Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

ers.

WADE HAMPTON SURPRISES KILPATRICK.

48

705

He thereupon fell back into | (where Blair captured 25 guns), and Aiken; and Kilpatrick, after threat- thence up to the State line at Sneedsening him there till the night of the boro'; moving on parallel roads with12th, suddenly drew off, moved rap-in easy supporting distance, till they idly across the South and then the North Edisto," and, moving on the left of the 14th corps, struck the Lexington and Augusta road 9 miles north-west of Lexington, when barely 1,500 of Wheeler's men had got between him and Columbia, while Cheatham's force (the remnant of Hood's army) was moving parallel with our advance still farther to the left. But, on crossing the Saluda," Wheeler was found to be ahead; and our cavalry marched all day" parallel with Cheatham's corps, moving at times within three miles a difficult stream forbidding an attempt to strike the enemy in flank, as he was strung along the road. Crossing the Greenville and Columbia road, Kilpatrick tore it up down to Alston, where he crossed" the Broad, and pushed north nearly to Chesterville; when he found that Wheeler had moved around his front, united with Wade Hampton, and was before him on the road to Charlotte and Raleigh, N. C., which Sherman's advance northward from Columbia to Winnsboro'** had led the enemy to believe was his intended course.

44

were concentrated at Fayetteville," N. C.; leaving Charlotte and the bulk of the Rebel army far to our left. Heavy rains and almost impassable streams had delayed our dif ferent columns; and Hardee was expected to make a stand at Fayetteville and resist our passage of the Cape Fear river; but he merely burned the bridge and put off as Blair came up. Kilpatrick, still on our extreme left had advanced by Rockingham; striking next day the rear of Hardee's column retreating from Cheraw on Fayetteville; when, learning from prisoners that Hampton's cavalry was behind, he resolved to intercept it. Posting a mounted brigade near Solemn Grove on one road, he made, with Spencer's brigade, a rapid night-march across to another; during which, he rode through a division of Hampton's cavalry: losing by capture his escort of 16 men, but escaping with his staff.

Hampton skillfully deceived Gen. Atkins, whom Kilpatrick had left behind, passed him by an unsuspected road, and fell in full force upon Kilpatrick and Spencer about 2 A. M.; taking them completely by surprise, routing them and capturing all their guns.

Spencer and most of Kilpatrick's staff were made prisoners; Kilpatrick barely escaping on foot. Driven back into a swamp, with

They were at fault, as usual. Though his left wing was thrown north nearly to Chesterville, the movement in this direction was a feint, and the whole army soon turned sharply to the right, crossing the Catawba, and, after halting the right wing three days to enable Slo-most of his men, he succeeded in cum (who had been delayed by a flood in the Catawba) to come up, struck the Great Pedee at Cheraw"

45

43

rallying them, while the enemy, supposing him utterly routed, were intent on plundering his camp; and,

*Feb. 15. 41 Feb. 17. 42 Feb. 18. Feb.19 44 Feb. 21 45 Feb. 23. 46 March 3. 47 March 11. 48 March 7.

VOL. II.-45

charging on foot, he retook his head-
quarters and guns, just as the enemy
were harnessing the horses to draw
them off, and opened upon their re-
ceding backs when scarcely twenty
paces distant, quickening the pace of
all who still retained the power of lo-
comotion. Hampton soon rallied his
command, and tried hard to regain all
that he had so suddenly won and
lost;
but Kilpatrick kept him at
bay till Gen. Mitchell, hearing the
guns, at 8 A. M. came hastily across
with a brigade of infantry of the
20th corps; when the enemy disap-
peared; having inflicted a loss of 19
killed, 61 wounded, and 103 prison-

ers.

nery which had been brought hither from the U. S. armory at Harper's Ferry on its first capture in April, 1861. His army greatly needed rest; and besides, there was reason now to apprehend other resistance than that afforded by the swamps, the streams, and the elements. Hardee from Savannah and Charleston; Beauregard from Columbia; Cheatham from the Tennessee; with a considerable force drawn from North Carolina and her seaward defenses under Bragg and Hoke, made up, with Wheeler's and Hampton's cavalry, a body of not less than 40,000 men, mainly veterans, now united under the able and wary Jo. Johnston. It would no longer answer to move as hitherto; our columns must be kept well closed up, the corps within easy supporting distance, on peril of surprise and disaster.

Kilpatrick reached Fayetteville, N. C., on the 11th, and the whole army was concentrated there next day; when the army tug Davidson and the gunboat Eolus steamed up from Wilmington with news of the capture of that city and of all that had occurred during the six weeks that the army had been corduroying its way through the interminable swamps and pontooning across the swollen streams of South Carolina. At Columbia, the disastrous fire and the bitter hostility of the people had prevented the only corps that entered that city from learning much of the outer world; but here Sherman was in full communication with the Government and the cooperating Generals, and able to dispatch full instructions to Gen. Schofield; who, having been brought around from Tennessee to Newbern, was preparing heavily in the advance. ing to rëenforce him at Goldsboro'.

