CUMBERLAND COUNTY, NC - MILITARY - Ten Days of Hell

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                          TEN DAYS OF HELL 

                            Introduction 

"There is many a boy here today who looks on war as all glory, but boys, it 
is all hell". - William T. Sherman

The Ohio State Journal reported General Sherman's "War is Hell" speech on 
August 12, 1880. By that date he surely could have described war and it 
touched the lives of nearly every American. There were, however, thousands of 
southern families who were introduced to the subject of war by Sherman on his 
march to the sea and subsequent march through the Carolinas. (32:637)

Much has been written about Sherman's march and one of the best books is "The 
Civil War in North Carolina" by John G. Barrett. Only bits and pieces however 
have been published about events in Sampson County.

The full force of Sherman with his forty Yankee generals and 60,000 troops 
passed through Sampson in March of l865. There were five skirmishes in the 
county between the northern and southern forces. Most homes in the path of 
Sherman were sacked, but perhaps a few homes in south Sampson escaped the 
torment.

There are hundreds of tragic events lost to history and the incidents 
recounted in these articles are only a fraction of the complete story. To 
understand what happened in Sampson we must first look at Fayetteville and 
introduce you to the army Sherman commanded.

There are two primary sources for this story. First the official records of 
the war are published in about 130 volumes. They are poorly indexed but a 
mass of information. All of Sampson's rivers and creeks are listed by name 
in these records: Newton Grove, McLamb, Draughon, and Beaman's cross-roads 
are also included as well as some which now bear other names. For instance, 
Spivey's Corner was then Jackson's Cross-roads. There are also several 
citizens of Sampson listed by name. Clinton and Owensville (Roseboro) are 
also listed, as well as four churches. Volume XLVII (47) of those records 
have mainly correspondence and field reports from the Carolina operations. 
(40)

The next good primary source is journals or diaries which have since been 
published. These also list several local citizens, places, and events which 
happened on the soil of Sampson. One good thing about the Yankees was that 
most could read and write. One of the best of these with details about the 
people of Sampson is the journal of Colonel Oscar Jackson, 63rd Ohio Infantry. 
Some of these publications are now rare and are only available in a few 
libraries. (30)

The fame of Sherman's Army in Georgia and South Carolina preceded his arrival 
in North Carolina by some time.

Their acts of destruction in South Carolina were justified by Sgt. David 
Floyd of the 75th Indiana, "The march through South Carolina had left a track 
of desolation more than forty miles wide. That states special guilt in taking 
the initiative in secession was assumed by officers and men as justification 
of its devastation. The responsibility does not rest upon us". (25:372) 

Columbia had been sacked and burned and North Carolina braced itself for the 
hell to come. At that time nearly all men from sixteen to fifty years of age 
were away in the army and that left mainly women and children to face the 
terror of the invading army.

Confederate Generals William J. Hardee (infantry) and Wade Hampton (cavalry) 
were a little more than a thorn in the side of Sherman as he pushed into 
North Carolina on March 6, l865. On that date General Joseph E. Johnson was 
placed over all Confederate forces in the Carolinas. That was not good news 
for Sherman, since burned bridges, a few minor skirmishes, and the weather 
were about all Sherman had as obstacles since Atlanta.

At times about ten percent of Sherman's army of several thousand were sent 
out as foragers to sack every farm, home, or store in their forty mile path. 
If allowed, the foragers would move out far in front of the main columns as 
they were eager to get the first pickings.

Soon after crossing the North Carolina border James C. Bennett of Anson 
County met "Sherman's Bummers" (foragers) when they took his money, watch, 
and other valuables. Later in the day, another group came by and shot Bennett 
because he had nothing left to steal. (51:33)

Confederate General Matthew C. Butler (cavalry) was part of the force keeping 
check on the foragers. They were having almost daily conflicts with the fringes 
of Sherman's army who were plundering the helpless inhabitants. (8:474)

On the 8th of March, the vanguard of Hardee's men arrived in Fayetteville. 
First to come were the "galvanized" Yankees, armed with axes, picks, and 
spades to repair the roads. Those were northern prisoners of war who 
preferred that work to life in a prison camp. Finally the artillery and 
infantry arrived. (31:264)

The stories they brought with them of the Yankees foraging, burnings, and 
acts of violence did little to ease the fears of the local citizens. Some 
decided to pack and run into Sampson as Raleigh was the expected route of 
Sherman, but most were forced to stay and try to hide their valuables and 
food.

Little children gathered early daffodils and flung them to the troops in gray 
and many of the Fayetteville ladies prepared bread and meals for the ragged 
soldiers as they passed through. A cheer went up from the crowd as they 
watched with watery eyes as the soldiers in gray passed their way. (51:38)

Early on the morning of March the 10th, Confederate General Wade Hampton 
caught Yankee cavalry General Hugh Kilpatrick off guard and each side lost 
about 200 men. The union troopers dubbed it "Kilpatrick's shirt-tail 
skedaddle" and the event was of considerable embarrassment to Kilpatrick as 
he was nearly captured. The captured horses and prisoners were paraded 
through Fayetteville later that day. (43:232)

For over a week the "bummers" had been happily anticipating the spoils of 
Fayetteville. Five men traveling some fifteen miles in front of the main 
column entered Fayetteville before dark on the 10th and sadly discovered that 
Hampton's men were still in town. One Yankee was killed and the others 
"gobbled" up. (3:143)

Sherman however was closing in, he could hardly wait to take Fayetteville for 
two reasons: first, the arsenal there had been taken early in the war from 
the union forces; second, he disliked the Fayetteville Observer because of 
the editor’s strong support for the south. (3:142)(18:220)

II - The Fall of Fayetteville - March 11, 1865

"The City of Fayetteville was offensively rebellious" - George W. Nichols - 
Major, Union Army

Early on March 11, 1865, Sherman’s Right Wing Commander, General 0.0. Howard, 
sent seventy eight horsemen ahead of the Infantry as scouts. They were led by 
Captain William Duncan, who encountered no pickers, and instead of returning 
to their units, continued on into Fayetteville from the south. (28:201)

Confederate General Hampton, however, was still in town and was calmly eating 
breakfast at the hotel, and warned of approaching enemy troops, quickly 
organized a "welcoming committee" and rushed to meet Duncan. The surprised 
Federals were unprepared for this sudden show of resistance and in their 
confusion they were not able to put up much of a fight. About a dozen were 
killed and Duncan and a few others were captured. Hampton lost about six of 
his men. (28:201)

As the fight went on through town, the main streets were strewn with dead and 
wounded men and horses. A most gruesome sound, the scream of mortally wounded 
horses, could be heard in the streets. The men, dead and wounded, were cared 
for, but the horses were left where they fell.

During the skirmish, a Yankee captain, in the advance of his men, crept in a 
citizen’s coat near a fence in order to get a better look at the retreating 
rebels. Suddenly he was confronted by a ragged and barefoot fellow, whom he 
instantly recognized as one of Sherman's "bummers". The recognition, however, 
was not reciprocal, for the "bummer" excited in the thought that he had 
caught a rebel, shouted: "Hallo! Just stop right thar", surveying his 
extremities, "I say come up out of them boots".

"I couldn't think of it". was the reply; "They are a fine pair of boots, and 
they are mine".

"You needn't say another d___d word, come out o' them boots. P'haps you got a 
watch about your breeches pocket, just pull her out. No nonsense now. I'm in 
a hurry to get after them rebs".

"Perhaps you would like a horse?" teased the Yankee captain. 

"A hoss" (the bummer's eyes sparkled). "A hoss, well you come on out of them 
boots and we'll discuss the hoss question, where is the hoss?"

"Oh, he is right nearby, with my orderly".

"Thunder! Are you an officer of our army? I thought you were a reb".

And then the "bummer" went to the rear under arrest, disgusted beyond measure. 
(36:243-244)

Meanwhile Hampton took his prisoners and moved across the river and set fire 
to the Clarendon Bridge in the process. Some Confederate troopers did not 
make it in time and had to travel north and crossed the river north of 
Fayetteville. Howard's scouts soon returned with re-enforcements and some of 
the XIV Army Corps charged through town to save the bridge, but they were too 
late. Mayor Archibald McLean met Lt. Colonel William Strong of Howard's staff 
and formally surrendered the town. (28:202)

One of the first "soldiers of blue" who entered the town accosted a most 
distinguished and venerable clergyman, Rev. William Hooper, D.D., L.L.D., 
then more than seventy years old. His grandfather had signed the Declaration 
of Independence. The captain called him a "dammed rebel" and putting a pistol 
to his head, demanded and carried off his watch and purse.  (51:56)

Alice Campbell, a local citizen, tells her own story, "Sherman, with his 
hordes of depraved and lawless men, came upon us like a swarm of bees, 
bringing sorrow and desolation in their pathway. For days we had been 
expecting them and our loved boys in grey had been passing in squads, looking 
ragged and hungry. We gave them food and clothing, especially shoes and socks, 
for many were barefoot. The enemy seemed to be pouring in by every road that 
led to our doomed little town. Our cavalry were contending every step, firing 
and falling back, covering the retreat of our gallant little band, Hardee's 
forces, with Wade Hampton, Butler, and other - the scene in our town baffled 
description, all was consternation and dismay. In less time than I can write 
this, Sherman's army was in possession of our once peaceful, quiet homes. 
Every yard and house was teeming with bummers, who went into our homes - no 
place was sacred; they even went into our trunks and bureau drawers, stealing 
everything they could find; our entire premises were ransacked and plundered, 
so there was nothing left to eat, but perhaps a little meal and peas, chickens, 
and all poultry was shot and taken. We all knew that our silver, jewelry, and 
all valuables would fall into their hands, so many women hid them in such 
places as they thought would never be found, but alas, for their 
miscalculations; one of my friends had a hen setting, and she took her watch 
and other valued jewels and hid them in the nest, under the hen; they did not 
remain long concealed, for they soon found them and enjoyed the joke. They 
went into homes that were beautiful, rolled elegant pianos into the yard with 
valuable furniture, china, cut glass, and everything that was dear to the heart, 
even old family portraits, and chopped them up with axes. They rolled barrels 
of flour and molasses into parlors, and poured out their contents on beautiful 
velvet carpets, in many cases set fire to lovely homes and burned them to the 
ground and even took some of our old citizens and hanged them until life was 
nearly extinct, to force them to tell where their money was hidden when alas, 
they had none to hide". (31:274)

R.K. Bryan, a lad of twelve, and his father loaded a wagon with bacon, corn, 
and other supplies and tried to make it across the Cape Fear, but were turned 
back by Kilpatrick's men and sent home under pass. Meanwhile their barn had 
been burned and home plundered, but Mrs. Bryan, still at home, was miraculously 
unharmed. (3:145)

The main body of Sherman's XVII and XIV Army Corps now began to pass by in 
martial array. Flags flew, the field officers on horseback pranced at the 
head of the column and the soldiers proudly kept step to the music of the 
band. The very first band that went by played "Dixie", which caused many of 
the ladies to sit down and have a good cry. (31:267)

Sherman's army was composed of a Right Wing (Army of the Tennessee) which had 
about 100 regiments in the XVII Army Corps or the XV Army Corps. The XV Corps 
was last to arrive at Fayetteville, getting there on Sunday the 12th. The 
Left Wing (Army of Georgia) also had about 100 Regiments and they were in the 
XIV Army Corps or the XX Corps. The XX Corps arrived at Fayetteville about 
10:00 P.M. on March 11. 

