Civil War: the fourth year – Jan. 1, 1865, to March 23, 1865
By Andrew W. Johnson
Contributor
In the closing days of 1864, Company D of the 22nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, found itself in Savannah, Ga., as part of Union Gen. William T. Sherman’s great army, immediately following their now famous “March to the Sea.” Confederate forces were reforming across the state line in South Carolina, and Sherman was preparing for yet another march, this time northward into the Carolinas and points beyond.
On Dec. 30, 1864, Sherman had ordered a grand review of the army marching down Water Street in Savannah to display the Union Army’s strength and resolve for all the local citizens of the city to see. He also constructed new defensive entrenchment lines for when they departed the city and left a garrison behind. He had additional supply depots established and readied his rested troops with new uniforms and equipment for the arduous mission ahead.
Sherman was looking to march his army north through the Carolinas and into Virginia. Once there, he planned to meet up with Gen. George Meade’s army, which was facing off with Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Sherman had been working on his plan since mid-December 1864 and was anxiously looking to repeat his March to the Sea, by moving his army north, once again destroying anything of military value along the way. He planned to capture the City of Charleston, described as the cradle of secession. His authorization for this new march finally came on Jan. 2, 1865.
Sherman’s planned march route would take the entire army north to the Charleston and Wilmington Railroad, bypassing numerous cities in South Carolina then capturing Wilmington, N.C., and eventually the city of Raleigh. To prepare for the march, he readied about 60,000 officers and men, and nearly 2,500 wagons in his supply train filled with provisions and ammunition, pulled by 15,000 mules. They would also tow 68 cannons. For the anticipated wounded, he also assembled about 600 ambulance wagons to tend to the soldiers as they fell in battle.
The Left Wing moved across the river into Hardeeville, S.C., and there, assembled its units for further movement north. The Left Wing at this time was led by Maj. Gen. Henry W. Slocum. The Left Wing included the 20th Corps led by Brig. Gen. Alpheus S. Williams. The Third Division under Brig. Gen. William T. Ward was part of the 20th Corps and included the Second Brigade led by Col. Daniel Dustin. The 22nd Wisconsin Regiment led by Lt. Col. Edward Bloodgood was part of the Second Brigade and included Company D led by Captains Darwin R. May and George H. Brown.
To create a major diversion, Sherman loaded ships with troops from the Right Wing and had them sail to Beaufort, S.C. As they did this, the Left Wing moved by land toward Augusta, Ga., then Columbia, S.C. Ward’s Third Division moved out early in the morning of Jan. 1, marching in a cold rain. They made it as far as an island in the middle of the river, where, due to the heavy rain, enemy skirmishing fire and lack of usable bridges, they spent a cold and wet night. The 22nd Wisconsin fared a bit better when it managed, along with the other three regiments, to board a steamer. They made it all the way across, then camped on the other side of the river, the next morning.
On Jan. 4, 1865, they moved forward to the Hardee Plantation, located about seven miles north of the river. They set up camp, and for the next few weeks conducted drill, reconnaissance and other miscellaneous military camp duties. While there, Lt Col. Bloodgood developed a heart condition, and was sent home to Wisconsin. No one was sure if he would ever return, but surprisingly he did, on April 6, 1865. In his absence, the commander of the 22nd Wisconsin was Capt. Francis Mead.
On Jan. 17, 1865, the division moved to Hardeeville while the brigade continued on for another three miles to Purysburg, an old steamboat landing on the river. The town had been abandoned, and the men set up their camp along the river. The weather had continued to be unfavorable with heavy rain, and at roughly 10 p.m., the men discovered their tents were now pitched in 10 inches of water, a result of the rising tides and accompanying rain. When they re-pitched their tents on higher ground, they “borrowed” boards and bricks from the abandoned houses in town to create floors and small fireplaces. To further their comfort, they also “borrowed” chairs and tables from the empty houses, and passed the time writing letters home, while, as one soldier wrote home, “rocking in their chairs.”
