Old Bluff Church
Posted by: 
showbizkid
N 35° 11.084 W 078° 43.428
17S E 707257 N 3895902
This Civil War Trails site is a historic church site that Sherman's troops marched by on the way to Averasboro. One brigade briefly stopped to camp here, but were then called into action. The coordinates will take you to the North Carolina interpretive signage just outside the church grounds. The ground are open everyday from 9 am to 5 pm, but the signage can be visited anytime during daylight hours.
Waymark Code: WMEW2
Location: North Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 06/14/2006
Views: 42
On March 14, 1865, Union General William T. Sherman's Left Wing began advancing north past Old Bluff Church from Fayetteville. For two days, the wing's 30,00 officers and men with their supplies and equipment passed here in the face of sporadic and increasing Confederate resistance. That resistance culminated in the Battle of Averasboro on March 15 and 16 and the Battle of Bentonville on March 19 through 21.
Early on March 15, half a mile north along the Fayetteville-Raleigh Stage Road, Confederate cavalrymen skirmished with the Union vanguard at Silver Run Creek and Mill Pond. Later, Sherman established temporary headquarters there. The rainy weather that week made the roadway nearly impassable and the soldiers miserable.
Despite the terrible weather, at nightfall on March 15, Union Col. William Hawley's brigade prepared for a hot meal and a night's rest at Bluff Church after working all day courduroying the road. At 7:30 pm, however, the brigade was called forward to assist Union cavalry, which was halted and engaged, as the Battle of Averasboro began.
One of the soldiers described the seven-mile trek to the battle site: "Men had their shoes sucked off by the mud, while others stumbled, lost their guns, and were thankful they were not trampled under by the moving column and buried alive.
To record your own visit to this waymark, take and post your own photo with your log. Log must contain the required photo as proof of your visit, please.Old Bluff Church: