Holding the Line at Bentonville

Following the March 16, 1865 Battle of Averasboro, North Carolina, the 61^st resumed its march north with Major General Henry Slocum’s 14^th and 20^th Corps.  On March 19 the regiment was in battle again outside of Bentonville, North Carolina.  Here a Confederate force including the remnants of the Army of Tennessee attacked the 14^th Corps.  Arriving on the battlefield in the afternoon, Brigadier General James Robinson’s brigade plugged a gap in the line of Brigadier General William Carlin’s division of the 14^th Corps. The 61^st, along with the 82^nd Ohio and 31^st Wisconsin, was positioned in the front line followed by the 82^nd Illinois and 143^rd New York in support.  A.T. Sechand, accompanying Robinson’s brigade, described the battle in a letter published in the Delaware Gazette April 21, 1865.

As soon as the line was formed, our men commenced building a breastwork.  With no other intrenching tools than hatchets, they built a respectable shelter from the fire of the rebel sharpshooters.  The instinct of some great and immediate danger seemed to animate them, and it was well that it was so.  The enemy had already massed his forces for a grand, desperate effort to break our lines.  Our skirmishers had been thrown forward, but had gained their position only by gallantly charging across an open field under a sweeping fire.  I cannot soon forget the manly heroism of Lieut. Lyman and his noble comrades in this affair.  The word “forward” was given, and well they know that for some of them it was a death summons.  The Lieutenant shouted “forward!” “forward!” and his men obeyed like soldiers.  They were following their brave young officer for the last time, for he now sleeps his last sleep among the gloomy pines of the field of Bennetsville[sic].  Alas, how many of the braves, noblest, and best this war costs us!  Of such was Lieut. George Lyman, 31^st Wisconsin Volunteers.

The skirmish line advanced about two hundred yards when it encountered the enemy sweeping down upon us in full force.  Our skirmishers drew a heavy fire from the rebels and were compelled to fall back with a severe loss in killed, wounded and captured.  The firing immediately rolled to the left and became very heavy in front of Carlin’s line, which was considerably advanced instead of being reformed as it should have been.  In five minutes more the enemy struck the line of the 3d Brigade, which immediately opened fire.  We had now but three regiments with which to hold our position, all the others having been previously sent half a mile to the rear to cover the trains.  But our brave men were not daunted by their numerical weakness.  They proposed to hold their line in spite of all the force that could be brought against them to front.

The fighting had but fairly commenced along our front when it was discovered that the troops on our left were being driven back in great disorder.  The enemy followed in close pursuit and in a few minutes emerged from the woods and began closing in upon our rear.  There was a not a single regiment at hand to check him, for there were no reserves.  There was but one alternative left, and that was to fall back and form a new line.  This was a bitter dose for our brave old brigade, which had been accustomed to never yield an inch under any circumstances.  But every soldier saw what the exigencies of the occasion required and the command to fall back was executed in good order.  The line was withdrawn a quarter of a mile when it re-formed.  This was no sooner done than the enemy again assailed us both in front and flank.  There was again a large vacancy in the line on our left, and through this Rhett’s South Carolina brigade endeavored to force it way.  But the gap was fortunately commanded by the artillery and by the 82d Ill., which had been put in position on the farther side of the vacancy.  This gallant regiment joined so galling a fire to that of the artillery that the enemy soon suspended his attempt at a flank movement and confined his efforts to a front attack.  The firing therefore rolled to the right where we now had four regiments in position.  The line was still without connection on the right or left, and the men were destitute of breastworks.  The ground being level afforded no shelter from the enemy’s fire.  The situation could scarcely have been more trying to our troops.  But with the firm determination of heroes they maintained their ground.  The first onset of the enemy was gallantly repulsed in 20 minutes.  The men took advantage of the temporary lull in the firing to gather rails and build a temporary breastwork.  This was not finished before the enemy renewed his attack.  The battle now raged with great fury and became fearfully sublime … The second attack of the enemy continued about thirty minutes, when it was also repulsed.  The rebels withdrew into the woods, leaving behind them numbers of deserters who now sought admission to our line.  I need not say that they were warmly welcomed to Union hospitality.

The 61^st and the rest of Robinson’s brigade held off further Confederate attacks throughout the afternoon until they were relieved that evening and withdrew behind the Union lines.  The next day reinforcements arrived from the 15^th and 17^th Corps of Major General Oliver O. Howard’s Right Wing.  Following further fighting on March 21^st the Confederates withdrew.