Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-11-19
TINE svalE CALL
CONTINUED from page ~

whistling and singing of sauey yo,inssta,r'
| OF negro refrains. " was ths outbhh-
bling Of young hearts which no circun-
stances can ever repress; Comrades VIII
| some 1850 strong. which passed neal
Fayetteville on the road leaving behind
the much lauded contentment OF slavery
and hopefully marching to the fields OF
| freedom Those human hearts, at what
| ever cost, greatly preferred The freedom
| Looking ahead toward Goldsboro and
Raleigh we were sure that Joe Johnston,
called back, war sejnewhefe in DUR path.
So that, now, The entire command under
Shermans Instructions, stripped for bat
| tie; the trains. except wagons absolutely
essential, were thrown back. Kept well
together and placed under special escort
and covered, of course, by u good rear
| guard.
Before setting out from the Cape Fear.
| let us delay a moment TO reproduce such
| a picture of the country before us which
was photographed upon Our minds at the
| time, If we connect Fayetteville with
| Avetyshoro northward by a right line
northeast. and Smithtield southwark with
Goldsboro. and then join Godsboro with
| Fayetteville, We have an oblong, four
sided figure. The distance from Fayette-
vile to Goldsboro is 50 miles. The other
distances are about % miles each This
oblong figure is the terrain which covers
lncs I1tilUtutftS ana the TWO battles Oh
AvAysboro and BentonViie Bentonvile
Is a point as near the middle of this ter
rain as you can place it.
Slocum's column had preceded mine.
and was west of Averysboro Our wing
resumed its march from Fayetteville the
18th of March. Shermans mind. fully de-
termlned, was TO pass from Cape Fear TO
the Neuse river. making Goldsboro his
make connection with Schofleld and
Terry. coming from the sea, at or near
Goldsboro. before fighting general bat
tie. SlocLm went by way of l<yles' Land
Ing. aiming for Bentonville. Kilpa trick
cavalry was clearing the way on So
GUMS left and front. The day we started.
the 10th of March. Slocum found a large
Confederate force, still under Hardee
and not Johnston, thrown across his
way. Slocum says: Fitzpatrick came
upon the enemy behind line of iritrcnch-
right while Jackson's and Wards two
divisions dnfantry) of the 10Th corps were
employed In front of the enemy,s line.
Slocum continues: General Sherman
who had Just joined me at that time.
directed me to send IA brigade to the left
in order TO get in rear of the intrench-
ments, which was done. and resulted in
the defeat of the enemy. and in the cap
ture Of McBeth's Charleston battery and
III of Rhetts men,"
A little later Hardee's men made firm
stand covering themselves with strong
breastwork short distance in the rear
ol tIe UrSt lntrencnmentS encountered.
Slocum carefully skirmished up to the
new position and went into comp In front
of the Confederate line In these opera
tons there had been severe skirmishng
and several sharp encounters between
regiments and brigades OF the opposing
forces. Slocum's closing words concern
ing this battle are: During the night,
Hardee retreated, leaving los dead for It's
to bury. and es wounded. We lost II Of
ficers and 65 killed and AZ men
wounded. Such is the brief record of the
battle Of Averysboro; The Confederate
commander, Gen, Johnston, says con-
corning this battle that Hardee was In
formed by Hampton, his cavalry com
mander, that our Army of the Tennessee,
had already crossed the Black river so
that his left was substantially turned
This made him abandon his position i'm
the night and march hack toward Smith
I'D as far as the place named Eleya-
~. The work of our wing in pressing
forward 50 as to pass beyond Averysbor1
was all the part We. of the Army of the
Tennessee. bore in that sharp conflict.
Now follow the preliminaries of the APP
preaching engagement namely. the battle
of Bentonviile. A glance at my four-sded
terrain suggests the simplicity of what
we call strategy. just north of Burling-
ten, Vt, the city where l live. is field
fenced in where a ferocious bull is usually
found feeding or in a surly way watching
for an opportunity to Vent his fierce
spleen upon some man or animal that
may venture in his way. One day. to-
ward evening. as he stood on the north
sue peiloWlhg ana paving me art tis.
t,tushs Sisht OF workman VINO mao
clvareu ire renee on ihe south size ana
was !hilectIiiS crossing the HE'LL. lhefe
IRE some rev trees Midway. Inc pun
made rush for the man who had just
tiiiie 10 escape ms hofns ana clampere'l
up tree. Here the bull continued TO
nola the man prisoner tiil another man,
coming from the easl. was crossing the
,lelo; ne saw tne pun ana made towards
ms TANK As the animal turned TO face
ms ne" enemy the workman dropped
Iulcky from ING tree. the Two together
peihs 100 nuch foi' ms majesty. Inc buii'
tlcy soon uroVe nun 10 cover. ms is
ipout tHe strdtesy OF 5ehtonviie- JOINS
toh IS represented py the Dun Slocum ny
tHe Workman ana howard by the other
man coming INTO the field:
pei,. johnston instructions from Rlch-
mi0hu ne received the 20 OF fepruafy'
. l,,h9' az ms reSidence IN -incoimton. n. {.
! iley We're; 10 concentrate an aValiahle
iorGeS ana ufNe sherman back. rms WAS
nuGertaken ny zen; johnston win the
luii eoIscioushesS that the conlederaieS
couiu nave no other OBJECT IN continuing
ttle war IMAM 10 ontaln lalr terms OF
peace fof me southern cause must
nave appeared hopeless then 70 an MEL
Ilgcht ana dispasSlonate southern men
johnston hastened 10 Snlthlle!d to Sathe
rom az quarters what fragments he
couid. lie mad with nm IN snort time
NE Ntteidh ,,eherdiS f1ardee. hampton:
Sheatham. Stewart. Stevenson and
stephen D. Lee. lie probably mad. for
con 70