USA > Indiana > Memorabilia of the marches and battles in which the One Hundredth Regiment of Indiana Infantry Volunteers took an active part : War of the Rebellion, 1861-5 > Part 12
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or captured. The Generals were emphatic in their praises of the manner in which Major Head- ington's line had fought the enemy for several miles, and the skillful manner in which, and the opportune time, when the 100th was thrown be- them and the gravest danger, by Col. Johnson. By direction of General Logan, the 100th was relieved from any further active duty during that day, and we were placed on the left to guard the road upon which the Rebel Cavalry retreated. Col. Catterson says in his official report that, "During its deployment (the 46th Ohio) the enemy was discovered turning the left of his skir- mishers, having already gained their rear. The Tooth Indiana was hurried forward to check this movement, and they accomplished their work with dispatch and marked gallantry." (98 Catter. son, 259. )
General Woods referred officially to the gal- lantry of the rooth Indiana on this occasion. (92-246.)
In the trenches, near Bentonville, North Carolina, March 21, 1865: It rained all night and all day. The enemy were fortified in our front, with a small creek between us. We ad- vanced our lines and captured some prisoners under some plantation houses. Skirmishing con- tinued all night in the rain by the flash of the guns. During the night we put two brass cannon out in front of our lines in an open place in front of our Brigade, and left them there as an invitation to the enemy to come and get them, but they did not come to do so. A staff officer asked Col. Johnson for an officer to go on duty. The Colonel detailed the writer, and he reported to the officer and he placed me in front of our
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line, down close to the Rebel line, with orders to listen for sounds, such as firing or cheering on the right, where General Mower was to make a night attack. The skirmishing and cannonading went on nearly all night; this I reported to the officer, who returned to me quite often. Al- though raining, a fire was burning the pine leaves between the lines, and near my station it burned over the bodies of several dead bodies of Confed- crates, which in the fog made a terrible stench; the nose, ears, hair and hands of all the bodies being badly burned. General Mower on the right did heavy cannonading, the cannon shot went crashing through the pine timber. I was
relieved at daylight. The 103d Illinois was thrown forward as skirmishers and drove the enemy from a strong line of rifle pits, covering the ground occupied by their medical corps as a field hospital the day before, where was strewn around their amputating tables, which in their flight was left, many legs and arms which had been amputated, and a large number of bodies of men who had died from wounds while waiting attention. Mower's Division charged right up to the Rebel works, when the enemy in great force pressed his lines back to their works. The ground was strewn with the dead and wounded. General Hardee's son was killed in this assault.
On picket, Bentonville, March 22, 1865: This was a fine morning; the enemy retreated during the night. The Tooth Indiana advanced on the skirmish line early in the morning; we passed many dead bodies lying on the roadside. We came into Bentonville, where we found many of our wounded in a house. They had fallen into the enemy's hands in the battle of the 19th.
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The enemy had placed barrels of resin on the bridge across Mill creek and fired it. The men of the tooth rushed on the bridge and saved it by pushing the resin off. Pugh of Co. "K" got shot on the line. Marched 3 miles; total 393 miles.
By order of General Logan our Brigade took the advance in the morning. The Tooth Indiana lay across the Bentonville road, and we started out first and held the advance to the bridge over Mill creek. We pushed on beyond as far as Hannah's creek, skirmishing with the Rebels. We were recalled by order of General Wood at 6 P. M. The Tooth Indiana formed a picket line from Mill creek to the Bentonville road. There were a great many bodies of dead Rebels in the timber between our posts. We built fires on the battlefield along our picket line, so that we could move about without stumbling over graves or dead bodies. (Off. Rept. Gen. Wood, 98-247.)
Camp between Bentonville and Goldsbor- ough, March 23, 1865: We had reveille at 5, General at 6, marched at 8 back from Benton- ville over the same road we went in on. Passed our old works and encamped on a sandy field. The wind was high all day and night; the sand drifted in camp so that none of us could sleep. We had had no sleep for three nights; it was clear and cold. We marched on the Goldsbor- ough road nine miles; total 402 miles. The wounded all went forward towards Goldsborough in the ambulances.
Rouse's Plantation, Goldsborough, North . Carolina, March 24, 1865: Reveille at 5 A. M. ; marched at S, crossed the Neuse river and passed part of the roth Army Corps; got in here at 3
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P. M. All troops were here; the road was open to Morehead, North Carolina. Marched 15 miles; total 417 miles from Beaufort. The army met the roth and 23d Corps here, where we were all concentrated.
