The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-04-19

NL Y. n
Ar ~ Surgeon, 18th Iowa;
A. EI0f W. T.. Smith. 9th
-. - S&Bl7ssS Ohio; A. II. Wind.
man, Battery I, "a
>~-Ss~ III. l.. A. This
was the last battle fought by the armies OF
Generals Sherman aud Johnston The fol.
lowing address was delivered by II. r. Ice.
Gen. Sherman's triumphant army had
marched from Atlanta to the sea and was
on its way to join the Eastern army under
the command Of Gen. Y. 5 Grant Com
mander in.Chef Shermau's army had
passed through South Carolina, aud was
moving through North Carolina to meet the
commands Of General Schoned from vii
mington, and Gen. Terry. from New Berne
When II reached Fayetteville, n g., there
was short halt ordered and boat came
up the Cape Fear River 10 bring supplies
and to communicate with Gen Sherman
who sent the Secretary Of Wara dispatch
saying "Wh,elcr's and Wade Hnmpton's
cavalry have been In my front through the
tarolinos but have kept at a respectful dis
tance."
There was one more move 10 make
and If this should be II successful one the
war must close II Gen Shermans army
consisting pt the Fifteenth aud Seventeenth
Corps commanded by Gen o. q. Howard.
and the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps
commanded by Gen. II. W. Slocum, was
permitted to lorna junction with Gems
Schoiield and Terry. at Gold .horo, there
would be at least 100 OOp men who would
move upt Richmond and unite with theAr.
my OF the Potomac under Grant and Meade
aud there was no power in the Cunfed.
eracy To meet such an army and contend
against 1t.
To keep the Union Generals from uniting
their armies was the object Of Gems Lee ami
Johnston, aud for this purpose Gen, Johns.
ton was restored to command and Gen
Btauregard was sent up from Charleston to
take command of all Of the available forces
tlat could he concentrated in North Caro-.
lima; to stop the army under Gen. Sherman
from making the junction with ScholieId
aud Terry, and, II possible to whip II In dc.
tail before the arrival Of the other corps.
The corps to which we belonged fthe Sev.
enteenthJ formed part of the right wing,
which was moving towards Avervboru from
Fayetteville, when kilpatrick's cavalry and
Jackson's and Wards divisions. of the
twentieth Corps, found force under Gen
iiardee aud drove them back, capturing
battery and some 900 prisoners, with u loss
of 800 IN killed and wounded
The march was again resumed towards
Goldsboro, and on the l9th of March, 1865,
We could hear the roar of the guns Of Car.
Inns Divisions and the other divisions of the
Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps, as they
were fercely assaulted by the com bined
N,
and Beaurrgard. We rea0 lied that the
eventful hour had come, and that IL we
succeeded In our last grand move on the
chess board OF war We must fight for IT, We
had unbounded faith in the ability and
bravery Of the Fourteenth and Twentieth
Corps TO hold the enemy in check until we
OF the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps
could arrive, but IA night approached the
roar OF the guns on the left told us plainly
that adesperate struggle was going on and we
knew that the critical hour had come and
was at hand and when we of the right wing
must take n part.
We stopped long enough to eat our sun.
pers when word was received that the left
wing had been attacked by force of 300
under. Johnston, Beauregard and Hardee
and that desperate battle had been fought
with our troops holding the field. We re
celyed orders to move Immediately in light
marching order, leaving the wagon.trains
and baggage, to be ON hand early in the
morning Of the 10Th OF March To nttack
the enemy's left. We marched all night,
wadng swamps and streams, some Of them
up to our waists, and by daylight were
ready to strike the encmy's left, which we
did and drove them steadily all day back
to the Neuse River into their works Here
we met Gems. Schufed and Terry coming
up from Goldsboro, and siege was immedi-
ately begun the troops, closing up on the
Confederate works. The skirmsh-lines
works, so determined were they to show
fight
On the next day Gen. Joe Mower obtained
permission to charge the works on the right
He sent his first brigade in and they captur.
ed the first line of works, and a battery of
artillery, but in sending the other troops
forward they missed the First Brigade, and
for want OF proper support they were driven
back with loss Of $50 killed and wounded
We engaged the enemy to the left OF Gen.
Mower and charged them on their line, los.
ing number OF men, among them our
commanding officer, Lieut.. William II.
Palmer who was wounded and had his leg
taken off.
There was short cessation in the firink
after Gen. Movers defeat 1t had been
raining most OF the time and light earth
works had been thrown up to protect the
troops In the front. When night came the
skirmish-lines renewed the fight, which
was kept up until four o'clock a. m. when
there was no response from the Confeder-
ates, and as soon as day began to dawn we
craw!ed out of our pits and made our way
over to the Confederate works, but they
were deserted. The enemy had retreated
during the night and fell back to Raleigh.
This ended our last battle OF the war. The
army went cut to Goldsboro and went into
camp, where We received our mail from
home and received some clothing and sun
plies OF which We were in great need after
our march through the Carolinas, wading
swamps through almost impossible roads
and sandy quagmires. Bentonvile and
Neuse river Will always be memorable as
being the places where one of the last strug.
giles OF the war occurred aud where gallant
troops, commanded by Gems. sherman, Slo
cum and Howard, met the enemies Of the
Union under Johnston Beauregard, Hardee
ana Hampton and defeated them thus Sc
curing the junction of the armies of the
East and West and putting I'm end TO the
war that threatened the destruction of our
Union.-NATIoSAL TRIBUNE, Washington,
ID. @.