Battle of Bentonville
Johnston County, Johnston County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
Battle Of Bentonville, March 19, 20, And 21, 1865.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
Over three days in March 1865, the fields near Bentonville saw the last major Confederate offensive of the Civil War, as General Joseph Johnston tried to stop William T. Sherman's army sweeping north through the Carolinas. It was the largest battle ever fought on North Carolina soil, pitting a thin gray line against Sherman's overwhelming numbers. Within weeks Johnston would surrender, and the war in the East was over.
Why it matters
Bentonville marked the Confederacy's final desperate attempt to check Sherman's march, and its failure hastened the collapse of the South and the end of the Civil War.
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Related people
- · Joseph E. Johnston
- · William T. Sherman
Related events
- · Battle of Bentonville, March 19–21, 1865
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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