From Jan. 18 to 26, 1865, some of the men were assigned to small reconnaissance patrols, which occasionally ran into a few enemy patrols. The soldiers also helped unload provisions and supplies from steamboats at the landing.
Both the Left and Right Wings of the army were originally scheduled to meet at Robertsville on Jan. 15, 1865, but had been delayed by constant rain, muddy ground and swollen rivers. The 22nd Wisconsin remained in camp in Purysburg until Jan. 29 when the division finally began to move out toward Robertsville. They marched 17 miles over muddy roads obstructed by fallen timber and other obstacles that had been left in their way. The brigade finally made it to Robertsville on Jan. 30, 1865 and went into camp around noon.
The brigade needed provisions, and the “Bummers” were once again called into action. Col. Dustin dispatched the men in groups of 50 to 80 each as foraging parties, usually accompanied by a regimental commissary officer, and on Jan. 30 one of the foraging parties was lead by Lt. Stephen Knowles of the 22nd Wisconsin. Many of the men were also assigned to repairing bridges and roads washed out by the heavy rains.
The 20th Corp remained at Robertsville until the morning of Feb. 2,1865, when it moved north toward Graham’s Station. The 22nd Wisconsin marched with the brigade in the middle of the Third Division, which was leading the column.
At about 2:30 p.m., they encountered some Confederate artillery, supported by about 500 cavalry, within a mile of Lawtonville. The Rebels were entrenched in a swamp, and as the Union troops engaged them across soft ground with areas of quicksand, the Confederates fell back through the town. The skirmishing didn’t last long, and no casualties were suffered.
Finally, on Feb. 1, 1865, Sherman’s grand army (“army group,”) which had been stalled by pouring winter rains, flooded swamps, overflowing rivers and washed out pontoon bridges, was able to complete its crossing of the Savannah River. The army at this point consisted of 60,079 officers and men, the majority of whom were seasoned veterans and revered their commander. They fondly referred to him as “Uncle Billy” to his face, and “Crazy Billy” at other times. He also took with him 2,500 wagons with ammunition and supplies, 600 ambulances and 60 cannon. Every item was stripped down to the bare bones, with each man sleeping under a simple tent fly, to include Sherman himself.
By Feb. 3, 1865, they hoped to make their way around the Cooswhatchie Swamp by the following day and by the Feb. 5 managed to camp on the Big Salkehatchie River, near Buford’s Bridge. The army columns traveled on separate roads paralleling each other and cut a swath through the countryside almost 40 miles wide.
On Feb. 7, the 20th Corp managed to reach the Little Salkehatchie River, which they crossed, then made their way to Graham’s Station (now Denmark). The men of the brigade were once again assigned to train guard duty, and their progress that day was slow. On this same date, Gen. Sherman’s men were in position along the South Carolina Railroad.
The 22nd Wisconsin moved into a position about three miles west of Graham’s station, where they guarded the wagon trains parked there. During the night and into the next day, a sprinkling of snow began to fall, which seemed strange to the men, as they were camped in South Carolina.
Feb. 9 saw the men on the march again, toward Blackville, roughly 8 miles west along the railroad tracks. When they arrived at Blackville, they managed to destroy railroad tracks being used by the enemy.
The wings of the army continued moving, and by Feb. 11 were starting to look as though they would meet up along the railroad as planned. The Left Wing was now moving toward Columbia, S.C. Gen. Ward moved the Third Division, with Dustin’s brigade and the 22nd Wisconsin Regiment in the lead. At the South Edisto River near Guignard’s Bridge, the men waded through hip-deep icy water to reach the opposite shore. They continued to march for another seven miles before making camp near Jeffcoat’s Bridge. They crossed the river again on Feb. 13 and continued toward Columbia.
On Feb. 13, the 22nd Wisconsin marched with the brigade in the center of the 20th Corp’s column then moved to the rear of the column on Feb. 14 to once again guard the wagon train. They rotated positions until they reached Columbia on Feb. 17.
