Battle of Bentonville

[johan_steele]

It was stated on an earlier thread that the battle of Bentonville was a CSA victory and an example of what happened to Sherman's men when they faced veterans... Frankly, I was suprised at the suggestion that Bentonville was anything but a loss to the CSA.

With about 20,000 men Johnston tackled one wing of Shermans Army; two corps w/ about 30,000 men. Johnston lost. I've looked and I've looked but I just don't see the result in any way but a loss.

I will conceded that neither side won a clear cut victory and in comparison to Shiloh or Antietam the casualties were light (combined casualties of less than 5000). I think Bentonville is best seen as a reminder that Sherman did not pass unchallenged.

Anyone want to straighten me out and put their two cents in?

[scone]

This is one of the battles i had relatives in and still kinda know nothing about it..

In the little i have read.. I believe the confederates did have the upper hand early on but as the battle went on the battle changed.

Johnston's troops did have a advantage early in the battle, mainly due to surprise. There were several points in the battle where the confederate troops had the upper hand, but it didn't last long. 20,000 fighting 60,000, that's not very good odds. Johnston did entrench his troops, in a solid defendable position, and hoped Sherman would do a frontal attack, which would have been very costly to Sherman's army, but Sherman wouldn't order the attack. Kind of sounds like the Atlanta standoff doesn't it?. Later Mower attacked the Confederate left, which eventually caused Johnston to have to retreat. I don't see where a Confederate victory could be claimed either.

Charlie

[mobile_96]

Presently reading Sherman-A Soldier's Passion for Order by Marszalek, and just read over the small section of Bentonville.
Johnston had attacked Slocum's wing of Shermans advance. Slocum sends for help from Sherman, managing to hold on to his position until Sherman arrives with Howard's wing. The message is sent so late Sherman is in his red flannel undershirt and drawers when it arrives. "He told Slocum to hold on. Johnston had surprised Sherman, hoping to annihilate Sloccum before the rest of the Union army could concentrate in opposition. Slocum fought furiously, however and held on until Sherman arrived with Howards wing. Johnston's army was formed in a V, the town of Bentonville inside the formation. Slocum's wing faced one side of the V , Howard the other. Slocum's determined stand stymied Johnston. Once again, Sherman had a opportunity to destroy an opposing army, and, once again, as he had at Atlanta and Savannah, he held back. "I would rather avoid a general battle, if possible," he told Slocum. He remained quiet for several days until one of his division commanders, Mowrer, broke through on Johnston's ****herst left flank. Here was a golden oppurtunity, but Sherman still demurred, refusing to bring on a pitched battle and casualties when his war of terror was working so effectively. "
He later admitted he had thrown away a magnificent opportunity, but at the time he was more interested in merging with Schofield's Twenty-third Corps and Terry's two divisions of the Thenth Corps near Goldsboro than in bloody battle."
Marszalek notes that "Sherman was pleased with his successful march because the devastation had brought the war closer to completeion and made less necessary the killing of people he knew and liked. He had achieved military success without excessive casualties, and he hoped Southerners would recognize his achievement."...."I will take infinitely more delight in curing the wounds made by war than in inflicting them"
Chuck in Il.

[scone]

Ok in Joseph Johnston by Symonds.

It Reads:

Confident of another easy success, the federals deployed to contest the road and at about 10 am they Struck Braggs's blocking force, particulary the div. of Robert f. Holk entrenched behind a rail fence. Holk had the only Confederate artillery on the field and his guns soon opened on the startled Federals.

Slocum fed more more brigades into the fight soon the the sides were fully engaged. Slocum belived that the force in front of him "consisted only of cavalry with a few pieces of artillery"

He informed Sherman that he need no reinforcements and ordered his lead brigades "to press the enemy closely" Within the hr. Slocum learned that oit was infantry and not merely cavalry in his path. A prisioner told him that Johnston had assembled an army of 40,000 men. At once he went over to the defence and called up his reserves.

This was the moment Johnston had planned to launch his flanking attack. But two factors delayed him. the first was Hardee's late arrival and the second was Bragg's request for reinforcemenys.

Johnston detached McLaws div. from Hardee's force which weakend the impact of Hardee's attack.

A few minutes before 3pm Johnston launched his flanking attack. Which one witness from the federal side thought "the onward sweep of the rebel lines was like waves of the ocean. relentless"

Hardee's troops drove over the federal line and outflanked two union brigades which brokee and fled. Many of the federals threw away their rifles and ran "like a flock of sheep" according to one witness.

The XIVth Corps was shattered and the confederates bounded after the retreating enemy.

But the hrs of delay were costly for slocum had had time to bring up his reserves.

====================

I have to run off but will finish later on this evening.

[scone]

The brigades of of the XX th Corps began to arrive on the field. The engagement ment turned into a hotly contested fight at close range, the outcome hanging in the balance.

Hardee halted his attack briefly to realine his units, the he advanced again, but much of the impetus from the orginal assault had
dissipated. As his men crossed the Goldsboro rd. they struck the fresh units of the XX th Corp and recoiled.

Holks advanced from his blocking position to join the attack , and once more the confederates gave away. Bragg however recalled Hokeand ordered him to focus on a frontal assault against a federal redoubt.

On parts of the field, the fighting was hand to hand, men clubed each other with muskets because there was no timeto reload. The confederates attacked fewer than five times, but each time the patch work federal line held. The firing petered out with falling darkness, and the confederates with drew to their orginal line.

That night Slocum brought up more reinforcements and it became clear that nuthing further could be accomplised on that particular battlefield.

Still Johnston refused to withdrawl. He changed his postion to defend against the expected arrival of Slocum's reinforcements, but he stubernly held his postion for two more days. By the afternoon of March 20th the federals had 4 corps on the field and they attacked the rebel lines several times without success. At one point a federal div. charged toward a weak point in the rebel line and Hardee sent a regiment to plug the hole.

Only days before before hardee had reluctantly given his own 16 yr old son permission to leave school and join a cav. reg. It was that reg. whose charge now blunted the federal spearhead. The federals withdrew, but Hardee's son fell mortally wounded.

The next day Sherman sent a corp around Johnstons flank to cut off his line of retreat which left Johnston no option but to withdrawl , and that night he pulled the army back from Bentoville toward Raleigh.

Only on terms of its impact on moral can Bentonville be called a Confederate victory Shermon held the ground afterward and the attacking army suffered most of the casualties.

The Confederates lost a total of 260, Union loses were 1646. But Sherman's men learned that the war was not yet over and that the Confederate army was still dangerous.

=========================================

I'm sure there was more to it than what i have put on here. But hope that helps you understand the battle more.

Where it stated that the prisoner told them that Johnston had assembled 40,000 men, makes me wonder if the prisioner might have been telling Slocum false information. According to the Battle of Bentonville website Johnston had about 20,000. Seems like in was 14,000 infantry and 6000 calvary. Give or take a little. With Johnstons ability, I would figure that if Johnston actually had 40,000 against Sherman's 60,000 he would have won that battle.

Charlie

[johan_steele]

Correction to number of CSA casualties: 2600 approx killed, wounded and taken prisoner.

[scone]

Thank you Shane the book has 2606 my typing skills are not the the greatest and even after looking over it still missed the correct #

As for Hardee's son being mortally wounded. The House Willie Hardee died in was the ancestral home of General William Kirkland who led The North Carolina Brigade in which the 26NCT served. The house is in in Hillsborough, N.C. that