Sherman's army had two wings and each wing had two corps and each corps was 
made up of three or four divisions and each division was made up of two or 
three brigades and each brigade was made up of four or five regiments and 
regiments were made up of several companies and they were made up of about 
thirty men, for a total of 60,000 men.

Each division was given the opportunity to occupy a town in its path. The XIV 
Army Corps, Third Division, as luck would have it, was chosen for Fayetteville. 
Col. Jackson wrote of this event, "General Baird's Division of the XIV Corps 
is doing duty in the city and they are rather more respectful of private 
property than either our Corps, the XVII, or the XV Corps would be". (30:196)

Also, as luck would have it, the XVII Corps was later to take the Clinton 
road and the XV Corps was to take the Clement road and at Elizabeth Chapel 
cross over to the Goldsboro road (now US 13) and move through Newton Grove. 
The Left Wing was to move up the Raleigh road (now RT 82) and crossed over 
the northern part of Sampson County and then up to Bentonville. 

III - A Sunday in Purgatory

"A good many of us went to church in Fayetteville. We heard, a pretty good 
sermon, all about loving ones enemies". - Theodore Upson - 100th Indiana

Sunday March 12, 1865 dawned with frost. Many of Sherman's troops were 
without shoes as the march and rain filled swamps had taken their toll. 
Breakfast mostly consisted of corn cakes without salt and for some, bacon and 
ham, which had just the day before hung in Fayetteville smoke-houses. 
(45:412)(30:196)

Arriving with Sherman's army were some 25,000 refugees. Most were blacks from 
South Carolina where burnings were far more common than in North Carolina.

Within two hours after the fall of Fayetteville, the Third Division of the 
XIV Corps was posted as guards in the town proper. As a result there were no 
homes deliberately burned, and there were no civilian deaths. That was not 
the case outside the town limits. The Third Division had about 5,500 men. 
Sherman, his staff, his guards, and various others would mean a total of 
about 7,000 Yankees camped inside Fayetteville and over 75,000 (including 
refugees) camped outside. (40:551)

Before noon, the XV Corps began to arrive at Fayetteville with 15,000 tired 
and hungry troops. Tagging along were a few more thousand refugees and a few 
CSA deserters and their families. 

Theodore Upson records in his diary about that Sunday, "A good many of us 
went to church. There are a number of churches in Fayetteville and we heard a 
pretty good sermon, all about loving ones enemies which I think the Southerners 
will have hard work to do. But they would have no enemies if they had not tried 
to bread-up the Union. If they will give up that crazy notion and stop fighting 
us, we will be their best friends. While we were at church we heard a boat 
whistle and here came a steamer up the river with papers from the North".
(56:156)

The tug Davidson had left Wilmington late Saturday afternoon and signaled 
that Wilmington had fallen to the Yankee General Terry. Sherman had sent a 
message cross country from Laurel Hill. The NY Tribune for March 6 was 
brought up the river on the tug and it was quite a prize as one Yankee tried 
to buy the newspaper from another for $l,000 in Confederate money. You can be 
sure that he was not paid in Confederate notes. (47:207)(12:162)

Sherman wrote of this day, "Sunday, March 12th, was a day of Sabbath 
stillness in Fayetteville. The people generally attended their churches, for 
they were a very pious people, decended in a large measure from the old 
Scotch covenanters, and our men too were resting from the toils and labors of 
six weeks of as hard marching as ever fell to the lot of soldiers. Shortly 
after noon was heard in the distance the shrill whistle of a steamboat, which 
came nearer and nearer, and soon a shout, long and continuous, was raised 
down by the river, which spread farther and farther, and we all felt that it 
meant a message from home. The effect was electric". (48:295)

Most of the officers managed to find homes to stay in, however, all the 
churches and other public buildings were being used as barracks for the 
soldiers of the XIV Corps. So on that Sunday the churches were full. After 
only one night in town the churches were likely still churches to some degree 
but after the Yankees left, Sally Hawthorne described the Lord's House,
"They were in a terrible state of dirt and vermin. The cushions had to be 
burned and the carpets, almost torn to ribbons, were also useless. Bibles and 
hymnals were so mutilated and defaced as to be unfit to use and they were 
filled with vulgar and ribald writing". (31:284)

Sherman's engineers were ordered to lay two pontoon bridges. One about four 
miles south of the burned Clarendon Bridge was started and another was to be 
laid next to the old bridge.

Sally Hawthorne, a local citizen, writes of those days, "One of the favorite 
pastimes was to have the chickens, ducks, and turkeys turned out of their 
yards on the lawn back of our house and of course the poor things, delighted 
to get to the green grass, would be picking busily, when those young men 
would sit on the steps and shoot as many as they wanted for their supper and 
then send them to the cook to get ready. They were kind enough to offer us 
some, but the offer was never accepted". (31:279)

It was a day of prayer and attending church in Sampson. Wesley Chapel, Goshen 
Church, Cannan Baptist Church, and others were packed with a hope of finding 
out the latest on Sherman. Home Guard Col. John E. Parker and others were 
being kept posted daily by the Confederate Cavalry Couriers.

At the home of Col. Parker, then located north of Reynolds Crossroads, three 
year old Gus Parker and his brothers and sisters were, as usual, dressed in 
their Sunday best. Gus got into a bit of mischief, like prematurely having 
his Sunday dinner. After the required punishment, which he thought was 
unjust, he declared that when the Yankees came he would tell where the food 
was hidden. (54)

In Fayetteville, the officers of a regiment near the home of Mrs. Josephine 
B. Worth wished to have a dinner party and borrowed the dining room of the 
old lady who lived nearby. They politely invited her to sit down with them. 
"General" she said, "ain't you going to ask the blessing?" "Well, grandma" 
said he, "I don't know how, won't you do it for me?" So she asked a blessing 
and prayed a short prayer. She asked the Lord to turn their hearts away from 
their wickedness and make them go back to their homes and stop fighting the 
South, and everything that she was afraid to tell them she told the Lord and 
they couldn't say a word. (58:55)

IV - A Day of Destruction

"I can compare this day to nothing but what I imagine Hades would be were its 
awful doors thrown open". - Anne K. Kyle - "War Days in Fayetteville"

Early Monday morning, March 13, l865 a large body of Sherman's men were seen 
at the Fayetteville arsenal, seemingly armed with a new kind of weapon. It 
was soon discovered that each had a fragment of the ornamental woodwork that 
had surrounded an arsenal building. They laid these aside for later use as 
kindling. (31:267)

Sherman could not leave enough men to hold the beautiful brick arsenal so he 
ordered his chief engineer, Col. Orlando M. Poe, to level it. To be destroyed 
were twenty buildings covering thirty acres.

Soon the breaking down of walls began. Railroad rails were suspended by 
chains from timbers set up in the shape of an "X". With these they would 
first peck a small hole which grew larger and larger as they swung the iron 
against them. There were several such rams at work simultaneously around the 
same building. When the wall was sufficiently weakened the roof would fall in 
with a loud crash. The bands would strike up and the men would cheer as if 
they really enjoyed the work of this destruction, which lasted all day. 
(31:268)

While this was going on, Sherman's XVII and XX Army Corps were given orders to 
clean up as well as they could. That did not help much as many were barefoot 
and many had ragged and mixed clothes. One division reported that nineteen 
percent were barefoot. Some were wearing clothes taken off the back of 
Fayetteville citizens.

In this condition they were ordered to parade through Fayetteville and pass 
by Sherman. The review started at noon and they marched through the principal 
street with its rather attractive homes for the gentry, its whitewashed 
cabins for the Negroes, and its market place in the center of the widest 
street. General Sherman reviewed the troops beyond the market place (toward 
Clinton). They did not make a handsome show but their "Uncle Billy" (Sherman) 
seemed to be well pleased. (9:225)

After the review they passed over one of the pontoon bridges that spanned the 
Cape Fear River and the XVII Army Corps went into camp near the crossing at 
Cade's plantation and the XX Army Corps went into camp four miles from town 
near the plank road that ran north to Raleigh. (21:261)

After the parade of ragged troops came the parade of refugees, cattle, sheep, 
and camp followers. It was almost an unbroken stream, such as one seldom 
witnesses. (31:268)

Three boats came up the Cape Fear and about 18,000 of the 25,000 refugees 
were able to leave Fayetteville by that method and the others would follow 
the XVII Corps and travel overland to Wilmington, via Clinton. The boats also 
carried many items stolen from citizens and homes in and around Fayetteville.
(21:261)

In the heart of Sampson, widow Isobella Fann Tew (the author's relative) was 
concerned for the safety and welfare of her ten children. Daniel W., the 
oldest, was now in the Army Junior Reserves with Isobella's brother (Doc 
Fann). Her husband and three brothers had left home and lost their lives and 
another brother was a Yankee prisoner. John Oliver, then sixteen, was digging 
holes and hiding yams and meat. At the end of the day he asked, "What shall 
we do now Maw?" "Pray for rain", was the reply. (53)

The magnitude of the food problem cannot be completely understood or fully 
expressed at this time in history. First, the Confederates with 15,000 or so 
troops were marching in front of Sherman and moving so fast that they had to 
live completely off the land, most of which was gladly given. Then came 
Sherman and his 60,000 troops and 25,000 refugees who went for weeks without 
outside contact and living only by foraging at the point of a gun. It was a 
dual deadly game. The local citizens would try to hide food and valuables and 
Sherman's men would try every trick to find them. All of this on an economy 
operated by old men and women and children.

Capt. Dexter Horton of Fentonville, Michigan was twenty-eight years old, and 
part of Sherman's foraging system of feeding his army. He was somewhat 
sympathetic to the southern people and kept a detailed journal of events. He 
wrote of this day "Everyone out of grub". (23:248)

Sgt. David Floyd of the 75th Indiana recorded that one of the sentinels 
guarding the commissary stores, shot and killed the Sergeant-Major of a XX 
Corps regiment. He was caught committing a misdemeanor and refused to desist.
(25:375)

Col. Albion Tourgee was in the same brigade as Sgt. Floyd but he was in the 
105th Ohio. He records in his journal, "We captured a large bundle of woven 
socks, ready to be sewed together, we learned the comparative worth of 
Confederate money and greenbacks. The woman employed would do the work for 
$1.00 per pair in Confederate money or fifty pairs for a $1.00 in greenbacks". 
The socks were apparently taken from a local mill. (55:364)

Although no Fayetteville citizen lost their life, many were mistreated, 
example follows: John P. McLean, W.T. Horne, Major Jessee Hawley, and 
Alexander McArther were all hung to try to extract from them where their 
valuables were hidden, but they were taken down with only minor injury. Also 
Charles B. Mallett, John M. Rose, John P. McLean, W.T. Horne, Mrs. Banks, 
Charles T. Haigh, James G. Haigh, and Archibald Graham had homes burned. 
These homes, for the most part, were outside of the town limit where guards 
were not placed and were burned at night. (51:67-68)

The country home of the Mallets north of Fayetteville was burned with only 
Negroes left at the house. When the Yankees told them that they were going to 
burn down the house, they pleaded with them not to, especially not to burn 
"Old Masser's picture". The soldiers gave them the choice — the house or the 
picture. The house was burned. Their old master was dead, so the picture 
could not be replaced. (39:416)

One neighbor of John M. Rose lost $25,000 in valuables to Sherman's bummers. 
Mr. Rose also had his hat stolen off his head and his cattle were taken. 
Negro homes were also plundered. (51:68)

Ironically on this date, Eli Sherlock, 100th Indiana, wrote, "The army was 
very orderly - not a citizen complained".