The army desolated a swath about 450 miles long, and on an average about 40 miles wide. This injury was done in the territory which furnished the sinews of war, in the way of subsistance, transportation, supplies, arms, am- munition and men to the Confederate Army, and contributed more to its downfall than any other campaign of the war.
On the march through the Carolinas, one hundred and twelve encounters with the enemy took place; fourteen or more of which were more than mere skirmishes, and some of which were battles. The exact losses of the enemy can never be known, as they had long prior neglected to make truthful, or in fact, any reports at all, of the losses sustained by their commands.
At Goldsborough, N. C. : The 15th Corps encamped on Rouse's Plantation, east of and near the city of Goldsborough.
In 48 hours after our arrival at that place the army had settled down to camp life. On the 27th a car load of mail came in for the 15th Corps, and our men all received letters from the loved ones at home, the first since we left Mc- Phersonville, South Carolina.
On the 5th, S. F. O. No. 48 was issued by General Sherman to the army commanders, de- tailing the plan for the movement of this army with its entire equipment, north of Roanoke river facing west, with a base for supplies at Norfolk,
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with full communication with the Army of the Potomac to be begun on the 10th. (100-102.)
For some days reports had reached the army that Grant was pressing Lee's Army very hard, and on the 6th a message from Grant to Sherman said:
"We have Lee's Army pressed very hard, his men scattering and going to their homes by the thousands. He is endeavoring to reach Danville where Davis and his Cabinet have gone. I shall press the pursuit to the end; push John- ston at the same time, and let us finish up this job all at once."' (100-109.)
On the 9th, the whole army was eager to move, they seemed to long for the excitement of battle and of the march. General Sherman's orders on the 5th were, that the 14th and 20th Corps should form the left and the 10th and 23rd the centre, the 15th and 17th Corps the right, with the Cavalry on the right of the 15th and 17th Corps. The news of the evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond and the retreat of the Confederate army toward Danville rendered a modification in the order of march necessary.
Goldsborough to Raleigh.
MEMORABILIA BY CAPTAIN E. J. SHERLOCK.
April 10th, 1865.
We moved soon after daylight. The 14th and 20th Corps took the two direct roads from Goldsborough to Smithfield. The roth Corps, un- der General Terry, composed of three Divisions, in all twelve thousand and ninety-nine black men.
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(negroes) moved up from Faison's Depot and the Cavalry under Kilpatrick from Mount Olive, to the west side of the Neuse river, with orders to move rapidly up that side of the river, with the intention of placing themselves behind the enemy, between Smithfield and Raleigh. Gen- eral Schofield, with General Cox's 23rd Corps, followed the 14th and 20th Corps in supporting distance. The 15th and 17th Corps made a de- tour to the right in leaving Goldsborough, going almost north to Pikeville, about fifteen miles, threatening Welden. The other portions of the army threatened Raleigh. We had gone but a short distance before we met the enemy's Cav- alry, posted at every swamp and creek-crossing, to oppose us as long as they could and then run away.
April 11th. The 15th and 17th Corps crossed Little river at Pikeville and marched about half way from that place to Stantonsburg. These two Corps then filed to the left, at right angles to the road they had been marching upon, and moved northwest until they struck the Smith- field road, about 12 miles northeast of Smith- field.
Camp at Grelley's, April 12th, 1865:
A message reached General Sherman at Smithfield from General Grant, conveying to him the information that General R. E. Lee's army, of Northern Virginia, had been surrendered by its commander to General Grant, -- many of our soldiers were too skeptical to give the report cre- dence, but presently the information was an- nounced to the troops in a special field order in the following words:
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SPECIAL FIELD ORDER, NUMBER 54. "Headquarters Military Division of the Missis- sippi:
"In the field, Smithfield, North Carolina, April 12th, 1865: The general commanding an- nounces to the army that he has official notice from General Grant that General Lee has surrendered to him his entire army on the 9th inst., at Appomattox Court House, Virginia. Glory to God and our country and all honor to our comrades in arms, toward whom we are marching. A little more labor, a little more toil on our part and the great race is won and our government stands regenerated after four long years of war.
"W. T. SHERMAN, "Major-General Commanding."
