The National tribune., 1885-07-30
Howard, whose right wing was marching ON

Howard, whose right wing was marching on
q road about six miles to our right.
| The Fourteenth Corps continued its march
for about two miles further after Gen. Sher-
man left us and went into camp. The sun
shone brightly ON Sunday morning, March
| -, 1865, near Bentonville, N. c. A few
| thin, pink-tinted clouds rested near the
western horizon. / was awakened before
reveille and before sunrise by the desultory
firing of foragers, who had started out, as
usual, before daylight in search of subsist-
ence stores and forage. Their firing was
stationary; that was an ominous sign also.
Never before had they been checked imme-
diately on leaving camp. Being fully con-
yinced that battle was to take place that
day, I dressed myself in my best uniform.
1t seemed to me certain that the enemy
would make a desperate effort to overwheim
| Sherman's army if they attempted resistance
at all About fourth of mile from nay
camp was field ON the right of the road,
inclosed by an old Virginia worm fence.
Grass grew in the corners. The trees were
partially in leaf The band played sweetly
as we again marched forth from camp. The
| First Division, Fourteenth Corps was in the
advance and Hobartis Brigade (the First
was leading. At corner of the field we
found our foragers lying in the fence corners.
| They had given up foraging already for that
day. They really had been skirmishing for
more than an hour with rebel picket In
the road at this point Maj.-Gen. Slocum
came up and assumed general control of
the march. Hobart was directed to put two
regiments of his brigade into line OF battle
and advance into woods that concealed
| the rebels, who were firing on our foragers.
These two regiments in a few moments struck
| the rebel troops-reported to be brigade
and drove them back without hating
At this point dim road diverged to the
left and front, and, under Gen. SlOcum's di-
rection, Buell's Brigade was sent on that road
to reconnoiter. Hobart's Brigade and the
Third under Col. Miles, continued on the
main road for perhaps half mile, where we
encountered swamp 200 yards in width.
On the farther side was dense growth OF
pines and oaks and other trees. Upon reach
ing the edge of the swamp
A REBEL BATTERY OPENED FIRE
from the woods on the opposite side. halt
| was ordered here, and the First Brigade,
under Hobart, Was brought into line. Buell.
continued his march to the left and front
till he came on line with Hobart, but the
two brigades were separated by gap of
| probably 400 yards. Buell's left was halted
opposite open fields, his right opposite dense
woods. From his left the rebel troops
could be distinctly seen. Gems. Slocum
and Davis made their headquarters or stop
ping-place near Hobarts Brigade. A battery
had been placed in position and was sup
| ported by Hobart, and had opened fire on
the rebel battery across the swamp. be-
| lieve this was the 10Th Ind. battery. A sharp
| duel was kept up between these two bate
ries till the Union battery completely si-
| fenced its opponent. Gen. SlOcum was still
apparently convinced that there was only
cavalry in our front To ascertain what
| troops opposed us he determined to make
series of isolated attacks by brigades, and
| Miles's Brigade was the first ordered to ad-
vance across the swamp, find the enemy in
the woods and attack him. Col. Miles and
his gallant brigade executed the order
promptly and with fine spirit. Capt. Jesse Z.
| Lowe, handsome and gallant officer of the
- Ind, fell in this assault. There were
| other officers and men of equal valor who
were killed and wounded here. The enemy
were found strongly intrenched. A short
time afterwards / was directed to have
Buell's Brigade make an assault. do not
| now state the hour or minute when these
orders were given or executed, because am
writing from memory and do not wish to
state what official records may contradict.
| Buell. made a charge into the woods in front
of his line. There were two Michigan regi-
| ments in his brigade-the 18th and 21st, to
the best of my recollection. Buell., too, soon
found the enemy strongly intrenched IN the
woods. A heavy fire was poured into Buells
lines at very short range-only few steps
and many fell Among the killed was Col.
Eaton, brave and capable officer. This
assault of Buell. resulted in procuring reliable
| intelligence in a most unusual way about
the numbers and intentions of the enemy.
Both Miies's and Buell's attacks were re-
| pulsed. But Immediately following Buelis
retreat to his former position three soldiers
| in gray uniform ran over to his lines and
surrendered. One spoke for the three and
asked for the commanding officer of the
| Federal force. I told him l was the senior
| officer commanding at that point. He then
stated that he and his companions were
Union men and Union soldiers who had en-
listed in the rebel armies from the prisons
| in the South with the view of escaping to
! the Federal lines whenever an opportunity
should occur, and that they had done this
in order to escape death by starvation and
disease. He stated that Gen. J. e. Johnston
was in supreme command; that Hardee was
| there with his troops from Charleston, Bragg
with his from Kinston, Oheatham with part
of Hoods army, and that Beauregard was
present also. He stated further that at that
very moment Gen. Johnston and his Gen
erals were riding around their troops, max
| ing speeches to encourage them and explain
ing their plans, which were very simple,
viz: to fall On the left wing with all their
forces and destroy it before the right wing
could come to its aid. 1t was explained to
the troops that the left wing was stretched
out for many miles along q muddy road,
and that there would be no difficulty in de-
stroying that wing of Shermans army; then
they would repeat the operation on the right
wing. My staff officers and orderlies were
at this time scattered in carrying orders and
messages, and there was but one officer with
me. believe this was Maj. James L. Ed
munds, of Piqua, o. 1 deemed the commu-
nication of these men in gray so important
that / directed the spokesman to mount nay
own horse Rosey," and go in charge of the
staff officer named, at gallop, to Gen. Davis
or Gen. Slocum, and report to him what he
had said to me. This order was executed
promptly, and in this way Gen. slocum
learned definitely for the first time that a
large force,
UNDER COMMAND OF GENERAL JOHNSTON,
lay across his path, and was then actually
marching upon his advance guard, with a
fair prospect of overwhelming it, and even
\ of roufipu his aufire command SIocup, inn