Averasboro, N. C.
March 16, 1865

Averasboro, N. C., March 16, 1865. 14th and 20th Army
Corps and Kilpatrick's Cavalry. Gen. Sherman left Fayetteville
on March 14. Gens. Schofield and Terry with their columns
were to join him at Goldsboro, where he had planned to end his
immediate campaign in order to the establishment of his
position with New Berne for a base. Johnston had disposed his
troops along the Raleigh roads and Sherman understood that the
Confederate general would try to turn the Federal left flank
in the march to Goldsboro. To meet this movement he threw out
Gen. Slocum's left wing, without trains and in light marching
order, to cover the advance of the main army and its wagons.
A light column embracing Gen. Kilpatrick's cavalry in strong
force, the divisions of Gens. Ward and Jackson of the 20th
corps, and the divisions of Gens. Carlin and Morgan of the
14th corps, was sent up the Raleigh road in a direct
demonstration against Raleigh. The right wing moved on the
direct road to Goldsboro. Between it and the light column was
the remainder of Slocum's wing. On the evening of the 15th
the Federal cavalry advance encountered that of the enemy 5
miles from Fayetteville and forced it to fall back to Kyle's
landing, midway between Fayetteville and Averasboro.
Reinforced by an infantry brigade, Kilpatrick camped during
the night within easy range of the Confederate pickets and at
daylight on the 16th he moved out in line of battle, the
infantry having the center. The enemy's pickets were driven
in and his skirmish line forced back to his main line of
battle. Doubting the prudence of an attack, Kilpatrick sent
back for infantry reinforcements and the entire 14th and 20th
corps were hurried forward. In the meantime the enemy moved
out of his works and furiously attacked Col Jones' cavalry on
the right. Jones gallantly held his position until reinforced
by the brigades of Jordan and Atkins, when he repulsed three
determined attacks, then charged in turn and drove the
Confederates back behind their works. The 14th and 20th corps
having gone into position, Kilpatrick's cavalry operated on
the right throughout the day, and mounted or dismounted fought
side by side with the infantry. Gen. Howard was ordered to
send his trains, under good escort, well to the right, toward
Fairon's depot and Goldsboro and to hold 4 divisions in light
marching order to go to the aid of the left wing if that
should be attacked while in motion. The weather was bad and
the roads were a mere quagmire, passable for wheels only after
being corduroyed. Sherman accompanied Slocum, who went up the
river road on the 15th, following Kilpatrick to Kyle's
landing, Kilpatrick skirmishing heavily with the enemy's
rearguard at Taylor's Hole creek, 3 miles beyond. On the
morning of the 16th, the column advanced in the same order and
developed the enemy with artillery, cavalry and infantry
intrenched a mile and a half in front of Moore's cross-roads,
the junction of the Smithfield and Raleigh road with the one
toward Goldsboro through Bentonville. Hardee, in retreating
from Fayetteville, had halted in the narrow swampy neck
between Cape Fear and South rivers, hoping to impede Sherman's
advance and enable Johnston to concentrate his forces at
Raleigh, Smithfield or Goldsboro in Hardee's rear. To keep
the Goldsboro road clear and to prolong the feint on Raleigh,
Sherman had to dislodge Hardee. Slocum was ordered to press
forward and carry the position, a difficult undertaking,
because horses sank in the swampy ground and men could
scarcely walk on it. Hawley's brigade began skirmishing early
in the morning. It was 10 o'clock before other troops could
reach the field. The 20th corps under Gen. Williams had the
lead and Ward's division the advance. This division was
deployed to the left of the road, its right connecting with
Hawley's left, and developed Rhett's brigade of heavy
artillery armed as infantry, posted across the road behind a
light parapet with a battery enfilading the approach across a
cleared field. Williams sent Case's brigade by a circuitous
advance to turn this line. Case charged on and broke Rhett's
brigade, which retreated to a second line of barricades,
better built and more strongly held. The advantage was
promptly followed up by a destructive fire from three
batteries, under Maj. Reynolds' chief of artillery of the 2Oth
corps. Ward's division advanced and developed a third and
still stronger line. Jackson's division was deployed forward
on the right of Ward and two divisions of the 14th corps under
Davis on the left, well toward the Cape Fear river.
Kilpatrick, acting in concert with Williams, now massed his
cavalry on the extreme right and with Jackson felt forward for
the Goldsboro road. He reached that road with one brigade
which was driven back by McLaws' division to the flank of the
infantry. Late in the afternoon the whole Federal line drove
the enemy well within his intrenchments, pressing him so hard
that in the stormy night which followed he retreated over
almost impassable roads, leaving his dead and wounded. Ward's
division followed him to and through Averasboro, developing
the fact that Hardee had retreated, not on the Raleigh but on
the Smithfield road. The Federal loss in killed, wounded and
missing was 682. The enemy's loss may be inferred from his
dead, 108 of whom were buried on the field by Federals.

Source: The Union Army, vol. 5