soon found his progress impeded by infantry and artillery. Johnston had moved by night from Smithfield, with great rapidity, and without unnecessary wheels, intending to overwhelm the left flank before it could be relieved by its co-operating columns. The enemy attacked the head of the Union column, gaining a temporary advantage, and took three guns and caissons of Carlin's Division, driving the two leading brigades back on the main body. Slocum promptly deployed the two divisions of the Fourteenth Corps, and rapidly brought up on their left the two divisions of the Twentieth Corps. These he arranged on the defensive, and hastily prepared a line of barricades. Kilpatrick also came up at the sound of artillery, and massed on the left. In this position the left wing received six distinct assaults by the combined forces of Hoke, Hardee, and Cheatham, under the immediate command of General Johnston himself, without giving an inch of ground, and doing good execution on the enemy's ranks, especially with artillery, the enemy having little or none. General Sherman, immediately on receipt of a dispatch from Slocum, sent him orders to call up the two divisions guarding his wagon trains, and Hazen's Division of the Fifteenth Corps, still back near Lee's Store, to fight defensively until he could draw up Blair's Corps, then near Mount Olive Station, and with the three remaining divisions of the Fifteenth Corps come upon Johnston's left rear from the direction of Cox's Bridge. At the same time he received couriers from both Schofield and Terry. The former reported himself in possession of Kinston, delayed somewhat by want of provisions, but able to march so as to make Goldsboro' on the 21st, and Terry was at or near Faison's Dépôt. Orders were at once dispatched to Schofield to push for Goldsboro', and to make dispositions to cross Little River, in the direction of Smithfield, as far as Millard; to Terry to move to Cox's Bridge, lay a pontoon bridge, and establish a crossing; and to Blair to make a night-march to Falling Creek Church; and at daylight, the right wing, Howard, less the necessary wagon guards, was put in rapid motion on Bentonville. At daybreak on the morning of the 20th, Hazen's Division of the Fifteenth Corps, Geary's of the Twentieth Corps, and Baird's of the Fourteenth Corps, reported on the field, having marched all night, from the new Goldsboro' road, where the trains were moving. Howard, with Logan's and Blair's Corps, came up on the right, by way of Cox's Bridge, and on moving forward the Fifteenth Corps, General Logan, found that the enemy had thrown back his left flank, and had constructed a line of parapet connecting with that towards Slocum, in the form of a bastion, its salient on the main Goldsboro' road, interposing between Slocum on the west and Howard on the east, while the flanks rested on Mill Creek, covering the road back to Smithfield. Howard was instructed to proceed with due caution until he had made strong connection on his left with Slocum. This he soon accomplished, and, by four P. M. of the 20th, a complete and strong line of battle confronted the enemy in his intrenched position. Sherman ordered all empty wagons to be sent at once to Kinston for supplies, and all other impediments to be grouped near the Neuse, south of Goldsboro', holding the rebel army in close contact with the enemy, ready to fight him if he ventured outside his parapets and swampy obstructions. Thus matters stood about Bentonville on 21st of March. On the same day, General Schofield entered Goldsboro' with little or no opposition, and Terry had got possession of the Neuse River at Cor's Bridge, ten miles above, with a pontoon bridge laid and a brigade across, so that the three armies were in actual connection, and the great object of the campaign was accomplished. On the 21st, a steady rain prevailed, during which Mower's Division of the Seventeenth Corps, on the extreme right, had worked well to the right around the enemy's flank, and had nearly reached the bridge across Mill Creek, the only line of retreat open to the enemy. Of course, there was extreme danger that the enemy would turn on him all his reserves, and, it might be, let go his parapets to overwhelm Mower. Accordingly, Sherman ordered at once a general attack by the skirmish line from left to right. Quite a noisy battle ensued, during which Mower was enabled to regain his connection with his own corps, by moving to his left rear. That night the enemy retreated on Smithfield. The losses of the left wing about Bentonville were nine officers and one hundred and forty-five men killed, fifty-one officers and eight hundred and sixteen men wounded, and three officers and two hundred and twenty-three men missing, taken prisoners by the enemy; total, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven. Slocum buried on the field one hundred and sixty-seven rebel dead, and took three hundred and thirtyeight prisoners. General Howard reported the losses of the right wing at two officers and thirty-five men killed, twelve officers and two hundred and eightynine men wounded, and one officer and sixty men missing; total, three hundred and ninety-nine. He also buried one hundred dead of the enemy, and took one thousand two hundred and eighty-seven prisoners. The cavalry of Kilpatrick was held in reserve, and lost but few, if any. Our aggregate loss at Bentonville was one thousand six hundred and forty-six. Thus the 21st of March found Sherman in virtual possession of Goldsboro', the real objective of the campaign, together with its two railroads to Wilmington and Beaufort, which large working parties