66 



AKMY OPERATIONS. 



exhortation to respond to the calls of honor and duty. 

 With the liberty transmitted by their forefathers, 

 they have inherited the spirit to defend it. Ihe 

 choice between war and abject submission is before 

 them. To such a proposal brave men with arms in 

 their bands can have but one answer. They cannot 

 barter manhood for peace, nor right of self-govern- 

 ment for life or propertv. But justice to them requires 

 sterner admonition to those who have abandoned their 

 comrades in the hour of peril. 



On January 31st Gen. Thomas was directed 

 to send a cavalry expedition under Gen. Stone- 

 man from East Tennessee to penetrate South 

 Carolina weil down toward Columbia, to de- 

 stroy the railroads and military resources of the 

 country, and return, if possible, to East Tennes- 

 see by way of Salisbury, N. C., and release the 

 Federal prisoners there. Gen. Stoneman, how- 

 ever, was so late in getting started, that the or- 

 der was recalled, especially as the army of Gen. 

 Sherman had passed out of South Carolina. 

 Gen. Stoneman was then ordered to make a 

 raid toward Lynchburg and destroy the railroad 

 as far as possible. 



His cavalry column, already mentioned as at 

 Boone Court-House in North Carolina, at the 

 time of the surrender of Gen^Lee, had left Knox- 

 ville, in East Tennessee, on March 10th. It 

 struck the Central Railroad from Virginia to 

 Tenne^ee at "Wytheville and Christian sburg, in 

 Virginia. Between these places thirty-three 

 bridges .were burned and twenty-five miles of 

 the railroad destroyed. Thence it marched for 

 Greensboro, in North Carolina, and on the 12th 

 arrived at Grant's Creek, three miles from Salis- 

 bury. The enemy's line of defence for the town 

 was on this creek, and defended by artillery and 

 infantry. It was soon forced with the capture 

 of 14 guns and 1,104 prisoners. The town was 

 occupied at 10 A. M., where the column re- 

 mained for two days. During that time it de- 

 stroyed four large cotton factories and 7,000 

 bales of cotton ; four large magazines, contain- 

 ing 10,000 stand of small arms and accoutre- 

 ments; 1.000,000 rounds of small-arm ammuni- 

 tion, 1,600 rounds of fixed artillery ammunition, 

 and 7,000 pounds of powder ; 35,000 bushels 

 of corn, 50,000 bushels of wheat, 160,000 

 pounds of cured bacon ; 100,000 suits of gray 

 uniforms and clothing, 250,000 army blankets, 

 20,000 pounds of harness-leather, 10,000 pounds 

 of saltpetre, also a very large amount of sugar, 

 salt, rice, and other stores, and medical supplies 

 valued by the rebel medical directors at $100,- 

 000 in gold. In addition to the arsenals at 

 Salisbury, establishments were fitted up, and 

 filled with machinery sent from Raleigh and 

 Richmond, all of which were destroyed. 



Fifteen miles of railroad track and the bridges 

 toward Charlotte were also destroyed. Thenco 

 Gen. Stoneman moved for the south side of the 

 Catawba River and destroyed the railroad to 

 the bridge, which was fatal to the armies of 

 Lee and Johnston, who depended on that road 

 for supplies and as their ultimate line of re- 

 treat. 

 Meanwhile the army of Gen. Sherman had 



been rested and recruited at Goldsboro, North 

 Carolina. The men were all reclad, the wagons 

 reloaded, and a fair amount of forage accumu- 

 lated preparatory for a march to destroy or 

 capture the army of Gen. Johnston. On April 

 6th Gen. Johnston's army was in and about 

 Smithfield, and was estimated at 35,000 in- 

 fantry and artillery, and from 6,000 to 10,000 

 cavalry. At daybreak on the 10th, Gen. Sher- 

 man's army was in motion. Gen. Slocum took 

 the two direct roads for Smithfield; Gen. How- 

 ard made a circuit to the right, feigning to 

 move up the Weldon road in order to discon- 

 cert the enemy's cavalry, while Gens. Terry and 

 Kilpatrick moved on the west side of the Neuse 

 River to reach the rear of the enemy between 

 Smithtield and Raleigh. Gen. Schofield followed 

 Gen. Slocum in support. The enemy's cavalry 

 were met within six miles of Goldsboro by all 

 the columns protected by the usual rail barri- 

 cades. At 10 A. M. on the llth, the 14th corps en- 

 tered Smithfield, and the 20th was close at hand. 

 Gen. Johnston had retreated rapidly across the 

 Neuse River, and having the aid of the railroad 

 to lighten his trains, could retreat faster than 

 the pursuit could be made. The bridge over 

 the Neuse had been burned and the roads had 

 become heavy by rain. At this time the news 

 of Gen. Lee's surrender was received, and Gen. 

 Sherman immediately dropped his trains and 

 marched rapidly in pursuit, reaching Raleigh at 

 7i A. M. on the 13th, in a heavy rain. On the 

 next day the cavalry pushed on to Durham 

 station, the 15th corps followed as far as Mor- 

 risville station, and the 17th to John's station. 

 By the 15th, although the rains were incessant 

 and the roads almost impracticable, Gen. Slocum 

 had the 14th corps near Martha's Vinegard, 

 with a pontoon bridge laid across Cape Fear 

 River at Avon's Ferry, the 20th corps, Gen. 

 Mower commanding, being in support; Gen. 

 Howard had the 15th and 17th corps stretched 

 out on the roads toward Pittsboro, while Gen. 

 Kilpatrick held Durham station amd Capital 

 Hill University. Gen. Johnston had retreated 

 rapidly on the roads from liillsboro to Greens- 

 boro, at which latter place he was. In this 

 state of affairs Gen. Sherman received the fol- 

 lowing letter from Gen. Johnston : 



HEAIXJUAKTERS IN THE FIELD, April 14, 1865. 

 Major-General W. T. Sherman, Commanding i 

 States Forces. 



GENERAL : The results of the recent campaigns in 

 Virginia have changed the relative military condition 

 of the belligerents. I am therefore induced to ad- 

 dress you in this form the inquiry whether, in order 

 to stop the further cfiusion of blood and devastation 

 of property, you are willing to make a temporary 

 suspension of active operations, and to communicate 

 to Lieut.-Gen. Grant, commanding the Armies of the 

 United States, the request that he will take like ac- 

 tion in regard to other armies, the object being to 

 permit the civil authorities to enter into the needful 

 arrangements to terminate the existing war. 



I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your 

 obedient servant, 



J. E. JOHNSTON, General. 



To this Gen. Sherman replied as follows : 