Union intelligence reports on Feb. 16, 1865, advised the City of Columbia was undefended. Since no Confederate resistance was anticipated, Sherman decided to move the Left Wing, which at that point was within a few miles of the city, to Winnsboro. The 22nd Wisconsin, guarding the wagon train at the rear of the column, moved with the corp as it crossed the bridge on the Saluda River, then marched to Mett’s Mill.
On Feb. 17, 1865, Sherman’s troops made a river crossing over the Broad River and began their entry into Columbia. At some point during that night, a fire erupted within the city, which was later blamed on the Union troops by the local townspeople. The soldiers actually fought to suppress the fire until 4 a.m. Feb. 18, but by the time the fire was put out, almost 50 percent of the city had been destroyed. Union officers believed the fire was caused by Confederate troops, who, under orders to destroy anything of value from falling into Union hands, had set fire to the stockpile of cotton, which was then caught by the strong winds and disbursed across the city, setting it ablaze. The actual cause of the fire was never determined, but the finger pointing continued.
Meanwhile, the 22nd Wisconsin was camped near Rockville, guarding the wagon train. By Feb. 20, the 22nd Wisconsin was again marching with the brigade at the head of the division. The roads were bad, and men were detailed to corduroy the road so the wagons could continue to move forward. They made their way to Thompson’s P.O., 10 miles from Winnsboro, S.C., where they made camp.
Around midnight Feb. 22, 1865, the 22nd Wisconsin crossed the Catawba River at Rocky Mount Ferry on a freshly constructed bridge. Once across, they were instructed to improve the roads for troops and wagons following behind them to use. Following a 15-mile march, the already tired men immediately went to work in the pitch black of the night dragging logs from as far away as 1 ½ miles to construct the corduroy road. Work was completed by daybreak, and wagons rolled across the bridge and onto the new road.
Feb. 23 found the 22nd Wisconsin moving a few miles down the road with the rest of Ward’s Division, where the tired men rested at the Montgomery Plantation. Following a much-needed rest, they restocked their supply wagons and moved again on Feb. 25 but only made it a few miles, as they had to corduroy additional roads. Heavy rains slowed the forward momentum, and kept the troops in camp until Feb. 25,1865.
A respite in the weather on Feb. 26 allowed the Union troops to once again move forward. The 20th Corp, after corduroying roads all day for a total of eight miles, finally reached Hanging Rock and went into camp.
The weather remained poor as they continued to move forward, but the army finally reached Sneedsville on the Pee Dee River. The first troops crossed the river March 3 to 6, 1865, then turned toward their next objective – Fayetteville, N.C. Gen. Slocum’s Left Wing followed with Dustin’s brigade leading them. They arrived at the North Carolina state line on March 4, 1865, crossed over it, and went into camp on the Grady Plantation about two miles beyond.
While the 20th Corps was in camp near Sneedsville, the foragers had a chance to scour the countryside for resupply. Letters from that period also provide a glimpse into the religious fervor felt by Dustin’s troops camped there, as the chaplain of the 33rd Indiana preached to the largest brigade worship service ever held, on the morning of Sunday, March 5, 1865. The soldiers formed a brigade Christian Association, and by the time they mustered out at the end of the war the association had 321 enrolled members.
On March 6, 1865, the 22nd Wisconsin moved across the Pee Dee River at Cheraw during the late evening. Ward’s division was the last to cross over and was ordered to move toward Fayetteville, N.C. On March 7, they marched 15 miles to Mark’s sation. The 22nd Wisconsin however, remained behind with the brigade to guard the entire crossing of the 20th Corps, then moved quickly through the burned-out town, and after a 19-mile march, caught up with the rest of the division camped at Laurel Hill.
On March 11, 1865, the brigade led the division and army as it moved forward and occupied the city of Fayetteville, N.C., where it went into camp for the next four days. On March 13, the 20th Corps marched in a grand review order through the streets of Fayetteville, N.C., before crossing a pontoon bridge and going into camp beyond the Cape Fear River. In the days that followed, supplies arrived via the river and were loaded onto the supply wagons.
