History of the Seventy-Second Regiment of the North Carolina Troops in the War Between the States, 1861-'65

On 18 March we marched again, not to the West, but to the South. We knew that Sherman was approaching from that direction, and we surmised that there was serious work before us. General Joseph E. Johnston, who rode for a short distance on that day at the head of the Third Junior Reserves, said as much to its commander. Sherman was moving from Fayetteville in the direction of Goldsboro in two parallel columns, about a day’s march apart. General Johnston had determined to take advantage of the fact that Sherman’s left wing was thus separated from the right, and to strike a bold blow on the exposed flank at Bentonville in Johnston County.

BENTONVILLE.

As soon as General Hardee, 19 March, our corps commander, reached Bentonville with his troops, he moved by the left flank, Hoke’s (our) division leading, to the ground previously selected by General Hampton. It was the eastern edge of an old plantation, extending a mile and a half to the west, and lying principally on the north side of the road and surrounded east, south and north by a dense thicket of black-jacks. There was but one road through it. Hoke’s Division formed with its line at right angles to the road on the eastern edge of the plantation and its left extending some four hundred yards into the thicket on the south. The Junior Reserves constituted the right of Hoke’s Division and supported a battery of Starr’s Battalion of artillery commanded by Captain Geo. B. Atkins, of Fayetteville. The brigade of Juniors were led by Colonel John H. Nethercutt, who had superseded Colonel Armistead. This gallant officer was Colonel of the Sixty-sixth North Carolina Regiment—a plain, blunt man, but every inch a soldier. The Third Regiment threw out a skirmish line which was commanded by Captain Bristol and hurriedly constructed a rail fence breastworks. Here under a fire of artillery we suffered many casualties. The troops belonging to the Army of Tennessee were formed on the right of the artillery. A wooden farm house in front of the Third Regiment for some time afforded cover for a number of sharpshooters, who did excellent practice on our line, until Captain Atkins, with a few well-directed shells, caused them to pour out like rats from a sinking ship.

The enemy soon thereafter charged Hoke’s Division, but after a sharp contest at short range was handsomely repulsed.

On the morning of the 20th it was reported that the Federal right wing had crossed over to unite with the left wing which had been driven back, and was coming up rapidly upon the left of Hoke’s Division. That officer was directed to change front to the left. By this movement, his line was formed parallel to and fronting the road. Here light entrenchments were soon made out of dead trees and such material as could be moved with our bayonets. From noon to sunset Sherman’s army thus united made repeated attacks upon Hoke’s Division of six thousand men and boys, but were uniformly driven back. The skirmish line of our brigade was commanded by Major Walter Clark, of the Seventieth Regiment (First Juniors), on the 20th and 21st. On the 21st the skirmishing was heavy, and the extreme of the Federal right, extending beyond our left flank made our position extremely hazardous in view of the fact that the bridge over the creek in our rear was our only chance of retreat. The Seventeenth Army Corps of the enemy late in the afternoon broke through our line considerably to the left, but by superhuman effort, its leading division was driven back along the route by which it had advanced.

That night the Confederate Army re-crossed the creek by the bridge near Bentonville and were halted beyond the town two miles north from the creek. The Federals made repeated attempts to force the passage of the bridge, but failed in all. At noon the march was resumed and the troops encamped near Smithfield. Sherman proceeded on his way to Goldsboro to form a junction with Schofield, without further molestation. The Confederate losses in the battle of Bentonville were 2,343, while that of the Federals was nearly double. (For many of the foregoing facts, see Johnston’s Narrative, pages 381 and 393, from which liberal extracts have been made.)

The Confederates never fought with more spirit, and the Federals with less, than in the battle of Bentonville. General D. H. Hill remarked upon this and said: “It may be that even a Yankee’s conscience has been disturbed by the scenes of burning, rapine, pillage and murder so recently passed through.”

General Hampton said of this last great battle of the Civil War, that in his opinion it was one of the most extraordinary: “The infantry forces of General Johnston amounted to about 14,100 men, and they were composed of three separate commands which had never acted together. These were Hardee’s troops, brought from Savannah and Charleston; Stewart’s from the Army of Tennessee; and Hoke’s Division of veterans, many of whom had served in the campaigns of Virginia. Bragg, by reason of his rank, was in command of this latter force, but it was really Hoke’s Division, and the latter directed the fighting. These troops, concentrated recently for the first time, were stationed at and near Smithfield, eighteen miles from the field, where the battle was fought, and it was from there that General Johnston moved them to strike a veteran army numbering about 60,000 men. This latter army had marched from Atlanta to Savannah without meeting any force to dispute its passage, and from the latter city to Bentonville unobstructed save by the useless and costly affair at Averasboro, where Hardee made a gallant stand, though at a heavy loss. No bolder movement was conceived during the war than this of General Johnston when he threw his handful of men on the overwhelming force in front of him, and when he confronted and baffled this force, holding a weak line for three days against nearly five times his number. For the last two days of this fight he only held his position to secure the removal of his wounded, and when he had accomplished that he withdrew leisurely, moving in his first march only about four miles.”

