On his march from
Fayetteville to
Goldsboro,
Sherman's forces were menaced by the
Confederates, and
Kilpatrick had several skirmishes with
Wheeler and
Hampton.
He had struck the rear of
Hardee's column (March 8, 1865) in its retreat towards
Fayetteville.
He had fought
Hampton, and was defeated, losing many men (who were made prisoners) and guns.
Kilpatrick barely escaped on foot in a swamp.
where he rallied his men. They fell upon
Hampton, who was plundering their camp, routed him, and retook the guns.
Hampton had captured 103 Nationals and killed or wounded eighty. At
Fayetteville,
Sherman utterly destroyed the arsenal, with all the valuable public property of the
Confederates there.
Moving on,
Sherman in accordance with his usual plan, made movements to distract his adversary.
He sent
Slocum with four divisions of the left wing, preceded by cavalry, towards
Averasboro and the main road to
Raleigh; while two divisions of that wing, with the train, took the direct road to
Goldsboro.
Howard moved with four divisions on the right, ready to assist the left if necessary.
It was a terrible march over quagmire roads, made so by incessant rain.
They had to be corduroyed continually.
Slocum found
Hardee intrenched near
Averasboro with about 20,000 men.
General Williams, with the 20th Corps, took the lead in making an attack, and very soon he broke the
Confederate left wing into fragments and drove it back upon a second and stronger line.
Ward's division pushed the fugitives and captured three guns and 217 men; and the
Confederates left 108 of their dead on the field.
Kilpatrick was just securing a footing on the road to
Bentonville when he was furiously attacked by
McLaw's division, and, after a hard fight, was pushed back.
Then the whole of
Slocum's line advanced, drove
Hardee within his intrenchments, and pressed him so heavily that on the dark and stormy night of March 16. 1865, he retreated to Smnithfield.
Slocum lost in the battle seventy-seven killed and 477 wounded.
Hardee's loss was estimated at about the same.
Ward pursued the fugitives through
Averasboro.
butt soon gave up the chase.