Sherman’s entire army was now across the river, and prepared for a 450-mile march to Goldsboro. Under his orders on March 15, the 22nd Wisconsin led the Second Brigade and Ward’s division as it moved ahead of the corps from Fayetteville, corduroying and repairing the roads. Confederate forces were also preparing, and unlike the uneventful march from Savannah to Fayetteville, the Union Army was about to meet resistance. The Federals advanced up the Plank Road to within four miles of Averasboro, then turned east toward Bentonville, N.C., with the Left Wing moving along the Goldsboro Road.
On March 16, 1865, the Second Brigade Commander, Col. Dustin, was promoted to brevet general just in time to lead his troops into the Battle of Averasboro. Skirmishers had encountered the enemy the previous evening, and the subsequent battle began at dawn, which greeted the soldiers with a steady falling rain. The brigades encountered enemy forces around 9:30 a.m. near the John Smith house and farm fields, within 500 yards of the main enemy lines. Capt. Darwin R. May and the 22nd Wisconsin moved forward and to the left of the line. At noon the brigade surged forward toward the enemy at the double-quick and overran the enemy position, capturing prisoners and artillery pieces as they went. The 22nd Wisconsin then re-formed to the left to protect the flank from a possible counterattack. The brigade pursued the enemy, with the 22nd Wisconsin held in reserves. At 3 p.m. that day, the main skirmish lines were replaced with three companies of the 22nd Wisconsin and three companies of the 33rd Indiana. By nightfall the brigade had suffered eight men killed in action, and 45 men wounded.
Gen. Slocum learned on the morning of March 17 that the enemy had completely retreated during the previous night, and ordered the Left Wing to pursue them toward Smithfield and Goldsboro. On March 18, the four divisions continued their march, with the 22nd Wisconsin in the center of the division. The roads were bad, and the men had to wade through two-foot deep water at the Black River and continuous swamps.
Skirmishers fought back and forth, and on March 18, Confederate Gen. Johnston attacked Slocum’s Left Wing as it was marching up the Goldsboro Road. Unfortunately for both the Union and Confederate generals, the state maps they possessed at that time were highly inaccurate, and neither side’s troop locations were correct. Neither enemy, nor their own reinforcements were where they thought they were supposed to be. By nightfall they fell back to reassess their situations. Gen. Johnston was convinced that this may be his last opportunity to strike a serious blow to Sherman’s army, and planned an attack for March 19, 1865. Many of the men in the brigade, who started March 18 did not arrive in camp until around 5 a.m. March 19, 1865.
As dawn broke on the Sunday, March 19, the Union army awakened to a beautiful morning, and many of the men, camped in orchards, helped themselves to the bounty of fruit to have with their breakfast. They had been resupplied with new uniforms, shoes and bags of mail from home. Many soldiers were convinced that the whole of the Confederate army was beaten, and that the war was finally coming to an end. Even Gen. Sherman began to feel as though the end would soon be near. He was mistaken however, and the Battle of Bentonville was waiting for him just down the road. At 8 a.m. March 22, Wisconsin was detailed to assist the pioneers in corduroying roads as the 20th Corps began to move forward.
By 1 p.m. the brigade was rushing forward to reinforce the 14th Corps, which was heavily engaged with the enemy four miles down the road. At 1:30 p.m., Gen. Slocum received an intelligence report advising there was a very large build-up of Confederates to their front, and he immediately shifted his troops to defensive positions. He moved the 20th Corps to the Reddick farm about one mile to the rear, to hold in reserve. Gen. Johnston launched his attack at 2:45 p.m., but some units, such as Gen. Bragg’s, failed to move forward until 4 p.m. This gave the Federals extra time to reinforce their positions. The final Confederate attacks were launched against the 20th Corps around 5 p.m. near the Morris Farm, where the rebels came within 30 yards of the Union troops before being repulsed. Gen. Johnston had finally had enough and recalled his troops. The Federals had once again held the line.
Gen. Johnston realized he could not hold up against Sherman’s army, so he entrenched his troops in defensive lines seeking what many believe would be, if nothing else, considered a morale victory to withstand Sherman while at the same time evacuating his wounded. He took a gamble, but lost. By March 20, the Left Wing had been reinforced by the Right Wing, and Johnston began to realize too late, he had waited too long.
