The National tribune., 1903-01-08
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ENMOn the March Ay5uQ7Ae Calol1naS
the

Copyrighted. 1899. by the publish
The New Campaign opens with the sharp
Little Battle OF Avsrasboro-The Boys Hunt
for the Rebel RIGHT Flank.
The whole amy began moving across
Cape Fear River, by a pontoon which had
been laid below the bridge which Wade
Hampton had burned when he retreated
from Fayetteville.
The new and final campaign had open
ed.
The main part of the Left Wing-Four-
teenth and Twentieth Corps-stripped for
Gen. II. w. Slocun, turned sharply to
the left after crossing the river, and NOV
ed up the plank road leading to Averas-
boro and Raleigh.
The teams and other membranes were
sent more to the northeast and right. on
roads leading directly toward Bentonville
and GOldsboro.
The Right Wing, under command of
| Mai. -Gen. O. o. Howard-Fifteenth and
Seventeenth Corps-marched still farther
| to the right and northeast, upon Colds
boro, to meet there Gems. Terry and Scho-
| fed with their armies. coming up the
Neuse River from Newberne. AT Colds
boro they would strike another important
| railroad center, and still farther ruin the
4
granary of supplies.
1t was a magnificent movement, swing
! ing over wide swatf of most important
| country, and full of pOrtent to the South
ern Confederacy. 1t depended for its sue.
cess upon the harmonious and well-hmed
manuvering of the four corps over the
great area, each at the proper distance
from one another. all carefully abreast, no
matter what obstacles in the way. OF
swamps and swollen rivers they had to
| encounter, and ready for instant helpful
| ness should the alert and understanding
Joe Johnston throw his concentrated force
upon one part or the other to crush it.
Gen. Sherman went with the Left
Wing, which was pressing hard after Har.
dee, for he expected that there would
fall the heaviest blows, as Joe Johnston
could most readily concentrate his army
on that flank.
| Gen. Sherman went with the foot-loose
| four divisions-Ward's. Jackson's, Cariins
and Morgan's-Of the Left Wing, to eaten
and crush Hardee before Johnston could
gather up his army to help him. Joe
only the fragments of Hoods army, which
had marched overland to him, but the gar
risons of all the places which Sherman
had captured, with what other men mer-
CHESS CONSUMPTION could force into his
ranks from the unoccupied portions OF the
] CarOlinas.
Before leaving Fayetteville Gen. sher-
[ man wrote:
..These make I'D an army superior to
me in cavalry, and formidable enough in
artillery and infantry to justify me in ex'
treme caution in making the last step ne
cessary to complete the march have un-
dertaken." 9bn
To Gen. Schofeld he wrote that Gen.
Johnston might concentrate at Raielgh
| no ST whin
that number with my present force, and
with yours and nTerry's added we can go
wherever we can live"
| TO Gen. Grant he wrote: "Joe John.
ston may try to interpose between me and
Schofeld about Newberne; but l think he
will not try that, but concentrate his scat
tered armies at Raleigh, and | will go
straight at him as soon as get my men
reclothed ard our wagons reloaded
The 2O0th Ind marched out four or five
miles from the pontoOn bridge. and went
into camp on the left Of the plank road
leading on to Averasboro and Raleigh,
| They were near Kyle's Landing.
ST pushed on with his squad toward Sill
yer Run. little stream which cut square
/ ~ across the road, on its way to Cape
| Fear River. a mile or so to the west or
| left of the road. The country was open
pine, but the streams cut deep gulches
through it, as they neared the river, max
ing ugly barriers in their course.
mighty slim chance for forage out this
way, but good ones for a fight comment
ed Shorty, as they wound around to hunt
a crossing at one of these. and listened to
the cracking of musketry OF to their right
Those skirmishers out there are warm
irg up. and we may expect every minute
to be our next"
"Well. it's all in our three years." an
swered ST. 1--WE were ordered out here to
see what we could find. II it's grub it's
all right II it's fight it's all right.
We get the same price for both. If the
fights to come today it won't be tOmor-
row. II it isn't today it'll be tomorrow.
Let's push on. We may find the rebel
flank somewhere. and help our skirmishers
over there out"
They came to same open fields, and
about half a mile to the west of the main
road found a house. the Smith House.
which was soon taken possession OF by
the Surgeons. and converted into a hos
ptaI. 1t stood where the road upon
which they were riding was intersected by
one running due west from the plank road
toward Cape Fear River. Cleared ground.
about n third OF mile long, and nearly as
broad, extended along the plank road to
where the ground rose into a ridge, and
there streak Of whitish-yellow showed
where the rebels had thrown up line Of
works directly across the plank road, and
Extending an unknown distance to the
right and left. Guns could be seen in the
works, which announced themselves at in
tervals by shells thrown over into the
woods where the Union lines were form
ing. Great numbers of rebels appeared
behind the works. crouching over fires. or
under such shelters as they could impro-
wise. and there were clearly many more
further back in the woods.
THAT looks more like war than any
thing we've seen since we left Savanny,"
commented ST. "Shouldn't wonder but
we've come up with them at last
Eyes, and that looks considerably like
war; too added Shorty. pointing back
TO where IL cannon were being rushed up
through the mud to positions between the
Smith House and the plank road. '"They
propose to wake up something, when they
: all get a-gOing."
1t had been drizziing since daybreak.
Now it began n steady, dashing downpour,
which threatened 30 wash everybody and
everything into the already swollen Cape
Fear River. OO4
Out in the open; the rebel skirmishers
covered behind the sassafras and sumach
clumps, or lay down behind knobs. firing
through the blimhnS shower at their enc
mics, who were behind the fence at the
road in front of the Smith House.
TO the right Of the plank road the rebel
skirmishers had9 the cover of trees. and
lodged from one to the other as the Union
skirmishers pressed forward, eager to get
closer to their opponents, and have done
with the wet, aggrnvating business. They
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