' rebel
division furiously, and though it fought
well and hard, the brigade drew back to
the fank OF the infantry. The whole line
advanced late in the afternoon, drove the
enemy well within his entrenched line, and
pressed him 80 hard, that next morning he
was gone, having retreated in miserable
stormy night over the worst of roads,
Wards division of infantry followed too.
and through, Averysboro, developing the
fact that Hardee had retreated; not upon
Raleigh, but on Smithfeld. / had the
night before directed Fitzpatrick to cross
Wv
rear, and move up on the east side toward
Elevation. Gen. Slocum reports his ag-
gregate loss in the affair known as that Of
Averysboro, at IL officers, IS men killed,
and Az wounded. We lost no prisoners.
The enemy's loss can be inferred from his
dead, (lOe) left for us to bury. Leaving
Wards division to keep up show Of pur-
right, built q bridge across the swollen
South River, and took the Goldsboio road,
Fitzpatrick crossing to the north, in the d.
rection OF Elevation, with orders to move
watching that flank. In the
meantime the wagon trains and guards, az
also Howard's column, were wallowing
along the miry roads toward Bentonville
and Goldsboro. The enemy's infantry, ~
before stated, had retreated across our front
in the same direction, burning the bridges
ACROSS Mill Creek. continued with the
head Of Slocum's column, and camped the
night of the 18th with him on the Goldsbo.
70 road. q miles from Goldsboro, about i've
miles from Bentonville, and where the
road from Clinton to Smithfield crosses the
Goldsboro road. Howard was at Lees
store. only two miles south, and both col
umns had pickets three miles forward to
where the two roads came together, and
became common to Goldsboro.
BRILLIANT COMBINATION.
All the signs induced me to believe that
The enemy would make no further oppose |
lion 10 our progress, and would not attempt |
70 strike US in flank while in motion. I. |
therefore, directed Howard to move his |
light wing by the new Goldsboro road,
:hurch. also left slocnm and ioined How. How |
srd's column, with 3 view to open commu.
1ications with General Schofeld, coming |
lp from Newbern, and Terry, from viii |
found Gen. Howard's column |
vel! strung out, owing to the very bad |
'oads, and did not overtake him in person |
i'll ne had reached Falling Creek Church.
With one regiment forward to the cross
had gone from General Slocum about six I
niles, when I heard artillery in his direc-
ion, but was soon made easy by one Of his
Itaff officers overtaking me, explaining
hat his leading division tCarlin's han en-.
ountered division of rebel cavd {Dib-l
'relPs) which he was driving easily. But
oon other staff officers cdme up, reporting
he whole Of the rebel army under General
johnston himself sent him o1llers to
all ur the two divisions gualfne his
wagon trains, and Hazen's division Of the
5th corps. still back near Lees store, to
!ght defensively till could draw up
sialr's corps, then near Mount Olive Sta
|oD, and With tho remaining sthree. divis.
jig ". CAAS AOSu OOSpO COtue up On JO0QS.
Dn's left rear from the direction Of Cox's
ridge. In the meantime, while on the
Dad. received couriers from both Gener-
II Schofeld apd Terry. The former rel
orted himself in possession Of Kinstop,l
elayed somewhat BY want Of provisions.l
ut able 70 march 20 as't0 make Colds boro
q the 2lst, and Terry wAs at or near F.is.t
MS Depot. Orders were at once dispatch
to sSchodeld 70 push for Goldsborc, and
} make dispositions to cross Little Riyeri
! the direction Of smjthfield as far as MI
lrd to General Terry to move to Cox'sI
ridge, lay apontoon bridge, and establish !.
crossing and to Blair to make q night I
'arch to Falling Greek Church, and at
aylight the righ; wing, General Howard,
ss the necessary wagon guards, was put
lirapid motion on Bentonville. By sub
quent reports learned that General Slo-l q
I'M head Of column had advanced from I
. camp of March Is, and first encountered Q
ibbrelrs cavalry, but soon found his pro- E
.ess smpeded BY Infantry and artillery.-Ib .
be enemy attacked his head Of column, o
sining temporary advantage, and took y
fQc4 puma and ieary>s nf (Ionar0l C0rlin,a ii