Raleigh, North Carolina, April 13th. We reached Raleigh at 7:30. The enemy retreated to the north and west. As soon as General Sherman ascertained the direction the enemy had taken in his retreat, he at once made the following orders: The Cavalry was ordered to follow the fleeing enemy toward Hillsboro, to the northwest of Raleigh, thus forming the ex- treme right. The 15th and 17th Corps were ordered to turn their head of column upon Pittsboro, in Chatham, and Ashboro, in Ran- dolph counties.
Camp near Morrisville, April 14th:
We moved from Raleigh to Morrisville, on the Chappel Hill road, fifteen miles west and a lit. tle north of Raleigh. The Cavalry pushed on to Durham, about twenty-fivemiles westof Raleigh on
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the North Carolina railroad. A deputation of citi- izens was sent down by Governor Vance to meet General Sherman respecting the surrender of Raleigh. As the head of Kilpatrick's column entered Raleigh a fanatical Rebel fired upon Gen- eral Kilpatrick. The city had been previously evacuated by their forces and surrendered by a delegation of citizens to General Sherman. That was the last gun he ever fired -- the soldiers hung him at once.
Surrender of Johnston's Army.
At this stage of the war the Confederates were so sorely pressed at almost every point that on the 14th a request from Gen. J. E. Johnston to Gen. Sherman for a suspension of hostilities in the words following was received :
"Headquarters Confederate States Army, near Greensboro, North Carolina,
"April 13, 1865. "Major General W. T. Sherman, "Commanding United States Army:
"The results of the recent campaign in Vir- ginia have changed the military condition of the Belligerents. I am, therefore, induced to ad- dress you in this form, the inquiry, whether we stop the further effusion of blood and desolation of property you are willing to make a tempo- rary suspension of active operations and to com. municate to Lieutenant General Grant, com. manding the armies of the United States, the re- quest that he will take like action in regard to
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other armies. The object being to permit the civil authorities to enter into the needful arrange- ments to terminate the existing war.
"J. E. Johnston,
"Commanding Confederate States Army in North "Carolina. "
Gen. Sherman at once answered the forego- going from General Johnston, in the following words:
"Headquarters Military Division of the Mis- sissippi, in the field,
"Raleigh, N. C., April 14, 1865.
"Gen. J. E. Johnston,
"Commanding Confederate Army:
"General: I have this moment received your communication of "this date." I am fully em- powered to arrange with you any terms for the suspension of further hostilities between the armies commanded by you and those commanded by myself, and will be willing to confer with you to that end. I will limit the advance of my main column to-morrow to Morrisville and the cavalry to the University, and expect that you will also maintain the present position of your forces until each has notice of a failure to agree; that a basis of action may be had I undertake to abide by the same terms and conditions as were made by Generals Grant and Lee at Appomattox Court House on the 9th instant relative to our two armies, and, furthermore, to obtain from Gen. Grant an order to suspend the movements of any troops from the direction of Virginia. Gen. Stone. man is under my command, and my order will sus. pend any devastation or destruction contemplated
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by him. I will add that I really desire to save the people of North Carolina the damage they would sustain by the march of this army through the central or western part of the state.
"I am, with respect, your obedient servant,
"W. T. Sherman, Maj. Gen."
The foregoing reply to Gen. Johnston was at once forwarded to Kilpatrick at Durhams by a staff officer.
The following explanatory letter was for- warded to the latter:
"Headquarters Military Division of the Mis- sissippi, in the field.
"Raleigh, N. C., April 14th, 1865.
"General: The letter by flag of truce is from General Johnston, which is the beginning of the end. Send my answer at once and to-mor- row do not advance your cavalry beyond the University or to a point abreast of it on the rail- road. I will be up to Morrisville to-morrow to receive the answer and it may be to confer with General Johnston. The Infantry will come to Morrisville. Yours truly, "WV. T. Sherman, Maj. Gen."
"General Kirkpatrick, Comd'g Cavalry."