were then putting in complete repair. In spite of a desperate enemy in his front, and of roads rendered nearly impassable by an almost unprece dentedly wet season, the army had, with inconsiderable loss, moved, in two months' time, through the heart of the Confederacy, thoroughly destroying the railroads between Goldsboro' and Savannah, and were now prepared to enjoy, in the camps assigned to them around Goldsboro', a period of much-needed rest, and an opportunity to replenish their wornout clothing and equipments. The following congratula tory order by General Sherman announced the result of his campaign:→ "HEAD-QUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE Mississippi, 86 SPECIAL FIELD ORDERS-No. 35. "The General Commanding announces to the army that yesterday it beat, on its chosen ground, the concentrated armies of our enemy, who has fled in disorder, leaving his dead, wounded, and prisoners in our hands, and burning his bridges on his retreat. "On the same day, Major-General Schofield, from Newbern, entered and occupied Goldsboro', and Major-General Terry, from Wilmington, secured Cox's Bridge crossing, and laid a pontoon bridge across Neuse River, so that our campaign has re ulted in a glorious success. After a march of the most extraordinary character, nearly five hundred miles, over swamps and rivers deemed impassable to others, at the most inclement season of the year, and drawing our chief supplies from a poor and wasted country, we reach our destination in good health and condition. "I thank the army, and assure it that our Government and people honor them for this new display of the physical and moral qualities which reflect honor upon the whole nation. "You shall now have rest, and all the supplies that can be brought from the rich granaries and store-houses of our magnificent country, before again embarking on new and untried dangers. "W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General Commanding." CHAPTER LXXV. Grant's Preparations for a Final Movement.-Rebel Attack on Fort Steadman.-Disastrous Repulse.-Object of Lee.-Movement on the Left Commenced.-Affair of Quaker Road.-Heavy Fighting on Boydton Road. Decisive Battle of Five Forks. -Rebel Left Turned.-Assault on Petersburg.-Evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond.-Pursuit of Lee.-His Surrender to Grant.-End of Campaign. As March approached its close, preparatious began to be made by Grant for that grand movement on the enemy's right, his chief vulnerable point, which was to give us possession of Petersburg and Richmond, capture or destroy the army of Lee, and end the war by a single blow. The sorely tried Army of the Potomac, so often defeated and disappointed, but never dishonored, was about at last to reap the fruit of all its exertions, and to redeem the promise of its early prime. Anticipating that the decisive moment was at hand, and dreading the battle which Grant with superior forces was about to offer him, Lee had already commenced preparations to evacuate Petersburg and Richmond, and move southward to effect a junction with Johnston. To cover this movement he organized a night attack upon the Union lines in front of Petersburg-a desperate expedient, certainly, considering their strength, but the only one which under the circumstances was practicable. Grant had anticipated the evacuation, and had taken means to prevent the escape of the rebel army. Meanwhile the busy note of preparation was heard along the Union lines, and frequent reviews of corps and sub-divisions, which were witnessed by President Lincoln and a distinguished party of visitors, gave the camps a festive appearance. At daylight on the 25th of March, Gordon's rebel Corps, consisting of three divisions, was massed for a charge against our lines, in front of Fort Steadman, a square fort, covering about an acre of ground, and carrying nine guns, and supported by mortar batteries, on the right and left. It was the second regular fort in our line running from the river, the first being Fort Mc Silvrey. Just beyond Fort Steadman, and about three-eighths of a mile distant, was Fort Haskell; and between the two were mortar batteries 11 and 12. Simultaneously with this disposition of Gordon's Corps, the rest of Lee's army was arranged to co-operate in an attack farther down towards our left. Our lines at this time extended over the enormous distance of thirty miles, from right to left. The extreme right was terminated by Fort Harrison, north of the James, on Chapin's Farm, and by the outposts of Kautz's Cavalry. Thence it crossed the James, and, passing in front of Bermuda Hundred, crossed the Appomattox, and so extended around Petersburg as far southwest as the hither bank of Hatcher's Run, on which the left rested. The Army of the Potomac occupied the whole of the ground south of the Appomattox, and that of the James, under Ord, the remainder of the lines. Besides covering his retreat by a sudden and strong attack, Lee had an additional object to gain, which was to break through our lines at Hare's Hill, on which Fort Steadman was situated, by a bold dash, to turn the guns he should capture upon us, to wheel his troops to the right and march down the line, taking Forts Haskell, Morton, Meikle, and the rest in reverse, stripping off the guns and garrisons from the forts and batteries, and threatening the whole line. While one column should accomplish this work, another, in its rear, crossing through the gap, would get upon our military railroad and destroy it, and perhaps march to City Point and burn our dépôts and supplies at that point. The seizure of our base would have