The Junior Reserves lost quite a number of officers and boys in this battle. Their conduct was creditable to the last degree. General Hoke, their attached and beloved commander, thus writes concerning them: “The question of the courage of the Junior Reserves was well established by themselves in the battle below Kinston, and at the battle of Bentonville. At Bentonville you will remember, they held a very important part of the battlefield in opposition to Sherman’s old and tried soldiers, and repulsed every charge that was made upon them with very meagre and rapidly thrown up breastworks. Their conduct in camp, on the march, and on the battlefield was everything that could be expected of them, and I am free to say, was equal to that of the old soldiers who had passed through four years of war. On the return through Raleigh where many passed by their homes, scarcely one of them left their ranks to bid farewell to their friends, though they knew not where they were going nor what dangers they would encounter.”

THE LAST REVIEW.

The regiment remained in camp near Smithfield until 10 April. During this time our corps under command of General Hardee was reviewed by General Johnston, General Hardee, Governor Vance and others. There was not in the grand parade of that day—the last grand review of the Confederate Army—a more soldierly body of troops than the Junior Reserves. Later in the day, Governor Vance made a stirring speech to the North Carolina troops, which by its eloquence aroused enthusiasm and caused the fire of patriotism to burn more brightly in our hearts. On 10 April we begun our last retreat before Sherman.

THE RETREAT.

On 12 April we reached Raleigh. I recall how we marched through Raleigh past the old Governor’s Mansion on Fayetteville street, facing the Capitol, then up Fayetteville street and west by Hillsboro street past St. Mary’s young ladies school in a beautiful grove on the right. How the servants stood at the fence with supplies of water for us to drink! How the fair girls trooped down to see us pass! How one tall, beautiful damsel exclaimed: “Why, girls, these are all young men,” and how one of our saucy Sergeants replied: “Yes, ladies, and we are all looking for wives!” It was in Raleigh that we heard the heartrending rumor of General Lee’s surrender.

Our line of march was through Chapel Hill. The University at that place was deserted and many refugees from the lower counties were again preparing to fly. After leaving Chapel Hill we camped on the Regulators’ Battleground, thence our line of march was on the Salisbury and Hillsboro road, over which 200 years before the Catawba Indians passed in their visits to the Tuscaroras in the East. Governor Tryon and later Lord Cornwallis had led their troops over this historic way in the vain endeavor to subdue the men whose sons now trod, footsore and weary, over the same old red hills, engaged in a like struggle for local self government.

When we reached Haw river on Saturday, 15 April, we found the steam rising rapidly. In crossing the river, several of our boys were drowned by leaving the ford to reach some fish traps a short distance below and being caught by the swift current and swept down into the deep water. On reaching Alamance creek we had a novel experience. On account of heavy rains the stream was much swollen and the current very strong. General Cheatham’s command was moving in front of General Hoke’s Division and on attempting to ford the stream several men were swept down by the current, whereupon the others absolutely refused to move. This halted the entire column, and as the enemy’s cavalry were closely pressing our rear, the situation was becoming critical. General Cheatham rode to the front and learning the cause of the halt, ordered the men to go forward, but, emphasizing their determination with some pretty lively swearing, they doggedly refused to move, whereupon General Cheatham seized the nearest man and into the stream they went. After floundering in the water awhile, he came out, after repeating the process for a few times, they raised a shout and proceeded to cross. Three wagons, two with guns and one with bacon, capsized and were swept down the river. Some lively diving for the bacon followed, but I guess the guns are still rusting in the bottom of the creek. I am sure none of them were disturbed on that occasion.

In the midst of the peril of the crossing of the river, Lieutenant-Colonel French realizing the danger to which the smaller boys were exposed, jumped from his horse, and stationing himself in mid-stream just below the line of march, rescued several of the brave lads from inevitable death. Standing there, watching his chance to save life, he was every inch the faithful officer and brave soldier, and no wonder the boys loved him. Within the last twelve months he, too, has crossed over the river and is now resting under the shade of the trees. Farewell my dear old comrade!