V - A Day of Hunger and Anxiety

"Had heeps of fun all day and saw many, many sad sights. Weeping mothers with 
babes begging for food". – Capt. Dexter Horton - 14th Army Corps

Early Tuesday, March 14, l865 the XVII Corps of Sherman's Right Wing were on 
the Clinton road and were still near the Cape Fear hoping to get more supplies 
up the river before heading for Sampson County.

Alexander Downing of the 11th Iowa and a foraging party of the XVII Corps 
went out early in search of feed for the horses and mules. They came to a 
rich plantation (near Vander) about four miles from camp, and in a short time 
they had the wagons loaded with corn. Some of them were loading wagons as 
others were getting chickens and they had upset a hundred beehives, when some 
one called out "The rebels are coming!" They had completed loading the wagons 
and that call was enough to frighten the teamsters, and they put the whip to 
the mules, starting them off on a dead run. They galloped the teams all the 
way back to camp. It was every fellow for himself, and Downing wrote in his 
diary, "I never ran faster in my life". (21:261)

In any successful forging operation there is of course someone who gets the 
short end of the stick. In the case of Fayetteville there were six Yankees 
for every man, woman, and child. Fayetteville was sacked on Saturday and the 
small supply of food that some bummers would leave was now gone. 

Fayetteville was cut off from the world and Sally Hawthorne tells of how the 
Yankees searched for hidden food, "The orchard, just back of the lawn, was 
swarming with men with their bayonets fixed, prodding the ground inch by inch. 
I never saw anything like the slow, methodical way they went at it, but 
evidently they found nothing, for they next took the vegetable garden, and 
prodded the first vegetables up, but with no more success than in the orchard".                      
(31:278)

Rev. Thomas Stevenson, a chaplain of the 78th Ohio recorded this of 
Fayetteville, "We have never before seen so many poor looking women in one 
place. They thronged the streets in crowds, begging something to eat from our 
soldiers; they have every appearance of want and starvation". (50:334)

Mixed in all this was one small blessing, the XV Corps pulled out and crossed 
the Cape Fear River and went into camp near the XVII Corps and now the Right 
Wing with about half of Sherman's 60,000 men was on the Clinton road. Part of 
the XIV Corps, those not assigned to Fayetteville, had also pulled out and 
had camped behind the XX Corps on the Raleigh road. (40:348)

Some of the boys in the XVII Corps visited the plantation of John Waddell 
located about four miles east of Fayetteville. He was fatally shot for 
resisting their plundering. (17)

Meanwhile the troops assigned to Fayetteville were still busy. All the 
arsenal buildings ornamental woodwork was used for torches to set fire to the 
remains. The heat, flames, smoke, and general confusion were terrifying to 
the women and children who lived in nearby homes. At different points on the 
arsenal grounds were "bomb pits" which were large excavations where they 
stored loaded bombs. Combustibles were thrown into these pits, and, adding to 
the other terrors, was the continual bursting of bombs as if a battle were in 
progress. The home of William B. Wright caught fire and burned during the 
process. (39:412)

The Fayetteville Observer's large three-story brick building was destroyed by 
order of Sherman because the publisher and founder, E.J. Hale, was a staunch 
"rebel" and his paper wielded great influence for the Confederacy. Mr. Hale 
was an especially obnoxious person in the eyes of Sherman. His building was 
in the heart of Fayetteville. It was from The Fayetteville Observer that 
Sherman learned that General Johnson was made commander of all Confederate 
forces in the Carolinas. Apparently also the paper was used to publish some 
hot letters between Sherman and Hampton, as Hampton was not treating Yankee 
foragers too kindly. (39:412)(27:204)(19:198)

The prisoners in jail were released and explosives placed inside next to the 
brick wall. The building was then set on fire. While it was burning, the 
charges were set off and bricks went flying, bringing down the walls. (39:415)

General Baird of the XIV Corps, whose men were doing duty in Fayetteville, 
had his headquarters in a house near some old warehouses. Some bold and rash 
soldiers, without authorization, set fire to the buildings and flames spread 
to immense proportions, consuming a whole block and also the house in which 
General Baird had his headquarters. (25:375)

About 4 P.M. rain began and at that hour Confederate Generals Wheeler and 
Butler's men were busy setting up breastworks at the Sampson side of the 
Maxwell Bridge (Clement) and Warwick Bridge (Autryville). Also at this hour 
Sherman's bummers were as far as Blockersville (Stedman) where a large resin 
factory existed with several thousand barrels of resin. (30:197)

General Absalom Baird also claims that two iron foundries and a total of 
three rebel newspapers were destroyed at Fayetteville, plus a Branch Bank of 
the State of North Carolina was burned.  (40:197)

Sherman's guards were camped in a grove behind the home of Mrs. Josephine 
Worth. She recalls, "The night they left they burned a large quantity of 
corn. They built a large fire in the street and poured on bag after bag of 
corn, looking in the firelight like a company of fiends. How glorious the 
boys in blue appeared, burning up the bread from destitute women and 
children". (58:55)

So Sherman and his staff pulled out, but left about 6,000 soldiers in 
Fayetteville for one more day. Major Nichols of Sherman's staff took time to 
write in his journal, "We have left Fayetteville pretty much as we found it".
(36:251) 

VI - A Day of Sacrifice

"The rebel soldier stood his ground but he was dropped by their shots into 
the swiftly running river and swept away to rise no more". - Col. Oscar 
Jackson - Union Army 

Fayetteville - XIV Corps

Fayetteville was the proud home of five cotton factories and one at Rockfish. 
Two of the mills were owned by John Hawthorne and his brother. Another was 
owned by Charles B. Mallett, who also had a country home burned. Mr. Mallett's 
mill stood on Branson Street and he had been in the cotton manufacturing 
business for over 15 years. (39:414)

March 15, 1865, was not a happy day for mill workers and owners as three days 
earlier the owners were notified that Sherman was going to blow up the mills 
and if they wished to remove anything it must be done prior to the appointed 
hour on Wednesday. (31:280)

The next day, the town fathers got together and requested an audience with 
General Sherman, which was granted. Sherman let each man say what he wanted, 
keeping silent 'till they had all finished, and when the last had pleaded his 
case, he said these words: "Gentlemen, Niggers and cotton caused this war, 
and I wish them both in Hell. On Wednesday those mills will be blown up. Good 
morning". (31:280)

One minor consolation is that each mill worker was allowed to take anything 
they wanted from the mill.

The appointed hour for the Hawthorne mills came at 3 P.M. The roar of the 
explosion could be heard all over town and dense smoke hung over Fayetteville 
into the night. (31:281)

During the Fayetteville occupation, Sherman's bummers were still going out. 
They would go out on foot and return on wheels. They would order the servants 
to hitch up the mules to the wagons and carts and load them. Those animals 
which they could not take did not fair too well. Esther Alden traveled 
through Anson County about a week after Sherman and she entered the following 
in her diary, "The poor suffering horses; some fortunately dead and out of 
their misery, others groaning in death pains, some with disabled limbs feebly 
hobbling about to gleam a blade of grass. The cows and oxen slaughtered and 
left to rot. I counted eight beautiful calves lying dead in one pen; many 
times we saw two or three lying dead side by side". (31:262)

One of the Army's final acts in Fayetteville was to destroy some unwanted 
worthless horses and mules so that they would not be used by the South. The 
areas near the two pontoon bridges were chosen as a place to make a thorough 
inspection of the army transportation. As each brigade would prepare to cross 
the Cape Fear, all jaded horses and mules were culled from the units. A 
number of soldiers were detailed for that purpose. A thousand of these 
animals were herded into a field beside the Cape Fear, where they plunged 
about in terror for hours as soldiers shot them. Bodies were left where they 
fell; many floated down the river. (18:222)(60:427)

The upper pontoon bridge was near town and Alice Campbell tells of the herd 
at this point, "They took all the horses in town that they could not take with 
them and put them in an enclosure on Cool Spring Street and shot them, leaving 
hundreds of dead horses lying there. They were burned and you may try to 
imagine the odor, if you can". (30:275) 

The horses and mules which were killed the first day during street fighting 
were still on the streets and there they would be for two more days all 
stinking to high heaven. (30:284)

One more important point in this area: Right Wing Commander 0.0. Howard 
reported the "capture" of 6,815 horses and mules from Savannah, Georgia to 
Goldsboro. Assuming that the Left Wing stole the same amount from helpless 
old men and women, then over 13,000 work animals would have been taken from 
the Carolinas by Sherman. The number of other livestock killed and horses and 
mules killed in skirmishes is not known, but must have been enormous. (40:209)

Sally Hawthorne wrote of that last day and the ordeal of Fayetteville, "There 
were warehouses of cotton and rosin. The cotton was brought out, the barrels 
of rosin piled on them and all set fire in the street. If houses caught, they 
burned; many did. Soon a pall of black smoke hung over everything and people 
were in a sad state of excitement and nervous exhaustion. The servants, with 
very few exceptions, proved true to their trust". (31:281)

All of Sherman's men were not bummers but too many were. It was mostly a 
volunteer operation and some were sick of it by the time they got to 
Fayetteville. Some of those singled out by early authors as being 
compassionate were Lt. McVeach of Illinois, Capt. Joseph B. Newton, 14th 
Ohio, Capt. W.B. Jacobs of Indiana, and Capt. Carter of Ohio. Those men, and 
likely there were others, saved some citizens of Fayetteville from useless 
thievery and in some cases fire and extensive property damage. (14:387)
(31:266-270)

Mrs. Josephine Worth describes the last night in town, "The evening they left 
this place a field officer rode by, by the name of Burgoss I think - followed 
by some men with horses loaded with bacon. My uncle approached him, saying, 
'Sir, you have taken all my provisions and my family must suffer without 
anything; will you not leave some of that meat?' Without deigning to reply, 
he turned to one of his men and said, 'Throw him down a piece'. The soldier 
obeyed with the air of throwing a bone to a dog and they rode off". (58:53)

On top of all this, a11 the grist mills, except one, were destroyed when the 
Yankees left. (3:146)(40:779)

Late in the night of March 15, 1865, the Third Division of the XIV Corps 
completed its tour of duty in Fayetteville and crossed the Cape Fear after 
midnight and took up the pontoon bridges. 