On the 17th General Sherman left Raleigh for Durham Station, near which place he was to meet General Johnston at noon. He arrived at the station in ample time. General Kilpatrick had horses ready for the General and his staff to ride out to the appointed place, followed by a detachment of Cavalry as an escort. The Gen- eral and escort were preceded by a non-com-
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missioned officer carrying a flag of truce. About five miles west of Durham the soldier carrying the flag of truce was met by one sent forward by General Johnston. General Sherman rode forward and was met and cordially greeted by General Johnston, the two Generals having never before met each other. They repaired to a small one-story hewed log house near, belong- ing to a man by the name of Bennett, and re- quested of the man the privilege of using his house for a short time. The man consented and withdrew his family and the two Generals en- tered the house and quite a lengthy conference ensued, each representing his side of the case. The meeting terminated without results but with an agreement to meet at the same place on the next day at the same hour to continue the negotiations and General Sherman and escort rode back to Durham and thence to Raleigh on the cars.
On the 18th General Sherman, accompanied by Generals Howard, Barry, Blair, Kilpatrick and others, left General Kilpatrick's headquart- ers at Durham and were soon at Bennett's house awaiting the arrival of General Johnston, who was delayed about two hours by an accident to his train. General Sherman wrote out a mem- oranda of terms of surrender, himself keeping in mind he said "The conversation of Mr. Lincoln at City Point" when he was visiting him on the 28th of the previous month, March.
A memoranda of the terms of surrender were written out and several copies of the "mem- oranda" were made and signed. By this time it was dark and each General and his attendants returned to their respective camps.
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April 19th, Raleigh, North Carolina: Gen- eral Sherman issued the following order to the troops respecting the suspension of hostilies:
"Headquarters Military Division of the Mis- sissippi.
In the field, Raleigh, North Carolina, April 19th, 1865.
( Special Field Order No. 58):
The General commanding announces to the army a suspension of hostilities and an agree- ment with General Johnston and high officials, which, when formally ratified, will make peace from the Potomac to the Rio Grande."
April 24th, Raleigh, North Carolina:
General Grant and two staff officers arrived at Raleigh this morning. On the same train at 6 a. m. came Major Hitchcock bearing letters to General Sherman, notifying him that the presi- dent and cabinet had unanimously rejected the terms of surrender contained in his memorandum. The enclosures from Washington contained, first, a letter from the Secretary of War to General Grant in these words:
"War Department.
Washington City, April 24th, 1865.
"Lieutenant General Grant:
General: The memorandum or basis agreed upon between General Sherman and General John- ston having been submitted to the president, are disapproved. You will give notice of the dis- approval to General Sherman and direct him to resume hostilities at the earliest moment. The
instructions given to you by the late president, Abraham Lincoln, on the 3rd of March, by my telegraph of that date addressed to you, ex- pressed substantially the views of President Andrew Johnston and will be observed by Gen- eral Sherman. A copy is herewith appended. The president desires that you proceed immedi- ately to the headquarters of Major-General Sher- man and direct operations against the enemy.
"EDWIN M. STANTON, "Secretary of War."
The next enclosure was a letter from Gen- eral Grant in these words to General Sherman:
"Headquarters Armies of the United States. "Washington, D. C., April 21, '65.
"Major-General W. T. Sherman, Commanding Military Division of the Mississippi.
"General :- The basis of agreement entered into between yourself and General J. E. John- ston for the disbandment of the Southern army and the extension of the authority of the General Government over all the territory belonging to it sent for the approval of the President is re- ceived. I read it carefully myself before sub- mitting it to the President and Secretary of War and felt satisfied that it could not possibly be ap- proved. My reason for these views I will give you at another time in a more extended letter.
"Your agreement touches upon questions of such vital importance, that as soon as read, I ad- dressed a note to the Secretary of War notifying him of their receipt and the importance of imme- diate action by the President, and suggested that in view of their importance that the entire Cabi-
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net be called together that all might give an expression of their opinions upon the matter. The result was a disapproval by the President of the plans laid down. A disapproval of the nego- tiations altogether except for the surrender of the army commanded by General Johnston, and directions to me to notify you of this decision. I cannot do so better than by sending you the enclosed copy of a dispatch (penned by the late President though signed by the Secretary of War) in answer to me on sending a letter re- ceived from General Lee proposing to meet me for the purpose of submitting the question of peace to a convention of officers.
"Please notify General Johnston immediately on receipt of this of the termination of the truce, and resume hostilities against his army at the earliest moment you can, acting in good faith.
"Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
"U. S. Grant, Lieutenant-General."
On receipt of the foregoing correspondence, General Sherman dispatched to General John- ston the following notice of suspension of the truce between them:
"Headquarters Military Division of the Missis- sippi. In the field, Raleigh, N. C., April 24, 1865, 6. A. M.
