Battle of Bentonville Begins in American Civil War

Context

By early 1865, Union General William T. Sherman had completed his March to the Sea from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia, capturing the port city in December 1864. He then turned his attention northward into the Carolinas with roughly 60,000 men divided into two wings, aiming to destroy remaining Confederate resources and link with other Union armies. Confederate authorities responded by consolidating scattered forces under Joseph E. Johnston, who had previously commanded in the Western Theater, to mount a defense of the interior South.

What Happened

On March 19, elements of Sherman’s left wing under Henry W. Slocum, including the XIV Corps, advanced toward Goldsboro, North Carolina, when they encountered entrenched Confederate troops. Johnston ordered an attack that initially drove back two Union divisions before the remainder of Slocum’s command stabilized the line. Fighting continued into the following days as Oliver O. Howard’s right wing arrived and Joseph A. Mower’s division probed the Confederate flank on March 21.

Aftermath

Johnston withdrew his army during the night of March 21 after failing to dislodge the reinforced Union position. Sherman’s forces proceeded to Goldsboro and linked with additional troops, maintaining their advance through North Carolina. The battle inflicted significant losses on both sides and left Johnston’s command too weakened for further offensive operations.

Legacy

The engagement at Bentonville proved the last major battle between Sherman’s and Johnston’s field armies, underscoring the collapse of organized Confederate resistance east of the Mississippi River. It reinforced the effectiveness of Sherman’s strategy of rapid movement and resource denial, contributing to Johnston’s surrender to Sherman at Bennett Place less than a month later.