They camped on the east bank of the river until after light, thus ended the 
4 1/2 day occupation of Fayetteville. (23:249) 

Clinton Road - XVII Corps

General Butler's Cavalry troops had taken position at the Warwick Bridge on 
the Fayetteville-Clinton road as a Confederate welcoming committee for the 
Yankee invaders. Some of Butler's troopers were still in Cumberland County 
and would remain there to the last minute.

Sherman's bummers raided the Bennet Home residence and others near the South 
River early and took all the food and live stock which they could find. Yams, 
hams, chickens, corn meal, bread, corn, and fodder were favorites of the 
Yankees.

Sometimes Sherman's bummers would get carried away with all the forage and 
bite off more than they could chew. Being loaded down with booty made the 
Yankees easy targets for Butler's troops and several found themselves being 
carried off into Sampson County as prisoners of war. Some of those caught red 
handed and loaded down with booty, (like several watches), were treated as 
thieves. This of course upset Sherman and he wrote Confederate General 
Hampton a "spicy" letter on the subject of mistreating prisoners. Hampton 
didn't like Yankees and we can't print how he felt about Sherman's bummers. 
(19:198)(8:475)

The rain stopped by dawn and the bridge was set afire as soon as the last of 
Butler's men crossed it. It was fired by pouring pitch on the planking and 
lighting same. However, due to recent rains the swollen river and rain had 
the bridge saturated with water and about all that protruded above the water 
were the planks. So the burning was slow and restricted to the upper part of 
the bridge.

The bridge was about sixty feet across and due to recent heavy rains the 
approaches to the bridge were under about two feet of water. The bridge was 
narrow and located a bit north of the present bridge at Autryville. (30:197)

One Confederate trooper was assigned to the bridge to make sure that the 
Yankees did not get near enough to extinguish the fire. Soon the Yankees 
would see the fire and be interested in saving the bridge.

The forward Yankee regiment was the Ninth Illinois Mounted Infantry, and it 
was commanded by Captain George Woodbury of Troy, Illinois. As the unit 
passed the Horne place, Captain Woodbury pulled off the road for a minute and 
rode over to the porch where young Doris Horne was gazing at the mass of 
Yankee troops passing her home. Doris was too young to understand about war 
and was friendlier to the Union troops than most Confederate citizens. He was 
teasing Doris with his scarf when suddenly shots rang out from the direction 
of the bridge. "This won't do", said the Yankee captain as he wheeled his 
horse around and sped away.

The rebel soldier, true to his cause, had stood his ground. Unfortunately, 
the fire that he was guarding provided a means for the Yankees to see their 
target. So he was dropped by their shots into the swiftly running river and 
swept away to rise no more. (30:197)

In a flash, Captain Woodbury was on hand to take command and ordered several 
troopers to help him charge the burning bridge. Now charging through two feet 
of water is slow and cumbersome - even on horses.

When the Yankees were within a short distance of the bridge, they were met 
with a volley of Confederates lead and forced to retreat post-haste. In their 
rush to get back to friendly forces the retreating Yankees failed to notice 
that Captain Woodbury's horse returned, but he did not. When they did notice, 
it was too late. A few other Yankees were also put out of commission.  
Meanwhile, some of the 200 artillery troops of the XVII Army Corps were 
called in to dislodge the nest of Johnnies. (30:197)

E.M. Bullard writes of this event, "During the artillery attach at the South 
River a cannon ball cut down a large pine about one mile east of the river. 
Presumably this ball careened off the pine and buried itself about three 
miles southeast in the field of William Butler. R.L. Butler, the youngest 
son of William, plowed it up several years later, and it now rests deep in 
the mud of Cow Branch near the home of John Butler, a grandson of William 
Butler".

The Confederates might have escaped without further casualties except for the 
work of one very adventurous sharp shooter who followed the run of the river 
beyond a bend to the east and climbed a tree where he could see some of the 
Johnnies behind the breast works. After he had killed one and wounded a 
couple others, he was located and promptly shot from his perch. (10:135)

Soon the Union forces began to come across in foot pontoons and the 
Confederate troops mounted their horses and rode away to destroy the Big 
Swamp Bridge. A few shots were exchanged between the rear guard of the CSA 
cavalry and the Union forces but no other hostile shots were fired at that 
crossing. Left behind were two dead comrades and one wounded who could not 
ride and a greater loss and problem for the Yankee Generals. (10:135)

The bridge itself was not badly damaged but the brave Confederate troopers 
have been given extra credit for stopping half of Sherman's Right Wing. The 
results were the same but since all concerned are now dead, it's time to set 
the record straight. So read on.

Due to flooding waters from heavy rains, the beams of the bridge were not 
damaged. Only the planks were burned.

>From 10:00 A.M. to after dark was needed to reinforce and repair the bridge 
for the heavy army wagons. The repair would have taken only a short while had 
they not had to reinforce the bridge which was used for farm wagons, 
carriages, and the stage coach. The main river area was deep and sluggish, 
and that made reinforcing the beams a slow process. (30:197)

At 2:00 P.M. the rains and thunderstorms were once again in the area. On each 
side of the river was some two hundred yards of swamp, originally corduroyed 
but now covered with about two feet of black water. Most of the troops 
crossed but at 10:00 P.M. the wagon trains began crossing and the first who 
crossed found the old corduroy good but a few heavy carriages broke down the 
old timber (under two feet of water) in places and underneath was quicksand 
that soon made crossing on animals a series of leaps and plunges. It soon 
became evident that all the swamp would have to be bridged as the water was 
too deep. The logs would float and not lay properly to form a bridge or 
corduroy section to keep the wagons from the mud. It would take several more 
hours before the bridge would be ready for the larger wagons. (30:197) 

Clement Road

The XV Corps had remained near the Cape Fear River over night and during the 
night while some members of the 103rd Illinois were standing around a camp 
fire, someone nearby went up to a refugee with a bowie knife and cut his head 
about off, killing him. (19:197)

By mid-morning the foragers (bummers) of the XV Army Corps were nearing 
Bethany Chapel and had reached the home of Rebecca Ann Hudson and she in her 
humble way was ready to match wits with the Yankee invaders.

Her small two-room home was just off the road and about a mile from Bethany 
Church. She had taken sides of meat and placed them in the baby crib and 
neatly covered them with a quilt. Then she had her son Seth, then seven, lay 
on the quilt. (33)

Some of Sherman's bummers arrived with chickens tied together and hanging 
across their horses, and began searching the place and soon noticed that that 
was a right big boy to be lying at this hour in a baby crib. One Yankee 
stopped, looked at Rebecca Ann and inquired, "What is wrong with the child?" 
"Well", said she, "Soldiers robbed everybody around and he's just weak and 
hungry, I reckon". Whereupon the soldier went to his horse and got a chicken 
and told her to cook it and give that kid some damn chicken. They then left 
and the meat was saved. (33)

The Fourth Division was in the lead of the march and reached Bethany Church 
by 2:00 P.M. and got word from the bummers that Confederate General Butler's 
cavalry had burned the Maxwell Bridge and was holding the Sampson side behind 
breast-works. After establishing contact with the XVII Corps and learning of 
the loss of some men at the Warwick Bridge, they then went into camp at 
Bethany Church. About 3:00 P.M. a minor exchange of cannonading occurred. 
Yankee General Logan did not desire to lose any men at his crossing and due 
to rising water and rain he decided it best not to charge the best of 
Johnnies. He decided he would rather capture his opposing rebels. (40:352)

The rain was pouring down and a bolt of lightning struck a tree where the 
78th Ohio was camped and 30 year old Pvt. Thomas H. Thompson was killed. Lt. 
Colonel J.C. Parrott and the 7th Iowa was ordered three-quarters of a mile 
above the bridge site and at the same time part of the 66th Indiana was to be 
sent half a mile down the river and deploy skirmishes in front for the 
purpose of making a demonstration and pretend to cross the river.

At sundown the 7th Iowa with pontoons moved out without road or landmark and 
making their way as quietly as possible through dense forest and swamp water. 
The flooded river was 500 to 600 yards across and the water was from two to 
five feet deep. The pontoons were to be used to cross the main stream. (40:352)

One must remember it was a normal procedure for Butler's Cavalry to post 
pickets and thus detect any surprise which the Yankees may try.

The first few Yankees crossed the main body of the South River in about 
thirty minutes; however, it would take about an hour for all to cross over 
and in the process a gun was accidentally discharged and Pvt. John C. Palmer 
was shot and wounded. The sound of the musket firing was like a cannon in the 
deep of the swamp and woods and the Yankees had announced their coming, but 
not in glory. The rain had mostly ceased about 8:00 P.M.

After gaining dry land and allowing his men a breathing spell, Colonel 
Parrott moved parallel with the river and at 9:30 P.M. struck the main road 
and by now the Confederate troopers were long gone from their breastworks. 
The 7th Iowa bivouacked on the Sampson side that night without blankets, 
shelter, or rations, cursing the night, rain, and rebels. (40:352) 

Raleigh Road - XX and XIV Corps

On March 15, Kilpatrick's cavalry preceded the Left Wing on the Raleigh Road 
and were slowly pushing back Confederate General Wheeler's troopers, which 
were acting as a rear guard for General Hardee's Corps. (3:150)

General Wheeler and his staff were at that time in the area of Wade and had 
been invited to a sumptuous meal by one of the local Southern ladies. An 
elegant dinner of roast turkey, sweet potatoes, and hot biscuits was 
prepared. Unfortunately for the hostess, when the meat was ready Wheeler was 
gone and in his place came three Yankees from the 70th Indiana. These 
unwanted guests in blue were greeted by the reluctant hostess with, "Get out 
of here or I'll scald you". A threat of the bayonet shut off danger from the 
hot water, but did not stop the torrent of vituperation. While a deluge of 
words was hitting the three bummers, they scooped the turkey, potatoes, and 
biscuits into a huge dishpan, wrapped the table cloth around the goodies to 
keep them warm and disappeared. (34:257)

John Oakes in his "Fayetteville" (417) tells of a beautifully engraved 
howitzer which had been used in the Revolutionary War. The artillery piece 
had to be abandoned by the Confederates and was dumped into a mill pond near 
Wade. Some foragers of the 70th Indiana were operating the one bushel per 
hour mill and found the brass cannon, which was named the "Star of the West". 
About the same time, some of the boys were foraging and asked a young black 
man where his people had hidden their meat, "lah, Massa, up in the woods" was 
the reply. He led the Yankees to the spot and they "resurrected" sixty-four 
hams. (34:258)