The First Division of the 17th Corps under Major Gen. Joseph A. Mower moved forward against Johnston on March 21. Disregarding Sherman’s orders not to engage the enemy, Mower attacked at noon during a heavy rainstorm. The Union soldiers managed to overrun Johnston’s headquarters at Bentonville but were counterattacked by Gen. Hardee’s troops. During the battle, Hardee’s only son, 16-year-old Willie Hardee, a member in Terry’s Rangers of the 8th Texas Cavalry, was mortally wounded.
The Confederates managed to push back Mower’s attack. As he was preparing to attack again, Mower received orders from Sherman telling him to halt his advance. The day ended with a Confederate retreat, which lasted into March 22. Additional fighting occurred on March 21, but Mower broke through the enemy lines forcing an additional enemy retreat, and Mower fell back. By 4 p.m., silence fell over the battlefield, and there was no more action the rest of the day. Soldiers on both sides settled in for a quiet evening, disrupted by a hard and steady rainstorm. Gen. Johnston, upon learning that Federal units had occupied Goldsboro, gathered up his troops and moved toward Smithfield.
By March 21, 1865, the Battle of Bentonville was over, and the results were mixed. Gen. Johnston won the moral victory when Sherman’s troops failed to defeat them, but Sherman had forced them to retreat, thus opening up the road to Goldsboro to the Federals.
At this same time, Gen. Sherman’s battled-hardened troops encountered another “first” when Brig. Gen. Charles J. Paine’s Federal Division, consisting of nine regiments of U.S. Colored Troops, reinforced them on March 22, 1865. It was noted that when first encountered, the colored troops mistook Sherman’s troops for colored soldiers, before realizing they were in fact, just “very dirty.” One of the white soldiers greeted them by yelling “O you n—–!” to which one of the colored soldiers yelled back, “You ain’t the man to talk ‘til you wash yo’ face!” which brought laughter from both sides. None of the soldiers present failed to notice that the healthy and well-fed colored troops, in their clean new uniforms presented a much more military appearance than did any of Sherman’s ragged-looking men, who deservedly carried the titles of “Bummers,” and “Smokehouse Rangers.”
Many men lacked a full uniform, and what they did wear was mismatched and full of holes. Many were missing caps and shoes, though some managed to find civilian hats and other items of clothing, which they substituted for missing military issue. More than 5,000 men lacked uniform pants, almost 4,000 needed shoes, 2,700 lacked caps, and another 2,200 needed uniform coats. A general officer pointed out some of the “poor bare-legged men” to Sherman as a disgrace, to which Sherman stated “Splendid legs! Splendid legs! I would give both of mine for any one of them.” So proud was Sherman of these troops that, in spite of their appearance, he later told his wife he would like to march them through New York City just as they were and would be proud of them every step of the way. He then began to address their needs, the first of which was food, then uniforms and other supplies before once again marching onward to Goldsboro.
Gen. Slocum resumed his forward momentum on March 22, 1865, by moving his troops toward Goldsboro, N.C. The 22nd Wisconsin marched with the brigade, guarding the wagon train and didn’t arrive in camp near Cox’s Bridge until 11 p.m. that night. When the brigade arrived at Goldsboro, Col. Dustin wrote a report covering the brigade’s accomplishments thus far during the 54-day campaign since leaving Savannah. He advised they had been on the march for 47 days and covered 475 miles through the middle of enemy territory. They brigade had directly destroyed five miles of enemy railroad and had been engaged in the Battle of Averasboro and the Battle of Bentonville. As a result of their action, they had suffered two commissioned officers killed in action, one wounded and two missing. As for the enlisted men, nine had been killed, 46 wounded and 30 missing. The brigade further reported capturing 66 prisoners, 15 horses, 325 head of cattle, 77 mules and one cannon.
Andrew W. Johnson is a Delavan native and a member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War of Fredericksburg, VA. This is the sixth column in a series Johnson will write about the Delavan-area men who served in the Civil War. Part VII will cover late March to June 1865.
