The Battle of Bentonville - Fayetteville, North Carolina - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

Traveling north on I-95 in Cumberland County, North Carolina, one can exit to the rest area at mile marker 47. In the car parking lot one can find this historic plaque telling the story of the Civl War Battle of Bentonville. This rest area is about one mile south of Fayetteville, NC. The plaque gives information about the battle and directions to the actual site.

The text reads:

The Battle of Bentonville
March 19, 20, and 21, 1865

At Bentonville, General William T. Sherman's Union Army, advancing from Fayetteville toward Goldsboro, met and battled the Confederate Army of General Joseph E. Johnston. General Robert E. Lee had directed the Confederates to make a stand in North Carolina to prevent Sherman from joining General U.S. Grant in front of Lee's Army at Petersburg, Virginia.
Johnston had been able to raise nearly 30,000 men from South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and eastern North Carolina. His army included a galaxy of generals: Two full generals besides Joseph E. Johnston; four lieutenant generals; fourteen major generals; and many brigadier generals. Ahead of Sherman with his force, he looked for an opportunity to strike.

Sherman's Army of 60,000 men was divided into two wings: 30,000 men in the Left Wing marching via Averasboro and Bentonville, and 30,000 men in the Right Wing marching in a parallel route to the southeast. Sherman's North Carlina objective was Goldsboro, where 40,000 additional troops and fresh supplies would reinforce and nourish his weary army.

The three-day battle ended in a stalemate. After an initial success on the first day, the Confederates were unable to destroy the united Federal Left and Right Wings (60,000 men) and on the night of March 21-22 they withdrew. The Union Army, anxious to reach Goldsboro, did not pursue.

Troops involved: 85,000 to 90,000
Causualties: Killed Wounded Missing
Confederate 239 1,694 673
Union 304 1,112 221
Total 543 2,806 894
Total killed, wounded, and missing: 4,243

The Battle of Bentonville was important because it was:
1. The only major Confederate attempt to stop Sherman after the Battle of Atlanta, August, 1864.
2. The last major Confederate offensive in which the Confederates chose the ground and made the initial attack.
3. The largest battle ever fought on North Carolina soil.

The Harper House, residence in which John and Amy Harper raised their 8 children, has been restored on the battleground. This home was used during the battle as a Union hospital and after the battle as a Confederate hospital.

In the Confederate Cemetery nearby are buried 360 soldiers.

The museum and 6,000-acre battleground are open for tours on a regular schedule.

To reach the Battleground, proceed on Int. 95 thirty miles to intersection of U.S. 701. Turn right and follow the signs eleven miles.

Archives and Highway Departments.
1962

Group that erected the marker: Archives and Highway Departments URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: I-95 Mile Post 47 Fayetteville, NC USA

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