The National tribune., 1886-03-25

q strong position and fortlneu H. heSi III"
little village of Bentonville, town from
which the battle ensuing derived its name;
'"Johuston's presence was unknown to the
Union troops in his front, as he had covered his
movements by the aid of strong bodies OF cav
airy; hence, when CaIlin's men moved out
past N0rgan's Division (already formed IN ilnej
on the morning of the 18th 10 lead the corps,
they did so with buoyant spirits and the long,
swinging stride so peculiar with this army.
Baird. with the trains, etc, having been de-
Iayed by roads almost impossible, was too Tar
an the rear 10 take his accustomed place next to
Carlin. which, had he been able so to do, would
have placed Morgan in the rear encumbcred
with the trains mentioned. Therefore, Morgan
was ordered to follow Immediately IN the rear
of Carln. Johnston's army and line of earth
works were scarcely more than SIX miles dlS-
tant from the place where Morgan encamped
on the night of the 18th. For that reason Car
lin had hardly given room for Morgan to place
his command in motion on the road when his
(Carlins) advance struck the enemy, and
At ONCE BECAME HoTLY ENGAGED.
Morgan'S troops hurried forward, past ammuni-
tion wagons. batteries and ambulanCes, on the
run, or double-quick, and, by orders Of Gen.
Davis, dashed on into pine forest, thick
with undcrbrUsh, Immediately on the right
of Carlin. while the two divisions of the
Twentieth Corps were brought up with all pos
sibe speed and placed on his left. The Con-
federates occupied low, swampy ground. Their
position was well screened by a dense pine
forest. and WAS approached by the Union forces,
in most places, over small cleared fields.
st the beginning of the battle the men of
Carlin's Division advanced with confident steps
towhat they expected would be but repetition
of their former easy victories of recent cam
paigns. and at one time one of his brigades-the
Second, ] bclieve-Cained a position within six
rods Of the enemy's intrenchments; but the
storm OF lead and iron was too severe TO be with
stood. and at length the entire division was
compelled 10 fail back TO the shelter OF a low
ACTIVITY, yet within muSket range OF the
encn'ys works.
The battle RACED with wsvering fortunes
all the rest OF the day. Johnston, in the hope
OF destroying, before reinlorcements could come
up, a Iorce much less than his own, forced the
fight at all points; but the men who here repre-
sentcd the Union arms were veterans the sur
vivinE heroes of Donelson, Pittshurg Landing
Island No. 10, Corinth, Perryville, Stone River,
Chickamauga. Mission Ridge and Lockout
Mountain, besides the score of battles fought
during the Atlanta campaign; while the troops
OF the Twentieth Corps had breasted the leaden
storm on the Peninsula, NJ Chantilly, Antietam,
Fredericksburg. Charlottesville and Gettys-
burg, before Joining The Army of the Cumber-
land in the Autumn Of 1863. All were men
who had been out two months from Savannah,
receiving during that time no mails, news
papers, or tidings from home and they did not
propose TO be stopped in their onward march
now, nor to assist in filing rebel prison-pens
hereafter. The olt-repeated assaults of the
enemy were met by whitening fire and coun-
ter charges which sent them hurrying back to
the shelter OF the woods.
while Garlin's Division and the Twentieth
Corps were so warmly engaged on the left and
center, Morgan WAS equally busy in the pines
on the right, and his First Brigade, under Van
deyeT, had the best fortune of any Of the troops
engaged in the battle of that day. This bri-
gade was stationed on the extreme right, and
Its right flank was secured by vast swamp,
sch was impossible for large organized bodies
OF men. During the intervals between the
charges Of the enemy this brigade was enabled
to erect leg breastwOrkS the trees being feled
and cut into the required length with hatchets,
of which nearly every man carried one in his
waist belt. Late in the afternoon, during d
desperate charge on MOrgans left, portion of
the Union line gave way, and column Of the
enemy passed through the gap. Wheeling TO
the left they moved down in rear OF Nandeyer's
Brigade, making it necessary for his troops 10
occupy the front side of their own works, from
before which their opponents had just been
driven. Here
\ SHORT. SHARP ACTION
OF 4 few moments duration was ended by Van
devers men Icaping forward in a charge. ergag-
ing their enemy hand 20 hand and compelling
the surrender. IN body, of several hundred
Conf,deratgs'
IN his battle the 18th H. lost about - men.
killed and wounded, out Of a total force present
for duty OF $40. Thus il viii be perceived that
net ali of the Union losses at BentOnviilc were
sustained by Cariiu's Division Also. that the
men CT MOrgan's Division alone of all the
Union troops engaged on the 18Th held their
original position thTCugh the day, aud passed
the following night On the very ground where
they began the conflict. On the following day
their lines were advanced. and. IS history in-
fo:ms al readers, Johnston soon after aban-
GoRed Inc field OF his last defeat.
Gen. James j. Morgan, Of Quincy. H.. cold
Jimmy" his men delighted to call him.
should not he ignored in any historical sketch
al all comprehensive concerning the corps and
armies with which he was identified as :. bri-
gaGe or division commander. Though believe
nc lsas not graduate of any military institu-
ton, yet few there we're, no matter what their
early training had been, who could excel him
in the management Of division Of troops
in drill, on the march, or on the field Of battle
lie was brave, active, uuOStentatious. patient
and untiring; and during all of those terrible
years Oi war / have no recollection that he was
ever absent from his command. either on leave
Of absence or by reason of illness. He earned
his pay, ana It ever seemed TO be his endeavor
TO make the boys earn theirs. His Chief of
Staff, Capt Thee Wiseman, was also an exceed
jngly efficient officer
Gen. CarIin's account of his narrow escapes,
his crossing and recrossing the enemys lines,
and the seeming Indifference and lack of spirit
manifested by some of the Confederate soldiers
1T the battle Of Bentonville, reminds me of
another incident Of this battle which. though it
Was matter Of general comment among US at
the tiIne, has probably never found its way into
print lt was about as follows: Rather late
III the afternoon Of the 18th, at a time when
the fight along Fandeyer's line was at its
hight, the ammunition OF his men became we'll
nigh exhausted. 4 detail OF the 18th i'll. was
seBt 10 the rear with orders to
FIND THE AMMUNITION WAGONS
and. bring up a supply Of cartridges for the
regiment as speedily as possible. Time passed,
seemingly sufficient for the return of the detail.
but it came not. The moment was critical.
The enemy fer the fourth or fifth time had lust
been repUisea from our immediate front and a
few hundred yards 10 our left at points obscurcd
from our view by the tall pines and the dense
undeghTush beneath them, the battle was still
raging fieTccly between the men Of Carlin's
Division, aided by the Twentieth Corps,
and the ConiedcTatcs. At this junciurc many
of, the 10th H., as well as others Of the bri-
gade, ieapcd over their works and sought
for cartridges on the persons of the dead and
wounded rebels, who strewed the ground not
more than 30 yards away. While engaged IN
this rather unpleasant though eif-imposed task
some men cfthe 10th i'll. were closely observed
bya tall, welcomed North Carolinian. who
having received j severe wound IN his leg, had
attended 10 the injury as well as he could and
l. rf.l 81. loI.