The 102nd Illinois, 33rd Mass, and 20th Connecticut of the XX Corps had 
already tasted the resistance of the rebels late the day before at Silver Run 
and a return on this day had encountered only a slight skirmish and they 
camped just north of Silver Creek. However, the advancement became stubborn 
during the late afternoon with Kilpatrick's cavalry engaging mainly with the 
South Carolina Brigade of Colonel Alfred M. Rhett and the fiery Colonel was 
captured as he mistook the Yankee cavalry for Wheeler's rebel troopers and 
that ended his fighting days. Major Hitchcock of Sherman's staff referred to 
Col. Rhett as a "devil in human shape". Col. Rhett was bad mouthed by the 
Yankees because he was at Fort Sumter at the beginning of the Civil War. 
(24:157)(3:151)

VII - A Day of Death 

"Moved a short distance and camped at a church, cut up the benches for wood, 
fighting In front". - Ira S. Owens - 74th Ohio

Clinton Road - XVII Corps

The rain was still coming down and the Warwick Bridge was completed by noon 
Thursday, March l6, 1865. It was made by building cribs and stretching heavy 
sills from one to another and then houses nearby from the Cumberland side 
were taken to plank it. Small poles were also used for part of the planking. 
The entire bridge was something near one thousand feet long. (30:197-198)

Meanwhile the Fourth Division moved at about 8 A.M. to the Big Swamp where 
they found the bridge of about 180 feet in length, destroyed. This was 
rebuilt, using the weather boarding from the Pleasant Union Baptist Church 
located on the east side of Big Swamp, and also trees from the area. The 
division then moved on into Owensville, (Roseboro) and camped for the night. 
(10:136)(40:383)

A tragic incident occurred at the home of Thomas Bullard who lived about one 
mile north from the Pleasant Union Baptist Church. Miss Ester Bullard, an old 
maid aunt, lived with Thomas and owned a fine saddle horse which she had 
ridden for a number of years. A foraging party arrived led by a Yankee 
captain who liked the horse and wanted to trade in his worn out nag. So he 
put the bridle on Miss Ester's horse but could not ride off because Miss 
Ester was clinging to the horse's neck. He could horse whip a man, and a 
younger woman he would pull off, but even a greedy bummer would not manhandle 
an old lady. So he removed the bridle and put it back on his own horse and he 
and his orderly rode away with the other Yankee raiders. (10:136)

Miss Ester had won the battle but the war was not over. The Yankees rode out 
of sight, but the captain was being consumed with regret of having to throw 
in the towel to an eccentric old lady. After allowing enough time for Miss 
Ester to get back into her home, he then dashed back and traded horses before 
Miss Ester could react and save the horse.

The Yankee captain out-foxed the old maid this time, but the war was not 
over. The captain was soon showing his prized "capture" to the other bummers. 
The horse however had not been ridden lately and he had never been ridden 
roughly. So the horse threw his rider and injured him to the extent that he 
died in camp at Owensville. The horse returned in short order to Miss Ester 
and she won the battle and got a bridle and a worn out nag for her troubles. 
(10:137)

About this same time, other bummers about two miles away were sacking the 
home of Sheridan Lucas. At this house was a twenty-four year old lass named 
Elizabeth. The war had taken away many young men whom she knew and on this 
day a twenty-four year old Yankee named John Smith of the 25th Indiana came 
her way. While the others were capturing their meat and corn, Elizabeth was 
capturing the young Yankee. He became a converted Southerner and never 
returned to Indiana. In the 1880 census they had a daughter Laura, then a few 
months old. (10:137)

The Third Division moved across the South River soon after noon and moved to 
the Culbreth plantation which was about four miles into Sampson. That was 
apparently the place of Daniel M. and Jennette Maxwell Culbreth. Daniel and 
three sons were in the war. Daniel was forty-five and he and his second son 
William were captured at Ft. Fisher on January 15, 1865. They were sent to 
the Elmira Prison Camp in N.Y. where Daniel died of diarrhea on February 21, 
l865 and was buried by a former slave at the Woodlawn National Cemetery, plot 
No. 2265. William was released after taking the oath of allegiance on July 
26, 1865. A trip to Elmira was a ticket to death as twenty-four percent of 
the prisoners assigned there, died in camp. (40:98)(63)

The wagon train which had been corralled and stalled for several hours at the 
South River had been busy crossing since noon. Mixed in were several hundred 
regimental wagons and artillery pieces and on the top of all that there were 
7,000 refugees, guarded by 200 Yankee soldiers whose term of service had 
expired. They were on the way to Wilmington via Clinton and the last of these 
crossed the South River after midnight and camped on the east bank until 
after sun up.

Clement Road - XV Corps

The Maxwell Bridge was restored during Wednesday night and the XV Army Corps 
was on the move again after having to wade through part of the overflowing 
South River. One Yankee wrote, "We crossed the Black River, which is well 
named, for it looks quite black and desolate". (45:416)

Yankee General Hamilton of the cavalry describes in detail his travel with 
Sherman's Army on this day, "In our march through North Carolina we were in 
the home of the long leaf pine which has given turpentine to the country and 
the name of 'Tar Heel State' to the fine old commonwealth of North Carolina. 
Here are extensive forest of trees from twenty inches to three feet in 
diameter and at least seventy feet without a limb, but spreading at the top 
with a dense mass of interlocking limbs, clothed in evergreen leaves so dense 
as to exclude the sun. The ground is covered with four to six inches deep of 
pine needles, routing at the bottom but soft and clean on the surface. The 
turpentine is obtained by tapping these trees as we boys used to get molasses 
from our sugar trees long ago. But they cut notches deep enough to hold about 
a quart of sap, which is gathered into barrels and becomes the turpentines of 
commerce. The war had stopped all that and the notches are found full of 
congulated sap, which from different sources has oozed out and whitened the 
bark on the trunks of the trees higher up. Our foragers had set fire to the 
turpentine in the notches and the blaze extended to the resin on the bark, 
causing a smoke which could hardly escape through the green canopy above". 
(29:195)

The 6th Iowa reaped the whirlwind from the burning trees. By the time they 
passed by the trees which had been set fire by Sherman's bummer's, one had 
burned a bit too much at the stump and the tree, a huge pine, fell across the 
road and seriously hurt Musicians Madison Swift and George Guthces. It also 
badly wrecked a regimental wagon and killed Major Ennis' old mare, which at 
that time, was hitched to the rear of the wagon. (60:428)

About noon the foragers met the rebel cavalry and the 81st Ohio was sent 
forward with the 12th Illinois ready in support. A heavy skirmish line was 
established at what is now Hall's Store. Butler's cavalry was driven back 
about half a mile down the High House Road, (now SR 1006), and there it was 
discovered that they had taken a strong position with their flanks protected 
by an almost impossible flooded swamp and opened up on the Yankees with one 
piece of artillery and Corporal Samuel T. Wiley of the 8lst Ohio was wounded 
in the knee. A section of the First Missouri Light Artillery was then ordered 
forward. The skirmish line was strengthened and they advanced, and after a 
few artillery rounds they succeeded in driving Butler's Troopers from their 
breast-works on the east side of the Little Coharie. (40:356)

By 4 P.M. Thursday, March 16, 1865 the Little Coharie skirmish was over and 
the Yankees were able to get a few men across the river. The High House 
Bridge was mostly under flood water and wouldn't burn so it had been 
destroyed by removing the planking. The Yankees destroyed the High House. 
Heavy cannonading was heard on the left by some rear troops of the XV Corps 
which was the action near Averasboro and due to that fighting, the main 
column of the corps was ordered to the left and they turned north at (SR 
1452) what is now Elizabeth Chapel and moved up to the main Goldsboro Road 
(US 13) and went into camp at Wesley Chapel and at that time the Second 
Division of the XX Corps arrived on that road with the corps train of 1,100 
wagons spread out for some miles. (40:692) 

Goldsboro Road (Hwy 13)

At daybreak on March l6 the Confederate Cavalry had retreated and the 
Michigan Engineers began the reconstruction of the Graham Bridge. The bridge 
was sixty yards long, with four spans built on cribs; two center cribs and 
spans had been burned along with all the planks. The river was sixty yards 
wide and at that time eighteen feet deep and rising. The approach at each 
side had to be corduroyed. The repair was complete by 11 A.M. However, the 
road forward was so bad that nearly the entire next five miles had to be 
corduroyed, which brought them to the cross-roads at the farm of Henry T. 
Jackson. Here, Right Wing Commander 0.0. Howard met with other Yankee generals 
in the area. Here also, General Howard sent orders to the XVII Corps to move 
to Beaman's Cross-roads and thus the XVII Corps main column would miss 
Clinton. Henry T. Jackson, however, was likely not home as the forty-one year 
old farmer was in the 6th Regiment NC Cavalry. Sherman's bummer's however 
would have "captured" Henry's goods by mid-afternoon of that eventful 
Thursday. (40:692,865)(37)

Raleigh Road - XX Corps

The battle of Averasboro (or Black River) was fought in Harnett County but 
near the border of Cumberland County. The area was called Smithville, so 
named after a prominent family of Smiths living in that rural neighborhood. 
The Farquhar Smith home served as Yankee General Sloan's headquarters. The 
William T. Smith residence was used as a Federal hospital and the John Smith 
place was used as a Confederate hospital. (3:155)

The Yankees reported ninety-five killed, 533 wounded, and fifty-four captured 
or missing. The above wounded were a problem for Sherman as he was afraid to 
leave anyone behind to care for them, so every injured was carried in an 
ambulance wagon. (9:227)

Major Henry Hitchcock of Sherman's staff noted that a safe place to be was 
with Sherman. Much to Hitchcock's disgust, Sherman was never near the 
fighting. He was however with the XX Corps.

The Confederate casualties numbered 865 men. Rhett’s brigade, which had lost 
its leader the day before, suffered especially heavy but most had only done 
garrison and artillery duty around Charleston and had seen very little combat. 
(3:155)

The XX Corps had one division, the second, on the main Goldsboro road (now US 
13), with the wagon train. Therefore Sherman ordered the Second Division of 
the XIV Corps forward to help with the battle of Averasboro.

The XIV Corps, First Division was then about where Wade is now and Ira S. 
Owens of the 74th Ohio recorded in his diary, "Moved a short distance and 
camped at a church, cut up the benches for wood. Raining. Fighting in front". 
(41:103)

That church apparently was the Old Bluff Church at Wade. Some other bummers 
had gone out two days earlier about four miles from Fayetteville and stole 
everything as usual and even the family Bible was taken, opened up and spread 
over a mule's back and used as a saddle by the Yankee who stole it. (58:85)

VIII - A Day In the Heart of Sampson

"I don't want nuthin 'pon God's earth but to be free of sins and you Yankees". 
An old Negro man from Averasboro

Clinton Road - XVII Corps

The rear of the corps pulled away from the South River early on March 17, 
1865 and reached Owensvllle (Roseboro) by noon. Colonel Jackson of the 63rd 
Ohio wrote of that village, "I saw today a very eccentric old lady who had 
had her burial clothes stolen. For safety she had hid them out of doors and 
the soldiers finding them, some scoundrel had carried them off. She told me 
it had cost her great labor and savings to get the silk dress and did not 
think that she would ever be able to get another. She seemed very grieved. I 
observed here today quite a number of old people from eighty to ninety years 
of age". (30:198)

The Fourth Division of Sherman's XVII Corps was in the advance and pulled 
away from Owensvllle early and had gotten within about six miles of Clinton 
by noon and there they sent the 9th Illinois Mounted Infantry on to Clinton 
to wait for the refugee train. The Illinois troopers arrived there along with 
the bummers about 4 P.M. The refugees arrived after dark and went into camp. 
After the refugees were safely on the way to Wilmington, the 9th Illinois was 
to proceed to Faison's Depot and open communications with General Terry's 
forces coming to Goldsboro from Wilmington along the route of the railroad. 
(40:383)

At 1 P.M. the main column of 13,000 men turned north toward Beaman's Cross-
roads and reached that point at 5 P.M. and went into camp. The lead regiments 
were mainly from Iowa and Illinois.

