Adam Badeau, Military history of Ulysses S. Grant from April 1861 to April 1865. Volume 2

[434] of Schofield, and before the national troops had all arrived an attempt was made to prevent their junction. On the 8th, the head of Schofield's column was driven back with a loss of seven hundred prisoners. On the 11th, the attack was renewed, but repelled with severe loss to the enemy, who fell back across the Neuse, destroying the bridge. In this action Schofield's loss was three hundred men. He had no pontoon train, however, and was obliged to wait till the bridge was rebuilt. On the 14th, this was effected, and the enemy at once abandoned Kinston, and moved off to join Johnston's army. Schofield now put a large force of men at work on the reconstruction of the railroad, and brought up supplies. On the 20th, he moved from Kinston, and on the 21st of March, took possession of Goldsboro.

Terry, meanwhile, had marched from Wilmington on the 15th; he reached Faison's depot without opposition on the 20th, and on the 22d secured the crossing of the Neuse, and communicated with Sherman.

The result of the various operations of Sherman, Schofield, and Terry was that the whole sea-coast from Savannah to Newbern, with the forts, dockyards, and gunboats, had fallen into the national hands, and one hundred thousand soldiers were now in a position easy of supply, whence they could take an important part in any further operations directed by Grant.

And now, at last, all the great armies were in the positions designated by the general-in-chief. On the 20th of March, Stoneman started in East Tennessee, and the same day Canby moved against Mobile; on the 23rd, the junction between Sherman and Schofield