We reached Red Cross, twenty miles south of Greensboro, late on 16 April. Here we stayed until the following Easter Sunday morning. On Saturday afternoon, a bright boy from Cleveland County, named Froneberger, was killed in camp by lightning within ten steps of regimental headquarters. His death was instantaneous. The next morning, 17 April, after a scanty breakfast we made ready as usual to resume the march, but received no orders. We waited till noon, then all the afternoon, then till night, and still no orders. The next morning we heard that General Johnston had surrendered.

We camped at Red Cross for a few days. Meanwhile it became known that we had not surrendered; but that Johnston and Sherman had undertaken to make terms for the surrender of all the then existing armies of the Confederacy and for the recognition of our state governments—one of the decent acts of Sherman’s life. But it came to naught by reason of its disapproval in Washington. The armistice which had been entered into for this purpose was terminated, and the toilsome, weary, hopeless march was resumed, but we all knew that the war was over.

It was at this time that a quantity of silver coin, in Greensboro, belonging to the Confederate Government was seized by General Johnston and distributed among his officers and men—each receiving one dollar and twenty-five cents without regard to rank. The writer has in his possession the identical Mexican milled silver dollar which came to him on this occasion. On one side of it has since been engraved “Bounty to John W. Hinsdale for four years’ faithful service in the Confederate Army.” One hundred times its weight in gold would not purchase this old piece of silver, associated as it is with loving thoughts of comrades and heart-breaking memories of surrender.

The regiment marched about eight miles to Old Center Meeting House, in Randolph County, staying here about three days and then we moved by way of Coleraine’s Mills to Bush Hill (now Archdale), and came to a halt one mile from old Trinity College.

THE SURRENDER.

General Johnston on 26 April made his final surrender of the army to General Sherman and on 2 May, 1865, at Bush Hill, all who remained of the one thousand boy-patriots of the Third Junior Reserves were paroled, and turned their faces sorrowfully homeward. The last roll had been called, the last tattoo beaten, and the regiment was disbanded forever.

This was the end of all our hopes and aspirations. Might had prevailed over right, and the conquered banner had been furled for all time.

Judge Clark in his Regimental Histories reproduced fac-similes of two paroles, one of an officer in the army of Northern Virginia, who surrendered at Appomattox Court House, the other, of the writer of this sketch, an officer of the last grand army of the Confederacy, commanded by General Joseph E. Johnston. This parole appears on the opposite page. It was in keeping the inviolate faith of a similar parole issued to our great commander, Robert E. Lee, that General Grant, be it said to his everlasting credit, stayed the hand of President Johnston, who, soon after the war, issued a shameful order for the arrest of the “noblest Roman of them all.” By this one act, General Grant won the respect and esteem of the entire South.

North Carolina has much to be proud of. She was first at Bethel, she went farthest at Gettysburg, she was last at Appomattox, her dead and wounded in battle exceeded in numbers those of any other two States of the Confederacy together. But, her last and most precious offering to the cause of Liberty were her boy-soldiers, who at her bidding willingly left their homes, and marched, and fought, and starved, and froze, and bled, and died that she might live and be free. God bless the Junior Reserves. Their memory will ever be cherished by the Old North State they loved so well.

The following patriotic lines, written by the author of the “Conquered Banner,” will appeal to the heart of many a mother whose young son marched away with the Junior Reserves:

John W. Hinsdale.

Raleigh, N. C.,

26 April, 1901.

ADDENDUM.

The writer appends hereto two letters received by him approving the accuracy of the foregoing sketch—one from the distinguished jurist, who was his comrade in arms in the Junior Reserve brigade, and to whom the old soldiers owe a debt of gratitude for his monumental service in editing the Regimental Histories, the other by one of Lee’s best fighters and most trusted lieutenants, and the beloved commander of the boy-soldiers, whose valor is only equaled by his modesty.

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA,

SUPREME COURT.

Raleigh, N. C., October 18, 1901.

Colonel John W. Hinsdale,

My Dear Colonel,

**** *** ***

Let me congratulate you upon your sketch which is decidedly one of the most interesting and valuable in the whole four volumes, and your conclusion is the most eloquent and touching thing I have read in many days. The Juniors will take off their hats to you.

Your friend and comrade,    
WALTER CLARK.

SEABOARD AIR LINE—GEORGIA, CAROLINA & NORTHERN RAILWAY CO.

R. F. Hoke, President.

Raleigh, N. C., January 4, 1901.

Colonel John W. Hinsdale,

My Dear Colonel,

I am pleased to read your sketch of the Third North Carolina Junior Reserve Regiment, that you kindly sent me, which is very accurate as to their service while they were in my command. Not knowing whether you intended me to keep it or not, I return it with my thanks, and wishing you a most happy and prosperous New Year, I am,

Very truly your friend,

R. F. HOKE.