The Third Division went into camp about two miles to the rear near what is 
now Reynolds Cross-roads. They were made up of Ohio, Illinois, and Wisconsin 
troops. The 20th Illinois reported that corn and forage were abundant. (27:205)

The foragers of the XVII Corps would have worked the area between the Little 
and Big Coharie in advance of the main column. Some of the citizens used 
these flooded rivers to try to save some of their livestock. They would drive 
the horses and cattle into the swamp and hope the Yankees would not find 
them. Sherman's bummers would go "swamp ranging" as they would call it, 
looking for these animals.

The John E. Parker place was located where the Third Division camped and the 
bummers arrived at that place by mid afternoon and the food had been hidden 
with care. However, young Gus Parker was there and still upset over some 
earlier punishment and Gus had said that he would tell the Yankees about the 
food being hid, which he did. Being just over three years old proved a 
blessing to his family because the Yankees didn't believe him and the food 
was saved. One can guess that after the Yankees left, Gus was in trouble 
again. (54)

Some of the troops camped near the Parker place and pulled boards off the 
locked corn crib to get corn to feed their horses. (54)

George Washington Naylor, a fifty-one year old farmer lived on what is now SR 
1458, near the 242 and 421 junction. Sherman's bummers raided his place near 
dark and Frank P. Naylor, a lad of thirteen, observed the bummers at work. 
The Naylors had a well with a Cyprus trunk top and part of the well was caved 
in by the Yankees chasing chickens around the yard and well. By the time they 
got to the corn it was dark and they set the crib on fire to see how to load 
the wagon. Fortunately everything was wet and they were able to put out the 
fire after the Yankees left. The Naylors had lost a son (Ranson) at 
Chancellorsville Va. about two years earlier. (35)(37)

In the early evening, the First Division, bringing up the rear of the XVII 
Corps, left the Clinton state road at Concord and moved north toward Beaman's 
Cross-roads and went into camp at 1 A.M. in the Bearskin area, having made 
seventeen miles for the day. (30:198)

Confederate Operations - March 17, l865

Before dark General Hampton had set up headquarters at the Willis Cole home 
near Bentonville. (Later the home was blown up to prevent the Yankee snipers 
from using it). After a meal with the Coles, Hampton wrote the following to 
General Hardee. Part is quoted and should be of some interest to Sampsonians, 
"Cobb's Mill is one mile from Beaman's Cross-roads on the road leading to 
Goldsborough. Blackman Lee's (Store) is on the Clinton and Smithfield road. 
(It was just north of the Newton Grove circle) I think that the enemy is 
moving on Goldsborough and his right will strike the Weldon and Wilmington 
Railroad at or below Faison's Depot". (40:1414)

Meanwhile in Smithfield General Johnson was trying to consolidate his forces 
and determine what Sherman was doing. The roads, maps, and weather were also 
a factor in his planning as well as Sherman's.

The North Carolina Junior Reserves (70th, 71st, and 72nd North Carolina 
Regiments) with about thirty Sampsonians under General Hoke were then in 
Smithfield and on that day they were called upon to take part in the 
execution for mutiny of G.W. Orr of the 27th Georgia. Pvt. Orr was first 
marched around to the solemn music of the Death March in front of the 
regiments which were drawn together on three sides of a square to witness the 
event. (38)

Then he was forced to face inwards, and to kneel so he could be tied to a 
stake on the open side of the square. A detail of twelve men drawn up at ten 
paces performed the painful duty of carrying out the sentence of the court. 
Half the men had guns loaded with ball and half had powder only in their 
guns. In two days these mere boys of eighteen would stand their ground in the 
front lines at Bentonville. (38)

Goldsboro Road (US 13) - XV Corps

Sherman's XV Corps of 16,000 men left Wesley Chapel at 7 A.M. March 17, 1865, 
after having sent forward the 57th Illinois to rework the road northward. 
They marched six miles, where it was reported by local citizens that a 
regiment of rebel cavalry had been stationed there the day before. 
(40:352,356,365)

They went into camp at 11 A.M. and threw up earthworks facing north at what 
is now about a mile south of Spivey's Corner. An inspection was held of the 
arms to insure that they were in good order and that there was a full amount 
of ammunition for each soldier. (45:416)

Rumors were flying about the fighting at Averasboro and the Right Wing (Army 
of the Tennessee) was to hold its position and allow time for the Left Wing 
(Army of Georgia) to move up. Sherman's army was getting too spread out. 
Meanwhile, the 12th Illinois regiment had been sent to save the Mingo Bridge. 
However, after marching five miles, they learned that they were too late. 
General Wade Hampton had ordered its destruction the day before. (40:1404)

During the afternoon, foragers were out and a paroled prisoner was brought in 
to the Second Division. He was W.T. Mainor of Cumberland County and made the 
following statement for the Yankee commanders, "We passed through Richmond, 
Va. March 11, and Goldsboro March 15. Lieut. Gen. R.E. Lee had left Richmond 
and was suppose to be at Raleigh. Pickett's Division had marched for that 
place (Raleigh) on the 10th. Machinery and refugees were being sent to 
Greensboro. Clingman's Brigade had been in Goldsboro and marched for Raleigh 
on the 13th. On the 15th only one company of artillery was still in Goldsboro, 
left to burn the cotton. Roads were good to Goldsboro". Pvt. Mainor was 
reported as "Intelligent and communicative". (40:873,875)

General Hampton and Kilpatrick's prime duties were to provide "intelligence" 
to their leaders and checking out stories and movements of forces were a 
major concern. The size of the Confederate forces was consistently over 
estimated by Kilpatrick. General Hardee wrote Johnson early on this day, 
March 17, 1865, that Hampton believes Sherman headed direct to Goldsboro. 
This was also stated by a captured Yankee. However, it would be another full 
day before Johnson would know for sure. Meanwhile he was pulling in all 
Confederate forces toward the area of Smithfield as fast as he could. 
(3:152,157)

To add to all the confusing signals the Right Wing learned on that Friday 
from some escaped prisoners, that they had been captured by men in "Yankee" 
uniforms. Apparently foragers were the prime targets of these rebel scouts. 
Most foot soldiers of blue and gray were wearing mixed clothes because that 
was all they had. This was a problem in skirmishes and battle and that 
generally worked to the advantage of the South. (40:873)

Bringing up the rear of the XV Corps was the First Division with the train 
of 1,000 wagons. They were still on the Clement Road and were headed for 
Beaman's Cross-roads and on to Goldsboro. On the 17th of March they were 
going slow due to rain and bad roads and had only crossed the South River. 
(29:296)

Raleigh Road XX and XIV Corps

During the night of March l6, 1865 the Confederate troops pulled out from 
contact of the Union forces. The battle of Averasboro was listed as a 
"lively" skirmish. Hardee's engagement stopped the advance of the XX Corps, 
giving Johnson more time to collect his forces and this delay also caused 
Sherman's army to become strung out more. Now General Johnson could isolate 
and crush one of the Federal columns before Sherman could get his forces back 
in compact form. Hardee moved his forces to Elevation on Smithfield road. 
(3:158)

The XIV Corps with its 15,000 men pulled out in front of the XX Corps. The 
mud from the rain and fighting was so bad that some units moved only about a 
quarter of a mile per hour. In such cases a hundred men were required to push 
and pull a wagon out of the knee-deep mud. (9:228)

All of the Union sick and wounded were carried away from Averasboro and this 
was a problem for the Yankees. The Confederate wounded were left in care of 
some prisoners. (34:258)

Samuel Merrill and ten others of the 70th Indiana was detailed to forage for 
the sick and wounded. While doing that duty, they were looking into an old 
shuckpen and found $78.00 in fifty-cent pieces. Thinking that the money might 
give comfort to the South, they gladly divided the silver among themselves. 
(34:258)

At one home near Averasboro, there was an old Negro man, who the Yankees hung 
three times to make him reveal where his masters valuables were hid. The old 
fellow was faithful to the end, and when at length they released him, he said 
to the Yankees, "You say you have come here to free us black people, do you? 
Well, my old Massa raised me and he never put a rope around my neck and I 
raised my present Massa and he never put a rope around my neck and yet the 
first thing you do is put a rope around my neck and hang me most to death 
'cause I won't betray my Massa who was always good to me". To one of the 
Yankees who asked if he didn't want to go with them, he said, "I don't want 
nuthin 'pon God's earth but to be free from sins and you Yankees". (17)

The XIV Corps crossed the Black River and marched east a few miles and 
encamped near Mingo Creek and the XX Corps encamped near Black River. 
Meanwhile the union cavalry pushed north to keep the rebels guessing as to 
their real direction of movement. (40:423)

The cavalry of the Yankees and Confederates had one good contact on the 17th 
of March. Near where Dunn is now, Yankee General William B. Way came upon 
some of Confederate General William Allen's troopers behind a barricade and 
he deployed skirmishers and formed the balance of his command in line of 
battle, and advanced toward the rebel stronghold. However, in doing that, 
Gen. Way learned that the rebels were moving in force upon his right and 
rear. Gen. Allen charged Way's Third Brigade as they were partly across a 
swamp and Way poured a raking fire into Allen's left flank, causing him to 
withdraw. Neither side reported any loss. (40:903)(40:1420)

All across Sampson were Yankee and Confederate troopers separated by no-man's 
land. Wheeler was on the Smithfield road, Hampton was near Bentonville, and 
Butler was near Blackman Lee's Store. Butler had spent the night of the l6th 
at Beaman's Cross-roads. US 421 is about where the dividing line ran on the 
night of March 17, l865. (40:1421)

IX - A Day to Get Ready

"The general commanding directs that you immediately put your command en 
route to Bentonville". - Confederate Message - March 18, 1865 - 6:55 A.M.