"General Johnston, Commanding the Confeder- ate Army, Greensboro:
"You will take notice that the truce or sus- pension of hostilities, agreed to between us, will cease in forty-eight hours after this is received at your lines, under first of the articles of our agree- ment.
"WV. T. Sherman, Major General."
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And at the same time made the following further demand upon Johnston for the surrender of his army upon the same terms accorded to Lee at Appomattox.
"Headquarters Military Division of the Missis-
sippi. In the field, Raleigh, April 24, 1865.
"General Johnston, Commanding the Confeder- ate Armies:
"I have replies from Washington to my communication of April 18th. I am instructed to limit my operations to your immediate com- mand and not to attempt civil negotiations. I therefore demand the surrender of your army on the same terms as were given General Lee at Appomattox, of April 9th instant, purely and simply.
"W. T. Sherman,
"Major General, Commanding."
And that he might have written evidence of the delivery of the foregoing notice and demand he forwarded the following to Kilpatrick at Dur- ham Station:
"Headquarters Military Division of the Missis- sippi. In the field, April 24, 1865.
"General Kilpatrick:
"Send the enclosed notice to General John- ston immediately by an officer, who will obtain a receipt for it, and send the same to me, it is a notice that the truce will end in forty-eight hours after the notice reaches the Rebel lines.
"W. T. Sherman,
"Major General, Commanding."
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Goldsboro, N. C., April 25th: General Grant was at General Sherman's headquarters yesterday afternoon. General Johnston, at Greensboro, received a dispatch from Jeff. Davis, at Charlotte, approving the terms of surrender contained in the "Memorandum" or basis made with General Sherman on the 18th, and within an hour afterward Johnston received from Gen- eral Sherman a notice of the disapproval by President Andrew Johnson and Cabinet, at Washington, and the notice terminating the truce.
At 6 o'clock in the evening Johnston tele- graphed the substance of the papers from Sher- man to Jeff. Davis at Charlotte, and demanded instructions what to do, at the same time Gen- eral Johnston suggested to Davis the disbanding of the Confederate Army as a means of prevent- ing further devastation of the country, and ad- vised the flight of Davis and Cabinet. At II P. M. Jeff. Davis forwarded to Johnston instruc- tions suggesting that the infantry might be dis- banded, with orders to meet at some designated place at a future fixed time. General Johnston disobeyed Jeff. Davis' order not to surrender, and at once sent another proposal to General Sherman requesting a further suspension of hos- tilities, to arrange a basis of surrender-the time being April 26th, at the same place and hour. This request from General Johnston reached General Sherman at Raleigh the 25th, General Grant was present when Johnston's request was received and he advised Sherman to afford Johnston another opportunity to surrender if he desired it and Johnston was notified that Gen, Sherman would meet him on the 26th at noon,
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Grant had orders from President Johnson to "di- rect operations against the enemy," but he quiet- ly and unostentatiously remained at Sherman's headquarters and permitted Sherman to conduct the further negotiations looking to a surrender of Johnston's Army. When Johnston decided to disobey Davis' order to report to him with the Confederate cavalry and mounted men, and to arrange another meeting with Sherman, he at once notified Jefferson Davis by telegraph, and when he received Sherman's assent to meet him again, he at once notified Davis of this also, and that he had set out so to do. Johnston says that this order, which he disobeyed, was the last order he ever received from the Confederate govern- ment.
April 26, Raleigh, N. C.
Just after sunrise, General Johnston, near Hillsboro, received General Sherman's consent to another meeting, and he at once started for- ward to meet General Sherman, who, after break- fasting with General Grant, went from Raleigh to Durham's Station by rail and from Kilpat- rick's headquarters, near by, he went forward to Bennett's house, where the former meetings were held, accompanied by the usual escort. The two Generals met and General J. E John- ston immediately agreed to surrender his own army on the terms indicated in Sherman's demand of yesterday, and an agreement embrac- ing the terms of surrender was drawn up and signed by the two Generals. The agreement was in the words following :
"Terms of a military convention entered into this 26th day of April, 1865, at Bennett's house, near Durham Station, North Carolina,
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between General Joseph E. Johnston, command- ing the Confederate Army, and Major General W. T. Sherman, commanding the United States Army in North Carolina.
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