Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-04-05
Obs 4aiIa SdaraaI.
81 PUBLISHED BY yAI
JAMES III. McHEELT
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vs sfJN0. IA. McMEELY.
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Evansville Journal Company.
journal Buildings,
LOCUST STREET,
BETWEEN FIRST AED WATER.
The Battle OF RentonIille.

About thousand men, Of Dibbrelfs 9
cavalry command, preceded our column
on the road TO Goldsboro. The "bum-
mers" Of the l4th corps skirmished with
the rebels over many miles Of road,
keeping them at respectful distance
from the head of our column. One
evening, just as the sun went down, the
rebels bred a cannon they had, and by
an unlucky shot, wounded q eoupla Of
these foragers and killed -four horses
They then hastily retired with their gun.
Such skirmishes we're common; but the
march Of the left wing was not impeded
BY them till the morning of the 18th,
when the fpragers sent back word Ia
Gen. Carlin, who was in advance, that
the enemy would not bulge. A couple
ofregiments from Hobart's brigade were
deployed to dislodgs the enemy and
they did il handsomely, pursuing them
as they ran. About nine o. clock on the
morning of the 10th the skirmishers Of
Cafiip's division found an advanced line
Of the enemy near the junction of Mill
Greek with Hannah's Run, perhaps three
miles from tbs spot on the map known aal
BentonVille.~ The enemy used artillery
onCarlin's 8 line as it advanced, indicating
that the cavalry were disposed to make
longer and more stubborn stand here
than before. Still, believing there was
nothing in front but cavalry, behind a
hastily built line of fence rails, Carlin
deployed a couple of brigades--Buelrs
and Hobart's-to drive them sway
- n .TAs Rebels Refsise b % Dripth.
The brigadss advanced, briskiy en-.
gagged the enemy and discovered from
their heavy fire, both musketry and ar
tillery, that the rebels were not to be
dislodged so. easily. Gems. Slocum and
JEFF 9 Davis went down into the swamp
to examine the thing and confer with
Carlin. An hour later Morganss (2d)
division, l4lh corps, had got into poai-
ton on the right of the road and was
preparing to assist. The report began
70 prevail that the left wing had met an
.scbstacie, and further preparations
were made to remove it. The ssnemyls
cannon, fromAR position somewhere on
the left of our line, sent Shells sphsri-
cal case and canister, into the woods
where Slocum, Jetf, c. Davis and Nor
gan were feposing.
az Mr.. Morris, whose farm was overr6n
by Union troops that morning, owned
but little cleared land His house, built
Of logs,is situated in a fftyser corn
field, which slopes gently to the swampy,
pine woods, through which runs the
Goldsboro road, He lives three miles
from Bentonville, and twelve from Cox's
bridge over the Neuse. Three quarters
of a mile beyond Mr.. Morris,s, where
the Goldsboro road turns to the right,
lives his neighbor, Mr.. Willis Cole.
Near MFR, Coles house, running through
his cleared fields and into his pine
woods facing west and covering the
forks OF the road, as at Averysboro, the
rebel line was found Their right was
protected BY Mill Creek their lcentrs
and left by the swsnps which separates
! Morris and Cole. Their line was some,
thing like a segment of aicircle, though
fashioned on the scoop.net
principle, the object of which viii be
seen when the story Of the fight is, told,
ltf d