effectually cut off the army of Ord from the army of Meade; and, in short, if successful, the move might have entirely broken up the famous campaign against Richmond, and have thrown a new aspect over the war. At daybreak, Gordon's troops rushed to the attack. The space be tween the opposing lines was but one hundred and fifty yards wide, and once having cleared his own abatis, he charged across the interval and up the acclivity to Fort Steadman, worked his way through our abatis, and carried the fort almost instantly. Our line here was guarded by McLaughlin's Brigade of Willcox's (First) Division of the Ninth Corps. In the fort were the Fourteenth New York heavy artillery, and so skilfully and boldly was this assault executed, that the garrison, numbering about five hundred men, was captured with scarcely a show of resistance. The enemy at once turned the captured guns against the rest of the line, and speedily occupied mortar batteries 9, 10, and 11, adjoining Fort Steadman. His onward rush, however, was now checked by Fort Haskell, and the rest of Willcox's Division having been rallied, a stubborn resistance began to be offered to him. At this juncture Hartranft's Third Division of the Ninth Corps came up to the support of Willcox, and our batteries from all quarters were massed upon Fort Steadman. A tremendous caunonade burst from our artillery, to which the enemy replied briskly from the guns he had captured. Under the terrific fire, Hartranft's Division pressed up towards the captured fort to retake it. The enemy at first resisted obstinately, and checked Hartranft's progress, inflicting on the latter a loss of nearly two hundred men killed and wounded. But soon the concentrated fire of our artillery, and the determined advance of Hartranft on all sides, were too much for him. He fell back into the fort, and then beyond the fort, down the hill, leaving all the guns he had captured, and endeavored to regain his own lines. But our own guns opened upon him with such severity as to prevent a large part of the retreating force from escaping from the fort, and seventeen hundred and fifty-eight prisoners fell into our hands. The enemy's total loss at this point could not have been less than two thousand five hundred. Our own loss was a little over nine hundred. The enemy did not fight with his accustomed fierceness. Many of the rebel soldiers were only too glad to be captured, and many, breaking through all rules of discipline, began to plunder the officers' quarters in the captured fort, thus preventing such a following up of their first success as was essential to a final victory. By ten A. M. the fighting in front of Fort Steadman was over, but the Second and Sixth Corps were now under arms, in anticipation of an attack upon our left; and with a view of reaping some advantages from the enemy's signal repulse by Hartranft, they were at eleven o'clock pushed out against the rebel intrenched picket lines, which extended some distance beyond their main line of works. The movement was entirely successful, and although the enemy made desperate efforts in the afternoon to drive our troops from the captured intrenchments, night closed upon our lines still advanced. The following are extracts from General Meade's congratulatory order : "The Major-General Commanding announces to the army the success of the operations of yesterday. "The enemy, with a temerity for which he has paid dearly, massed his forces, and succeeded, through the reprehensible want of vigilance of the Third Brigade, First Division, Ninth Corps, in breaking through our lines, capturing Fort Steadman, and batteries 9, 10, and 11. "The prompt measures taken by Major-General Parke, the firm bearing of the troops of the Ninth Corps in the adjacent portions of the line held by the enemy, and the conspicuous gallantry of the Third Division of this corps, for the first time under fire, together with the energy and skill displayed by Brigadier-General Hartranft, its leader, quickly repaired this disaster; and the enemy were driven from Fort Steadman and our lines, with heavy losses in killed and wounded, leaving in our hands eight battleflags and over nineteen hundred prisoners. "The enemy being driven from the front of the Ninth Corps, the offensive was assumed by the Sixth and Second Corps; the enemy by night was driven from his intrenched picket line, and all his efforts to recover the same, which were particularly determined and persistent on the Second Corps' front, were resisted and repulsed with heavy losses, leaving with the Sixth Corps over four hundred prisoners, and with the Second Corps two battle-flags and over three hundred prisoners. * * * * * "The result of the day was the thorough defeat of the enemy's plans, the capture of his strongly intrenched picket line under the artillery fire of his main works, and the capture of ten battle-flags and about two thousand eight hundred prisoners-a result on which the Major-General Commanding heartily congratulates the army. "Two lessons can be learned from these operations: one, that no fortified line, however strong, will protect an army from an intrepid and audacious enemy, unless vigilantly guarded; the other, that no disaster or misfortune is irreparable, where energy and bravery are displayed in the determination to recover what is lost and to promptly assume the offensive. "The Major-General Commanding trusts these lessons will not be lost on this army." The total loss of the enemy in the several encounters of the 25th must have reached five thousand; that of the Union army was offieially stated at two thousand three hundred and ninety. |