Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-03-31
L. ;. GRANT
Lieut.. General.
CITY POiST-ll \. NJ. }
March y.

= NAAA@A-N
Lieut.. General.
CITY POiST-ll \. M
March y.
10 Hon. Z. VI. Stanton, Sec. of H'GT:
/ am m receipt Of Sherman's report Of
orerations from the time he left Fayetteville
up 10 the 22d inst Ii shows hard fighting
resulting in very heavy lOs- To the enemy in
killed and wounded, and over 1000 prise ners
in our hands His own los, he says, will
be covered by $500 N IN since he left s.avan-
nal. Many Of them are slightly won ded.
L. ;. GRANT.
Lieut.. Gen.
The following acc 1uuts of Operations
around Goldsboro, are furnished by CORES
p1ndents
A special messenger who left tioldsboro,
y. c., on the 23d, brings the hig bly, impor-
tabt information that Sherman formed a
Junction with SchofeId and Ter ", at Cox :
bridge on Neuse river. few Inilf west Of
Gol1sbOrO, on the Dist inst
The l4th corps Of >iherman's rmy had a
fight with Hardee at A'1erysbOrO . n the l6th.
In which the latter was handsome Y defeated,
leaving all his dead u Gen. Davis hands
ari retreating 10 Benton vile.
vt Bentonyille, on Sunday, the 18th. one
division Of the l+th corI was attacked by
1, ,bnston, and Tor while turned back, but
m being reinforced by the rest OF the divis-
IN drove the enemy back an during sun
i,, nj, ht be abandoned Be ntoI vile, and fell
~ =. 'Oss the NeGse II yer % Smlthieli
.1-,e IO N Les west OF Gol, I,5lr no.
In i mere, v temporary 81 ce' - in the first
r.-t ~ nh, n, 1T that the T, 'bs Is are boastlng
Tor a.. a ,,resf \ ictory. 81 er mans loss viii
no. e,cse5 I0O0 : nd his an az Is in excellent
condition.
On the ODD. Scbot 'eld NO we'd to COx's
br,i,e on the Neu.e ri, ct, aII miles beyond
Gol1sborO, where Gen. t. rry forces were
discovered laying pontoons ~ rose the NV nv
Ct, having marched all the way RON " IL
mington. In a few moments SON OF Sher-
man trains Of the 10Th corps were discover
&C moving from Bentonville to Cox bridge
and junction Of the right wing OF S1er-
man army with Terry and Schohel i ior-
o. was permanently made.
Gen. Sherman had notified SchOi 10 ne
would be at GOldsbOro on the 22i of v 'aren
and kept his word. some Of his staff we're
there during the day After his repulst at
BentOnville. Joe Johnston fell back 70 Smi n
deld TO cover Raleigh. Desertions Of Nor N
Corolina troops from his army are nnmel
ou-.
on last Saturday and Monday there was
severe and continuous fighting between
Sherman and Johnston. but there wa on
grand Rattle. Johnston declined a general
engagement. The battle was set in array
upon Two opposite ranges of hills on the
south side of the Neuse, our troops facing /
westward and both the armies defended by
earthwOrks those of Sherman OF course be
ing hastily constructed. The fighting lasted .
two DAYS during which some despenlte charg- /
- were made on both sides. The rebels i
charged our lines tour times and five times .
our men made c0unter-charges. The fight
ing ln SUNDAY was mostly done 10y the 10Th
ami ltth corps. and on Monday the 18th
and l7th corps came up End PARTIALLY reliey-
Ell them All along the route from Fayette-
vile sherman has had more or less fighting
every day.
The following details Ut the fighting
before Petersburg are furnished. AZ
ter the engagement between the enemy
and the 9th corps Saturday morning. orders
were given for the 9th corps % make an /
attack on the lett of the line in front Of l
Fort Fisher. The Sd division, Seymour /
Commanding, was selected a. the a.saulting /
column, and shortly after noon the line Of /
battle was formed and the order 70 advance .
given. In a short time our men had posses
sion Of the entire line OF rihe-pIts Of the enc
nv. nearly all the occupants having been |
made prisOners.-Our lo-s in the affair was I
very trihing Over 600 prisoners were /
brought IN as the result Of the engagement I
Still another fight took place at Hatchers /
Run. IN which the % Corps was engaged /
The attack was made about dark. Over 400 4
prisoners fell INFO our hand, making in all /
to-day about $50, among whom are nearly |
100 commissioned officers, the highest in /
rank being colonel. This does not include /
the rebel wounded IN hospitals, whose num-
hers are considerable. These men seemed as
they passed along completely satisfied with .
their position, no doubt anticipating larger
supply OF ratiJns than they have been getting I
for some time past. Ii is reported that Gen
Gordon was seen urging his men to fight.
and at times swearing at them for cnwardiee.
ending with the exclamation e. Bv Cd
Just as | thought; the men won't hight -
after which he left and was not afterwards
seen.
Lieut. Age OF the 18th Mass Battery was
killed while fighting his guns. He was or
dered % surrender but refused and SIX bull
let were found 10 have entered his body He
was a gallant officer and much esteemed by
his men. Col. PentecOst of the Tooth Pa
was also killed, while calamity leading his
men into action. This regiment is composed
Of new men, and are credited with having
behaved like veterans.
A Newbern letter of the oath SAYS the en-
envy captured three guns on the first day of
the battle at BentOnville, but on the arrival
Of the 18th and l4th corps the enemy we've
driven in all directions, leaving these three
guns and seven others, besides seven thOus-
and prisoners and their dead and wounded
Deserters arc coming in in large numbers
In the battle before Petersburg Saturday
as soon as the rebels succeeded in gaining
possession of Fort Styadman, they at once
fell to plundering the baggage in the tents.
and all that their officers could DO would not
induce them 10 desist. Those who remained
IN line fought with nothing like the enthusi-
asm they exhibited last summer, and many
laid down their arms at the first opportunity
OF reaching tue rear. On witnessing this,
the rebel officers determined to return to
their own lines as rapidly a. possible, and
urging their men over the works managed
to get a large portion Of the assaulting col
umns back safely Hundreds, however, ren
and bid in the bombproois, and waited there
to BE- taken prisoners. The number brought
in by the 9th corps was reported yesterday
correctly at 1900. The loss in the corps IL
not far from GOO.