"‘With Unusual Stubbornness’–The Battle of Bentonville Begins" Topic

"General Sherman rose early. His orders for the day's march had gone out last night, and he suspected a clear road ahead. In this, he was mistaken, and in his ignorance, he departed from the Left Wing of his army and rode casually for the Right, moving along parallel roads ten or so miles away.

The day's march was started as planned. For John Slocum's Left Wing, this meant that the Fourteenth Corps again took the lead, with the Twentieth to follow. Even from the start, the march was contested. This was, however, only cavalry before them. A Union prisoner, escaped from Rebel captors, was brought to Slocum, telling the general that Joe Johnston's Confederates were all up near Raleigh. Southern deserters all spoke the same tidings. And even with the boom of artillery, Slocum remained certain that cavalry only lay ahead.

As General Jefferson C. Davis lead the Fourteenth Corps, he noticed that "the enemy's pickets yielded their ground with unusual stubbornness for cavalry troops." But the prisoners they took proved to be cavalry, and so he continued on, ordering forward William Carlin's Division, which was formed on either side of the road. Skirmishers were thrown forward and advancing…"

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Amicalement
Armand

I drove through the Bentonville battle areas a couple years ago. It covers a very large area. The terrain is very flat and there were a lot of cotton fields.

I was there about 4 or 5 years ago.

My wife great x4 grandfather was there 150 years ago with the 136th NY.

A good battlefield site to visit. I also was amazed how flat it was.