Confederate Operations

To attack and crush the head of Sherman's Left Wing at Bentonville was the 
plan and time was running out. General Johnson felt that the two wings were 
about a day's march from each other. They were in fact at that hour spread 
out from Clinton to Averasboro, mostly along the area of where US 421 now 
runs. (3:159)

Hampton and Butler were now at Bentonville; Wheeler was on the Smithfield 
road; Hardee was at Elevation; Hoke, with the North Carolina Junior Reserves, 
was at Smithfield. Bragg and Stewart were also at Smithfield; the total 
forces being about 25,000 men which was less than Sherman's Left Wing of near 
30,000 men and Terry's forces coming from Wilmington and Schofield coming 
from Kinston. A total force of 90,000 Yankees would soon be with Sherman. The 
Yankees thought that Johnson had 40,000 troops and was getting ready to 
defend Raleigh. (3:159)

Bentonville Road - XIV Army Corps

Sherman and the XIV Corps moved out about light and crossed the Mingo Creek 
with the Second Division in the advance. These men were mostly from Ohio and 
Illinois. The foragers of the command found some of Hampton's cavalry at 
about where NC 242 now crosses NC 55 and began to drive them east along the 
route that NC 55 now takes, for about four hours they were driven. At Bushy 
Swamp the Confederates took up a strong position and opened up with 
artillery. Near the area where NC 50 leaves Sampson County, Yankee General 
Morgan put the Second Brigade on the left and the First Brigade on the right 
(Sampson) side. The 34th Illinois was the lead skirmishers on the left and 
the 10th Michigan was lead on the Sampson side. The force of about 3,000 
Yankees moving against Bushy Swamp was enough to dislodge Hampton's Troopers. 
The 10th Michigan had one man killed. Sherman came up and ordered no more 
advance for the day as the Left Wing was getting too spread out. The Third 
Brigade and division headquarters camped at 4 P.M. on the east side of Bushy 
Swamp and on what is now SR 1008. (40:434,493)

The XX Corps was having a hard time with the roads and bridges. Two divisions 
managed to move out twelve miles but were still eight miles behind the XIV 
Corps. The First Division camped at the Lee plantation which was near the 
present NC 55-242 crossing. The Third Division camped at the Thornton 
plantation, near Draughon's Cross-roads. (3:161)

Some of the forages from 70th Indiana were in the area of the upper border of 
the Sampson-Harnett County line and recorded these events, "We came to a 
farm where the owner was too rich to be in the army. There was side meat in 
great abundance and yams by the wagon load. It struck me that every hog had 
as many hams as sides so after searching we found an opening into the garret, 
where was concealed the kind of meat a sick or wounded man would relish. We 
selected and threw down twenty four of the best hams, adding them to our 
wagon load of yams, and bid the former owner good day. The meanest trick I 
saw in my foraging experience was done this morning. The man of the house had 
on a new pair of gean pantaloons, woven from red and white yarn that had been 
twisted together. A boy from the 102nd Illinois made him haul off his good 
trousers and swap for the dirty ragged ones he wore". (34:358-359)

As the Yankees were crossing the county they would fire the turpentine stills 
and trees and this would send up a dense black smoke-column which could be 
seen for miles by the Confederates. Rice Bull, 123rd New York writes of the 
night of the 18th, "It was eleven at night before we reached the brigade 
camp. It was in a 'tapped' pine forest, lighted by setting fire to the gum on 
the trees that would burn and smoke for hours. We were able to stand around 
the fires and dry out. We were a sight to behold as the black pitch smoke had 
added one more coat of coal-black to our faces and hands; we were like 
Negroes; we slept with our shoes on; we did not dare take them off for fear 
they would shrink so much we could not get them on in the morning. They were 
good and tight when we awoke". (9:229)(3:101)

Colonel Jackson of the 63rd Ohio, at that time was near Goshen Church, states 
that the advance of the left (XIV Corps) captured three hundred prisoners on 
March 18, 1865. The writer was never able to substantiate the action referred 
to. However some Sampsonians were captured in Sampson. John Curtis Jackson, a 
young man of twenty-five and had been a POW three years earlier, was captured 
and had been assigned to the 20th NC Regiment. Also in the same unit were 
first cousins, Robert and Newbern Tew and they too were captured. This was an 
infantry unit and the writer feels that only cavalry and a few artillery 
troops of the Confederate Army encountered Sherman's men in Sampson. The 20th 
NC Regiment surrendered at Appomattox and these men must have been on 
furlough or on special assignment. (30:199)(33)

Goldsboro Road - XV Corps

Thomas W. Connelley of the 70th Ohio wrote about the heart of Sampson as the 
XV Corps broke camp on the road south of Newton Grove, "The last two days 
have been sunny and the air deliciously pleasant, full of the balmy 
influences of spring. The peach and apple trees are full of their delicate 
pink and white blossoms. Their delightful fragrances float in the air, 
greeting us with nature's tenderest offerings. We are passing through a well 
cultivated county, with rich farm lands skirting the roadside. The houses are 
well built, the granaries are full of oats and corn and our animals are 
getting their fill. We have found more forage than we could bring away". 
(15:152)(36:260)

Daniel Ambrose of the 7th Illinois writes, "At 9 A.M. we move. The roads 
still desperate — corduroying almost every step. A great many refugees are 
now following the army, seeking to be freed from Davis' tyranny; they are 
enduring much suffering. We got into camp tonight about sun down. We are 
about twenty-six miles from Goldsboro".

The above refugees would have been new since Fayetteville, as up to that time 
all were sent to Wilmington. The refugees might have been attracted to the XV 
Corps more than the rest of Sherman's army because in the Fourth Division, 
there was the 110th US Colored. In the mid 1940s Oscar Bizzell witnessed the 
"resurrection" of some of the logs used by the Yankees to corduroy the roads. 
It was during the construction of US 13 south of Newton Grove.

Lovett Warren, a fifty-six year old farmer was at his farm on that Saturday 
morning. His youngest son William, a lad of twenty, had died nearly three 
years earlier at the battle near Richmond. An older son, Burrell was in the 
46th NC Regiment. It was mid-morning when Sherman's bummers got to his place 
and he was there to greet them. Among other things, they wanted Lovett's corn 
and unfortunately, he also wanted it. So he stood between them and the corn, 
but not for long because they shot him in the behind. Lovett was harmed for 
life as after that day he never could sit in the proper manner. His house 
still stands about three miles south of Newton Grove near the junction of US 
13 and SR 1647.

The XX Corps wagon train was on the same road but behind the XV Corps main 
column. They had remained in camp near the farm of Henry T. Jackson on the 
l7th and many had gone foraging in the Mingo area. These 4,500 troops were 
mainly from New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. They moved forward and went 
into camp on the Seven-Mile Creek at about one and a half miles from Rainer's 
Mill. The writer feels that should have been House's Mill since it was an old 
mill even during the Civil War. (40:693)

Henry Wright, 6th Iowa wrote, "We moved to the vicinity of Newton Grove 
Cross-Roads and camped before night. Here while oak timber was seen for the 
first time in many days and was hailed by the troops with shouts of joy for 
it was something to get out of the pine woods". (60:428)

By mid-afternoon, the main column of Sherman's XV Corps was nearing Newton 
Grove and the main column of the XIV Corps was heading east from Averasboro 
(Erwin). About the time that the XV Corps got to Newton Grove, the XIV Corps 
was three miles west, then moving northeast toward Bentonville.

Shortly before that hour, some of Wade Hampton's troopers were keeping check 
on the forward foragers of the XV Corps. This was the 7th Illinois, tabbed 
"mounted thieves" by their fellow Yankees. The rebel scouts were on the left 
of the column and too busy worrying about the activities of the XV Corps to 
even think of those heading toward north Sampson from the west.

Some where near Blackman's Mill the Yankees from both wings caught some of 
Hampton's scouts in a wedge and a shoot out occurred. This time it was the 
blue over the gray. Score eleven to four. (19:199)

Clement Road - XV Corps Train

The entire Corps train consisted of nearly 1,000 wagons and had camped in the 
area of Jones Swamp on the east aide of South River. They pulled out early on 
March 18, 1865 and were heading for Beaman's Cross-roads. General W.B. Woods 
and his First Brigade of the First Division had train guard and movement 
duty. Half of his men were from Missouri and one regiment each from Ohio, 
Iowa, and Indiana. (28:296)

Some of the road had been corduroyed by the main column of the XV Corps, 
however they had left the Maxwell or High House Road on what is now SR 1452 
and the roads forward as General Woods reported "were awful". He had learned 
at 8 A.M. that the crossing of the Little Coharie would be ready by the time 
it was needed. The rebels had earlier removed planking from the High House 
Bridge to make it unusable by the Yankees. The roads around Dismal Bay and 
Bryant Swamp were about as bad as the approach to the Little Coharie. (40:888)

The forward wagons however reached the Little Coharie soon after noon and the 
crossing would be complete by 8:15 P.M.

Apparently one of Sherman's generals spent the night at the home of Charlie 
Hall, the father of Kirby Hall. It was a normal event for the generals to 
invite themselves into homes along the march. General Woods was the only 
general in the area that Saturday, however, he was at Beaman’s Cross-roads at 
6 A.M. on the 19th. It could have been Woods or one of his regiment 
commanders with the rear of the train guard. (44)(40)

The advance of the wagon train arrived at Beaman's Cross-roads and went into 
camp at about 8 P.M. and it would take until 4 A.M. the next morning for the 
rear of the train to get into camp. (40:898-899)

Clinton Road - XVII Corps

The Third Division of Sherman's XVII Corps broke camp at 8 A.M. and pulled 
out from Beaman's Cross-roads. The 20th Illinois was sent forward to 
reconnoiter and ascertain the best roads. They crossed the Big Coharie and 
due to heavy rains it turned out to be four miles wide and the soldiers 
marched in water up to their knees. They hit water at the Old Mill Swamp and 
then at Merkle Swamp and at the main stream the water had Daughtry Bridge 
covered. They pulled out of the water at Troublefield's Store which was on 
the eastern side of the river. The progress was slow because nearly all the 
distance had to be corduroyed. A great many of the men were barefoot, their 
clothes were mixed and in strings. The men on forage duty would take anything 
to eat or wear regardless of cut or color. Some wore white vest and straw 
hats and occasionally one could be seen in tails. Some shoes sent over from 
General Terry were issued on that Saturday. (21:262)

At Troublefield's Store, the Third and Fourth Division moved southeast to the 
William Lane plantation located on the main Clinton to Goldsboro Road. The 
20th Illinois, sent out to find the best roads, got lost and went near 
Goldsboro and finally returned to camp at 3 A.M. The First Division and train 
crossed in the evening and moved to the left toward Goshen Church and 
Everettsville. (27:205)(40:383)

On the east bank lived a man named Alan Barbrey with a large family and had 
considerable property and food before the Yankees came. He was stripped of 
everything eatable that Saturday. Colonel Jackson of the 63rd Ohio shared his 
own bread and meat with the family. Mr. Barbrey's oldest son, William, was a 
Sergeant in the North Carolina Junior Reserves. Colonel Jackson's unit and 
several other Ohio regiments camped at Goshen Church. (30:198)

Sherman's bummers had got to Goshen Church about six hours in advance of the 
Ohio regiments and they visited the home of thirty-one year old Mrs. Soloman 
R. Daughtry about a mile beyond the church. They had managed to hide their 
food in the loft and one board was left loose in order to get in and out. 
When the troops came, one as usual was assigned to use a pole and poke for 
loose boards. As the Yankee began to poke "Miss Sarah" began to cry and said, 
"She and the children would probably starve". As fate would have it, the 
crying distracted the Yankee poking and he missed the loose board. As the 
troops were leaving her home, one pulled out some money and quietly put it in 
her hand. (54)

