CHAPTER XXIX. TO GOLDSBORO'. THE 12th, 13th, and 14th of March were passed by Sherman's army at Fayetteville, in totally destroying the United States arsenal and the extensive machinery which had formerly belonged to the old United States armory at Harper's Ferry, and which had been removed thence after the attempted destruction of the works by fire in April, 1861, and used since that time in the manufacture and repair of arms for the Confederate troops. Every building was knocked down and burned, and every piece of machinery utterly broken up and ruined, by the First Regiment Michigan Engineers, under the immediate supervision of Colonel O. M. Poe, chief-engineer of the Military Division. Much valuable property of great use to an enemy was here destroyed, or cast into the river. Up to this period, Sherman had perfectly succeeded in interposing his superior army between the scattered parts of the enemy. But the fragments that had left Columbia under Beauregard had been re-enforced by Cheatham's corps from the West and the garrison of Augusta, and ample time had been given to move them to Sherman's front and flank about Raleigh. Hardee had also succeeded in getting across Cape Fear River, and could therefore complete the junction with Hoke. These forces, when once united, would constitute an army, probably superior to Sherman's in cavalry and formidable enough in artillery and infantry to justify him in extreme caution in taking the last step necessary to complete the march. Sherman accordingly sent orders to Schofield to move immediately, with all his available force, directly on Goldsboro', aiming to reach that place nearly simultaneously with the main army on the 20th of March. While the work of destruction was going on at Fayetteville, two pontoon bridges were laid across Cape Fear River, one opposite the town, the other three miles below it. General Kilpatrick was ordered to move up the plank-road to and beyond Averysboro'. He was to be followed by four divisions of Slocum's left wing, with as few wagons as possible; the rest of the train, under escort of the two remaining divisions of that wing, to take a shorter and more direct road to Goldsboro'. In like manner, General Howard was ordered to send his trains, under good escort, well to the right, toward Faison's Depot and Goldsboro', and to hold four divisions light, ready to go to the aid of the left wing if attacked while in motion. The weather continued very bad, and the roads had become a mere quagmire. Almost every foot of them had to be corduroyed to admit the passage of wheels. Still, time was so important, that punctually, according to orders, the columns moved out from Cape Fear River on Wednesday, the 15th of March. General Sherman himself accompanied General Slocum, who, preceded by Kilpatrick's cavalry, moved up the river or plank-road that day to Kyle's Landing, Kilpatrick skirmishing heavily with the enemy's rear-guard about three miles beyond, near Taylor's Hole Creek. At General Kilpatrick's request, General Slocum sent forward a brigade of infantry to hold a line of barricades. Next morning, the 16th, the column advanced in the same order, and developed the enemy, with artillery, infantry, and cavalry, in an intrenched position in front of the point where the road branches off towards Goldsboro' through Bentonville. Hardee, in retreating from Fayetteville, had halted in the narrow swampy neck between Cape Fear and South rivers, in the hope of holding Sherman there, in order to save time for the concentration of Johnston's armies at some point to his rear, such as Raleigh, Smithfield, or Goldsboro'. Hardee's force |