True to his favorite policy, Sherman again pushed " four divisions of his left wing, covered by Kilpatrick, directly northward to AVERYSBORO', as if intent on Raleigh; while Slocum's train, his two remaining divisions, and the right wing, moved by various roads nearly east, toward Goldsboro,' his true destination. The incessant rains had reduced the roads to a state wherein horses would mire almost anywhere, and 'corduroy' was essential wherever guns or wagons were to be moved.

Sherman halted three days at Fayetteville; completely destroying the U. S. Arsenal and the costly machi

Sherman was on the left with Slocum, who was that day required to send up a brigade of infantry to the aid of Kilpatrick, who was skirmish

Next morning, when near Averysborough, on approaching the road, which runs eastward to Bentonville, the enemy, under Hardee, was found

49 March 15.

JOHNSTON ATTACKS SLOCUM AT BENTONVILLE.

posted on a narrow, swampy neck of land between the Cape Fear and South rivers; his total strength being estimated at 20,000. Ward's division of the 20th corps, in our left advance, was deployed, sending forward a skirmish line, developing a brigade of infantry behind a light field-work, with a battery enfilading the approach. Williams sent Case's brigade by a circuit to our left; turning the enemy's work, and, by a quick charge, driving back the infantry brigade holding it, under the fire of Winnegar's battery, to a stronger and better line behind it; whereupon, Ward's division charged directly on the retreating foe, capturing 3 guns and 217 prisoners, of whom 68 were wounded; while 108 of the enemy's dead were buried by Williams on the field.

Jackson's division was now sent up on the right of Ward, and two divisions of the 14th corps on the left: while Kilpatrick, massing his cavalry farther to the right, was directed to feel for the road to Goldsborough. He had gained that road with one brigade, when he was vehemently assailed by McLaws's Rebel division, and pushed back, fighting gallantly; until, at length, our whole line advanced, driving the enemy within his intrenchments and pressing him there till night fell, dark and stormy; under cover of which he retreated, taking the road not to Raleigh but to Smithfield. Slocum's loss was 77 killed and 477 wounded (no prisoners)-which may or may not include that of Kilpatrick. The enemy's was probably about the same. Ward's division made a show of pursuing the enemy;

707

while the rest of our army, bearing to the right, pushed directly for Goldsborough,

Sherman, supposing the fight all out of the Rebels for the present, had ridden across to the right wing, and was intent on reaching Goldsborough and meeting Schofield, when the sound of guns on the left again challenged his attention. Slocum, approaching BENTONVILLE, had been assailed by Jo. Johnston with the entire Rebel army. Couriers from Schofield and from Terry now arrived; the former reporting himself at Kinston, short of provisions, but able to reach Goldsboro' on the 21st, which he was directed to do; Terry being likewise directed to advance. Meantime, the several divisions of the right wing were ordered to move on rapidly to the relief of the outnumbered left.

Slocum had at first encountered Dibbrell's cavalry; which he was driving, when he ran headlong upon the whole Confederate army: the two leading brigades of Carlin's di vision being hurled back on the main body, with a loss of 3 guns and their caissons. Slocum thereupon, very properly, stood on the defensive; showing a front of four divisions, and throwing up slight barricades; while Kilpatrick came into action on the left. Here our left received six assaults from Johnston's army; holding our ground firmly, and inflicting heavy loss on the foe with our ar tillery-they having brought up little or none. Johnston had hurried hither by night from Smithfield, moving very light, expecting to crush Slocum before he could be supported; but he was mistaken. Night fell

50 March 18.

53

without giving him any ground; and, | Gen. Sherman, after a hasty visit to Gens. Terry and Schofield, took the first train of cars that ran to Morehead City, and thence a swift steamer to City Point; where he met in council the President, Gens. Grant, Meade, &c.; returning as hurriedly to his army at Goldsboro', which he reached on the 30th.

before morning, Slocum got up his wagon-train, with its guard of two divisions, while Hazen's division of the 15th (Logan's) corps came up on his right, rendering his position secure. The enemy not risking further attacks, Slocum awaited the coming up of Howard and the entire right wing; by which time, Johnston had intrenched thoroughly in a strong position, forming a sort of triangle, with its apex at the front, but facing Slocum on one side and Howard on the other. Here he was very cautiously approached and felt of by Sherman, who was aware that Schofield was improving this delay to get possession of Goldsborough in the enemy's rear, while Gen. Terry advanced to the Neuse at Cox's bridge, some 10 miles higher up. And now," during a heavy rain, under cover of a noisy demonstration along the Rebel front, Mower's division of Blair's corps worked around by our right to the enemy's rear; hoping to secure the bridge over Mill creek, which was his only line of retreat. But Johnston was not to be thus caught; nor did he choose to stop here and fight 60,000 men with (at most) 40,000; so he decamped during the night, retreating on Smithfield and Raleigh so suddenly as to leave his pickets behind, as well as his severely wounded.

