The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-17
SHERMAN'S LAST BATTLE.
Bentonsville the last Ditch" of the Confed.
crates Under Gen. Joe Johnston.

of March, 1865 has never received, at the hands
of General Sherman, the prominence due to it.
Whether this is due to the fact that he was ESQ
far as the knowledge of his surroundings is con-
cerned) outgeneraled by his antagonist Gen.
Joe Johnston is very probable. In the cele~
brated fight between his heroic wife and the
bear, the timid husband was close by in the loft
of the cabin, and lad some pretext for claiming
the joint honor that 1--WE killed the bear.h
But at Bentonsville Sherman was so ignorant Of
the presence of Johnston's army, of from thirty
to forty thousand men all told, that he, with his
staff, left the left wing of the army, commanded
by General Slocum and went southwards to
the right wing, under command of General
Howard, leaving his enemy but two miles dis
tant and leaving General Carlns and General
Morgan's divisions of the Fourteenth Army Corps
to fight unaded, the entire confederate army.
Then, when he returned the next day, he re-
Trained from properly complimenting the heroic
band that hgd saved his army, and, from
that day to this, he has refused to
do justice to the men who fought hi
last battle. A great general like Sherman
ought to acknowledge his mistakes. for they
would not tarnish his wellearned fame But he
has never acknowledged either his mistake in
abandoning his men in the presence of an enemy
of treble strength, nor has he ever paid them
decent compliment for the handsome manner in
which they fought against fearful odds.
1T was beautiful Sabbath day. Early in the
the army that opened battle on Sunday
had, as rule. met with defeat; and our govern
ment had issued the general order to respect the
Sabbath as far as possible This referred prin-
was not needed to airy per-
ceptible extent. On this particular
Sabbath morning the reveille sounded usual
at o'clock, and the men prepared their hasty
breakfast and at Z A. NJ Gen. VIM. P. Carlin's
division filed out into the road for the days ad-
vance The foragers, "bummers" who always
constituted the van of our army in the march
to the sea, and in tho subsequent marches
through the Carolinas, had already started and
encountered stubborn resistance from the foe
in our front For the first time these gallant
freebooters fell back to let the heavier columns
of infantry dislodge the foe in the woods in
front.
1t was lovely spring morning and the '.sun
of Austerlitz' rose in gorgeous splendor, bathing
the pine tops with his golden light Following
a season of cloudy rainy weather, this glorious
sunrise gave a cheerful aspect to the scene,
which seen in the revived looks of the men.
We haG. come 425 miles from Savannah, and in
the midst of southern winter We had
brought the scourge of war to South Carolina,
crossed many great, swollen rivers and now as
the mile posts told Us. we within but
twenty seven miles of Godsboro, where we were
to unite our forces with those of General Terry
and General Schofeld and then march north
ward to help the army under Grant end the
if any, expected any considerable fighting
in North Carolina Carlin's division filed
to the left and the rattle of musketry increased.
Still we thought it detachment of cavalry, that
ing qualities" Our division, commanded by
General Morgan, followed close after. We went
but few hundred yards when we were halted
Ambulances began coming back bearing our
wounded Directly we were hurried forward
and formed on the right of the road. Our brig
ade, commanded by General Fearing. forming
his reserve and throwing up hasty breastworks.
All at once the heavy skirmish fire as
sumed all the magnitude of a battle.
Carlin's division had made charge which
was repulsed and followed by desperate charge
upon them by the enemy which they could not
Withstand. 1t was now past noon, and as the
broken fragments of Carlin's division were hurled
back, our brigade was hurried out to stem the
onset We were supported on right by
brigade of the Twentieth corps that had just
reached the field. The fight now became desper-
ate. At one time the line wavered, but was raj
lied, and for a time the fight was at close quar-
ters Our flank being turned, men re-
treated back to where, supported by ar
tillery and the reformed lines Of
Carlin's division, final stand was
vain Night closed upon the bloody scene and
the army of Sherman was saved
The skirmishing on the three following days,
while the other portions of our army were Get
ting into position, does not merit the name of
battle, as but few men were killed on either
side.
1t was the battle on Sunday, March 10,
that saved Sherman's army. On the 22d john
ston reiterated toward Raleigh and the armies
of Schofeld and Sherman were united at Colds
boro We had an army of nearly 10000
men. which was able to drive Johnston's
like ''chaff before the Wind Schofeld had en-
tered Goldsboro on the 2lst Three weeks after
nd fonl Pal srk al
Johnston surrendered. and the war was virtually
ended.
Men who served in the army instinctively re-
ferred most frequently to their greatest battles.
If the results of battle are taken to give it
rank, then the battle of Bentonsville should oc-
cupy first rank. Bull Run was great, not be-
cause of lts slain but because of its results in
arousing the nation to the magnitude Of the
struggle ahead of us.
The contest between the Monitor and Merri-
mac will rank with the great naval battles of all
ages because of the astonishing results both
as protective to the Union and in the COM
plete change it produced in our naval warfare
Antietam and Gettysburg were great battles,
from two causes: First. in the number of the
embattled hosts and second, in teaching the
South the impossibility of carrying the war into
the North.
But the battle of Bentonsviile was as has been
styled, ''the last chance of the Confederacy."
Had Johnston succeeded in routing the left wing
of Sherman's army. 1t would have been
possible for his elated troops to have
struck the right wing under Howard
while drawn out in marching columns along the
marshes and muddy roads, and the destruction
of that wing would have so elated the waning
Confederacy that no one can compute the long
train of disasters that might have followed
The thanks of the Nation are due to the 5000
men who fought so heroically in that Sundays
battle. / have written the above that your read
ers may ''gve honor to whom honor Is DUE"
and because the subject is worthy of more fire.
quent mention than is usually given it.
T. ]. CHARLTON,