Another event recorded by the Daughtry family is that they had tried to take 
a load of sweet potatoes back into the woods to hide them. In the process one 
of the cart wheels got caught in a washout and the wheel broke. They were 
forced to unload the yams there and return home. When the Yankees came, they 
suspected foul play and didn't want anything to do with "poisoned" yams.  No 
one would leave food out by the road for the Yankees to take at will and so 
the sweet potatoes were safe. (54)

X - A Day of Glory

"Jesus" he cried, "have mercy on me. I don't think I have been very bad boy. 
Oh, do have mercy on me, dear Jesus". - Dying Yankee Soldier - Bentonville, 
March 19, 1865 (29:194)

Sherman had left the Left Wing before light; supposing that all danger was 
over, crossed over to Newton Grove and moved east to catch General Howard and 
the forward part of the Right Wing, which he did about 1 P.M. at Falling 
Creek Church (Grantham). (48:303)

Sunday morning, March 19, dawned clear and beautiful. For the unsuspecting 
Federal soldiers everything seemed to forecast a Sunday of peace and quiet. 
Major Nichols reports that he was aroused from sleep by a brigade band 
playing "Old Hundred", which never sounded more "sweetly solemn". 
(3:163)(36:261)

The First Division, XIV Corps, General Carlin commanding, was ready to move 
out at 7:00 A.M. General Carlin wore his newest uniform so there would be no 
doubt of his rank in the case of his capture or death. (3:163)

Meanwhile, the XVII Corps now in two groups, pulled out early from Goshen 
Church and the Giddensville area and moved east via Doctor Faison's 
plantation, to Smith's Chapel, about seven miles from Mount Olive. They 
reported "plenty of forage, crops good last year. Heard heavy cannonading off 
on the left".  Colonel Jackson recorded, "our men are almost worn down with 
loss of sleep." (21:262)(36:199)

The XV Corps train moved north from the Seven-Mile Creek and Rob Lee's store 
at 6:00 A.M., following what is now SR 1647 to Newton Grove Post Office at 
the home of Doctor Monk. There they turned to the right on the Goldsboro new 
road and encamped at Canaan Baptist Church until 4 P.M., while the rear of 
the XV Corps cleared the Newton Grove area. They then moved on through Newton 
Grove toward the Sampson-Wayne border where at 10 P.M. they sent all 
ambulance and ammunition wagons to Bentonville. (40:693)

The forward units of the XIV Corps quickly overtook the foragers, still 
skirmishing with Confederate cavalry just outside the camp area. Never were 
the foragers checked so close to camp and at that time the Left Wing (Army of 
Georgia) Commanding General Slocum, came up and failed to suspect anything 
unusual as a cavalry officer who had escaped two days earlier from his rebel 
captives, informed him that when he left Smithfield he knew the main army 
under General Johnson to be at or near Raleigh. This was confirmed by 
deserters and Kilpatrick's scouts. (40:423)

Kilpatrick's men had kept pressure on the Raleigh road to fool the 
Confederates as to their real intent and Wheeler's troopers also played that 
game. Kilpatrick got suckered into believing that Hardee and Johnson were 
heading to Raleigh and wrote Sherman to that effect at 10 A.M. Kilpatrick 
then was with the forward part of the XX Corps, nine miles from Bentonville 
or about where NC 96 now crosses NC 55. (3:164)(40:908)

Slocum wrote Sherman that morning that the only force in front consisted of 
cavalry with a few pieces of artillery. Based on that report from Slocum, 
Sherman calmly wrote Schofield at 2 P.M. that "the Left Wing would be at 
Cox's Bridge and the Right Wing within ten miles of Goldsborough that night. 
Tomorrow we will cross the Neuse". (40:911)

In the meantime, Carlin's skirmishers were pushing Hampton back, but it was 
slow and the Yankee expression from the Atlanta campaign, "They don't drive 
work a damn", was again applied to the rebels. When the Yankees got to about 
three miles of Bentonville and the Willis Cole plantation they met the 
Confederate infantry and trouble. By noon Slocum was forced to send another 
message to Sherman; this time it was urgent.

William Calkins of the 104th Illinois and one of Carlin's men up front wrote 
in his journal, "Some time after noon, I think about two o'clock, a 
tremendous firing and cheering broke out over where the other wing of the 
brigade had made its charge in the forenoon. It required but little 
experience to know that one side or another was making an assault. But which 
side, and with what result? In a few moments I noticed the firing and yelling 
was moving southward, indicating that the rebels were on the charge and has 
smashed Carlin's line. I went to the officer commanding the regiment next on 
the right, which was still in line, told him the situation we were in, and 
proposed that we about face both regiments, fix bayonets and charge the 
rebels then in our rear, striking them on the flank and with a yell and a 
volley at close range we would give the Johnnies such a shove westward as 
would enable us to get out to the south. The officer declined to take part in 
the charge, and at once moved his regiment off by its right flank and was 
soon out of sight". (11:304)

The battle of Bentonville was the closing major battle of the Civil War. 
Hundreds were killed and wounded the first day on both sides and the badly 
wounded Yankees were gathered into the Harper House nearby, which soon 
resembled a slaughter house. A dozen surgeons and attendants in their shirt 
sleeves stood around benches cutting off arms and legs throwing them out of 
the windows, where they lay scattered on the grass. The legs of the infantry 
could be distinguished from those of the cavalry by the size of their calves 
as the march of several hundred miles had increased the size of the one and 
diminished the size of the other. (29:194)

Another room was filled with the severely wounded whose moans and cries were 
heart rending. Some cussing those who had brought on the war and others dying 
and trying to send messages to loved ones back home. Still others were in 
earnest prayer trying for God's favor and some were calling for their mothers 
and Jesus in turn.

The Sampsonians in the battle were in Company "A", 71st NC Regiment, part 
of the NC Junior Reserves. The 51st NC Regiment was another with a number of 
Sampsonians. A unit that lost heavily was the 36th North Carolina and Company 
"A" of that regiment were all Sampsonians.

Most of the 51st and 36th had been lost at Fort Fisher; however, some were 
absent on leave or on other duties when the fort was taken and so those few 
that remained "covered themselves with glory" as part of the famous "Red 
Infantry" under Lt. Colonel John D. Taylor at Bentonville. Some officers who 
had served in the army of Northern Virginia said it was the hottest infantry 
fight since Cold Harbor.

There was at least one civilian Sampsonian who had part in the battle. 
Cannonading from about 11 A.M. could be heard clearly for about twenty miles 
as it was a rare nice day for March of 1865. Those living as far away as 
Giddensville, Piney Green, and Wesley Chapel could have heard the cannons 
roar. One that did was James Fellows Jackson, a 59 year old farmer. He was 
not too pleased with the Yankees sacking his farm and taking his food. After 
listening to the cannons for a while, he grabbed his squirrel rifle and set 
out to do his part in the raging battle at Bentonville.

Baird's Third Division of the XIV Corps had done duty in Fayetteville and was 
the last part of Sherman’s Army still in Sampson. They had moved out from 
Fayetteville behind everyone. They were bringing up the rear and the last of 
the 3,000 wagons which were with Sherman. By late that night, they were about 
a mile south of Newton Grove and camped where SR 1703 and 1800 now cross. 

Captain Horton took time to record that, "The peach trees were blooming and 
other budding acts and looks like spring. Reports of bad fighting reached us 
as we go into camp". (23:249)

[Note: References in this file are located at the end of paragraphs. The
first number references the book titles below and the second number is the 
page number within each book]

 1. Anders, Leslie - 18th Missouri
 2. Amborse, Daniel - 7th Illinois
 3. Barrett, John G. - Sherman's March Through The Carolinas
 4. Barrett, John G. - The Civil War In North Carolina
 5. Battles And Leaders Of The Civil War
 6. Boynton, H.V. - Sherman's Historical Raid
 7. Boies, Andrew J. - 33rd Mass.
 8. Brooks, V.R. - Butler And His Cavalry 1861-1865
 9. Bull, Rice C. - Soldiering 123rd New York
10. Bullard, E.M. - Sampson Yearbook 1956-1957
11. Calkins, William W. - 104th Illinois
12. Chamberlin, W.H. - 81st Ohio
13. Cluett, William W. - 57th Illinois
14. Connelley, John A. - Three Years In The Army Of The Cumberland 123rd Illinois
15. Connelly, Thomas W. - 79th Ohio
16. Cox, Jacob D., LLD - The March To The Sea
17. Daily Confederate
18. Davis, Burke - Sherman's March
19. Diaries Of Members 103rd Illinois
20. Drake, George - 85th Illinois
21. Downing's Civil War Diary 11th Iowa
22. Duke, John K. - 53rd Ohio
23. Eaton, Clement - Diary Of An Officer
24. Fleharty, Stephen F. - 102nd Illinois
25. Floyd, David B. - 75th Indiana
26. Gage, Moses D. - 12th Indiana
27. Geer, Allen M. - 20th Illinois
28. Gibson, John M. - Those 163 Days
29. Hamilton, William D. - Recollections Of A Cavalryman
30. Jackson, Oscar L. - The Colonel's Diary 63rd Ohio
31. Jones, Katharine M. - When Sherman Came
32. Lewis, Lloyd - Sherman, Fighting Prophet
33. McLaurin, W.B.
34. Merrill, Samuel - 70th Indiana
35. Naylor, Authur
36. Nichols, George - The Story Of The Great March
37. North Carolina Troops A Roster
38. North Carolina Troops Regimental Histories
39. Oakes, John A. - The Story Of Fayetteville
40. Official Records Ser. 1 Vol. 47
41. Owens, Ira S. - 74th Ohio
42. Puntenney, George - 37th Indiana
43. Rowell, John W. - Yankee Cavalrymen
44. Sampson Independent
45. Saunier, Joseph A. - 47th Ohio
46. Seventh Illinois Adjutant General's Report
47. Sherlock, Eli J. - 100th Indiana
48. Sherman, William T. - Memoirs Of Gen. W.T. Sherman
49. Smith, Charles H. - Fuller's Ohio Brigade
50. Stevenson, Thomas M. - 78th Ohio
51. Spencer, Cornelia P. - The Last Ninety Days Of The War In North Carolina
52. Strong, Robert H. - 105th Illinois
53. Tew Family Records
54. Tew, John E., Jr.
55. Tourgee, Albion W. - The Story Of A Thousand 105th Ohio
56. Upson, Theodore - 100th Indiana
57. Walcutt, C.C. - 94th Ohio
58. War Days In Fayetteville
59. Wheeler, Joseph - Campaigns Of Wheeler And His Cavalry
60. Wright, Henry H. - 6th Iowa
61. Hinman, Wilbur F. - The Story Of The Sherman Brigade 64th & 65th Ohio
62. 1850 US Census

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This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by
Jerome Tew - jdtew3@earthlink.net
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