Our total loss here was 191 killed, 1,108 wounded, and 344 missing: in all, 1,643. We buried here 267 Rebel dead, and took 1,625 prisoners-many of them wounded.

No further resistance being made, our army moved on to Goldsboro', where it rested and was reclad, while

[blocks in formation]

We may now narrate the events of the Winter in North Carolina, which signally contributed to the final overthrow of the Rebellion.

WILMINGTON, N. C., had-because of its location, so convenient for the supply of ordnance, munitions, &c., to the main Rebel armies, and the extraordinary difficulty of precluding the ingress and egress of blockaderunners, at this port-been, from the outset, one of the most important sea-ports of the Confederacy, before, by the gradual closing of the others, it became the only one of consequence that remained accessible. To close it, therefore, became at length synonymous with barring all direct and nearly all commercial intercourse between the Confederacy and the non-belligerent world.

Early in the Autumn of 1864, Gen. Grant proposed to Gen. Butler the dispatch of Brig.-Gens. Weitzel and Graham to reconnoiter FORT FISHER, the main defense of the seaward approaches to Wilmington, to determine its strength, preparatory to a combined attack. The reconnoissance was made accordingly, and its result duly reported."

The meditated attack was intended to have been a virtual surprise, when the pressure of our armies at all points should have probably re$4 About Sept. 20.

53 March 27.

BUTLER AND PORTER OFF WILMINGTON.

709

Gen. Grant, it is clear, had not designed that Butler should accompany the expedition, but intended that Weitzel should be its commander; yet it is equally plain that, up to a very late hour, Gen. Butler undoubt ingly understood that he was not merely to fit it out, but personally command it. So he did.

Porter, with his war vessels, ar

duced the garrisons of Fort Fisher | at Fortress Monroe till December: and its adjuncts to a minimum; but thus the expedition did not get fairly even the small number required was off till the 14th. Admiral Porter, not available for this purpose till commanding the naval part of it, October; when it was judged that was off Beaufort, N. C., on the 16th; the collection and evolutions of a though Gen. Butler, in advance of great fleet in Hampton Roads must the transport fleet, had reached our have attracted the enemy's attention blockaders off Wilmington the night and prompted a rëenforcement of the before. The transports and troops threatened defenses. (The original were at Masonborough inlet, 18 miles plan of the expedition contemplated north, or nearly east of Wilmington. the collection and outfit of this fleet at or near Port Royal, under the guise of a demonstration against Fort Sumter and Charleston; but this was overruled by considerations of obvious convenience.) Meantime, the fertile genius of General Butler had been stimulated by the accounts of a tremendous gunpowder explosion at Erith, England, whereby destructive effects had been produced at a con-rived on the 18th, and at once sent siderable distance; and he had con- up the powder-boat Louisiana, intendceived the project of running a ves- ing to explode her forthwith; but, on sel filled with gunpowder under the Butler's remonstrance that the land sea-wall of Fort Fisher, and there forces must be ready to follow up the exploding it; trusting that, at least, explosion with an assault, he counterthe garrison would be so paralyzed manded the order. It appears that by the resulting earthquake as to fa- the Rebels were not aware of the precilitate a prompt seizure of the fort sence or imminence of the expediby its expectant besiegers. Delays tion till the 20th-a few vessels more in preparation occurred, as usual; or less in the offing, where several Gen. Butler was ordered by tele- blockaders were generally visible, graph to New York, to keep the not wearing any special significance. peace there during the Presidential But now, as the wind was high and election; and, when he returned," the sea rough, with a prospect of still the powder experiment had been re- worse weather, the transports put solved on and preparation for it par- back 70 miles to Beaufort, N. C., for tially made. But Gen. Grant now water, &c.; when a storm ensued left the front for a flying visit to his which prevented their return till the family in New Jersey, devolving on 26th. Gen. Butler the chief command; and, when he returned, of the 250 tons of powder required, 100 tons were still wanting, and did not arrive

55 Nov. 1 1864.

56

Admiral Porter-who was not on terms of cordiality with Gen. Butler set to work by himself. He had sent in the powder-boat Louisiana,

56 Nov. 16.

« AnteriorContinuar »