The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-02-05
The Opening Of the Battle of Bentonville-Si
and the Rest Get Into 4 Tight Place.


gion of North Carolina, about 20 miles
west of G6ldsboro. Its only importance
was that itwas near where the roads lead
ing from the southeastern part of the State
came together to cross Cox's Bridge and
reach Goldsboro. 1t is situated on Mil
Creek, little stream running into the
Neuse River. Three miles south of Ben
tOnville runs the road over which Car
Inns and Morgan's divisions of the Four
teenth Corps were marching on that mo-
mentous 10Th of March, 1865. Behind
them, full days march away over the
miry roads, were Geary's and Williams
divisions of the Twentieth Corps. To the
left and rear of them was Fitzpatrick {
Cavalry, which, thinking danger over, had
abandoned the pursuit of Hardee, and was
working over to the right and to the main
army to open up communication with Soho
field. Still farther to the right and rear
wre the two divisions, toiling through
mud, rain and interminable swamps to
bring the wagons along. Still farther
away, days marches to the right and
eastward, were the other four divisions OF
the army, under Gen. Howard.
1t was the hardest, dreariest, and most
uncomfortable in every way of the
marches that the army had yet made. The
rain fell necessarily, the mud grew worse
and worse. and the swamps seemed more
interminable and bottomless. Every man
who marched over those roads those dis
NAL days has a more painful recollection
of that experience than of any of his pre-
vious service.
Believing after Averasboro that all dan
ger on the left was past, and no more
would be heard of Johnston until some
where near Raleigh, Sherman had left that
flank and gone over to the right where
Howard was, to push forward and open
up communications with Schoield.
Joe Johnston had other ideas.
Joe Johnston usually had.
He had been appointed to command
everything in Florida, Georgia, South Car
DINA, and that part of North Carolina,
and was ordered by General-in-Chief Lee
to concentrate all available forces and
drive back Sherman"
This was a very heavy contract, but
Johnston went to work to do his best.
He gathered up with the greatest ra-
pidity the fragments Of Hoods army,
which had been marched across the coun-
try from Alabama, whittier Thomas had
driven them. These were under Maj
Gen. Cheatham, Stevenson, and Bates,
and Lieut.. Gen. Lee, well known in the
to these he added the forces lately in Sa-
vannah, Charleston, and Cheraw, under
Lieut.-Gen. Hardee, Wheeler's and But
ler's Cavalry, under Lieut.-Gen. Wade
Hampton, and such others of Beauregard's
troops as had-been driven back as Sher-
man advanced. He hurried all these to-
ward Benton7ille to burst out of the
woods on the long, struggling line Of the
two divisions of the Fourteenth Corps, to
overwhelm them as they labored along the
quagmires of roads, before they could re-
ceive assistance.
Fortunately, it was quite as difficult for
Johnston to move his men through that
terrible country as it was for us, and Har-
dee and some others did not arrive in time
to make the 'butburst as complete and
overwhelming as Johnston had planned.
The rebels took position north of the road
on the EASTERN edge of an old plantation
extending about mile and a half to the
west, and surrounded, east, north, and
south, by q dense thicket of blackjack,
with swamps protecting the tanks, and
compelling the Union troops to advance
over a narrow space. The two batteries
were placed so as to sweep the road over
which Union troops were coming.
81 believe Gen. Davis was rather i'm
pressed with Wash. Biffes's story about
Joe Johnston's being out here in front,
though Gen. Slocum scouts it." said the
Adjutant, when in the dismal gray of the
next morning 81 reported at headquarters
for orders. "Gen. Davis still says that
there isn't anything out there but Wheel
er's and Buffers Cavalry, but all the
same he has given strict orders to keep
everything closed up tight, with the wag
ons and pack-mules close to the rear Of
the column. You will strike out to the
left of the main road and push forward
as fast as you can. Find out ell that
you can about what is out there in front
and send back at once any news you may
get"
every good, sir" replied ST, swinging
into the saddle and leading out into the
pelting rain.
II recommend, Shorty. that You don't
wake up another battery of ARTILLERY"
shouted the Adjutant after them. "Y0u
are hardly built for charging batteries"
81 amt lost any batteries" Shorty
shouted back; II got enough yesterday to
last me good while. Canister at 200
yards don't suit me, even little bit"
"We have got out so early" observed 81
to his partner, "that hope we will get
ahead little ways before we stir any of
them up. We are ahead of all the rest
of the fOragers, and the rebels will hardly
expect us to break the day for them. They
must be very tired from the performances
For once 81 misjudged his enemies. He
came up to where the officer of the pckets
was drawing in his weary outposts to
march back to camp, to get hasty break
fast, and fall into the marching column.
GLOW are things out in front, Lieuten-
1nt?" asked 81.
"Aggravating," answered The Lieuten-
mt, with a volume of profanity. 'Never
saw them act SO before. Didn't give US
, minutes peace the whole night. There
S a whole lot more than WheeIer's Cav
llry out there, and they are up to all
sorts of deviItry. should think that men
would have enough of this CHASTITY rain
md mud in the daytime and keep quiet at
night, but they kept nagging us every
blasted hour. / hope that you will burst
some of them wide open, which we tried
70 do, but l am not sure we succeeded.
Fall in, promptly, men; you are slower
than molasses in Winter time! What is
The matter with you, anyway? Got lead
On your feet? Right dress! Without dou-
bling, right face! Forward! File left.
-
ST had gone but little ways beyond the
picket line of the night before, when
iozen or more musket shots crashed duly
through the watery air. The bullets
lroned by or spattered against the tree
trunks.
'They seem to be up and dressed to re-
ceive callers" yelled Shorty, firing his car
bine at the clump of smoke and moving
instinctively- for shelter to large tree
near by. Lay Down, Y-a-n-k-s!
Grab root! Pete, you little spal-
peen! get behind tree"
Get under cover, everybody" shouted
81. "Dismonnt and tie your horses We
seem to have struck something"
ST ran forward to q large twin oak,