The Carolinas Campaign of 1865 — the Last Confederate Army Surrenders

Overview

The Carolinas Campaign lasted from February 1, 1865, to April 26, 1865, in North Carolina and South Carolina. General William T. Sherman left Savannah with nearly 60,000 Union soldiers and divided his force into two wings. General Oliver O. Howard commanded the Army of Tennessee on the right, while General Henry W. Slocum commanded the Army of Georgia on the left. Sherman’s first major target was Columbia, South Carolina.

Bad weather and flooded swamps slowed Sherman more than Confederate troops did. Union forces fought at Rivers Bridge, occupied Columbia on February 17, 1865, and destroyed resources that could help the Confederacy. As Sherman moved north, General John Schofield captured Wilmington, North Carolina, and then moved inland to join him at Goldsboro.

General Joseph E. Johnston took command of Confederate forces in the Carolinas but was unable to gather enough healthy soldiers to stop Sherman’s advance. Confederate forces fought delaying actions at Wyse Fork, Monroe’s Crossroads, Averasboro, and Bentonville. Sherman reached Goldsboro on March 23, and occupied Raleigh on April 13. Following General Robert E. Lee’s Surrender at Appomattox Court House, Johnston realized that his army was isolated and outnumbered. Johnston met Sherman at Bennett Place and surrendered 89,270 Confederate troops, making it the largest Confederate surrender of the war.

Essential Facts

• Date: February 1, 1865-April 26, 1865.
• Location: North Carolina and South Carolina.
• Participants: The United States of America (USA) and the Confederate States of America (CSA).
• USA Commanders: William T. Sherman, Oliver O. Howard, Henry W. Slocum, and John Schofield.
• CSA Commanders: Joseph E. Johnston, Lafayette McLaws, Braxton Bragg, and Wade Hampton.
• Who Won: The United States won the Carolinas Campaign.
• Campaign: Carolinas Campaign.

Statistics

United States of America

• Casualties: More than 4,000 killed, wounded, captured, or missing.
• Forces Engaged: Army of the Tennessee, Army of Georgia, and Army of the Ohio.
• Troop Strength: Roughly 90,000.

Confederate States of America

• Casualties: About 5,400 killed, wounded, captured, or missing, plus 89,270 surrendered at Bennett Place.
• Forces Engaged: Army of the South and Army of Tennessee.
• Troop Strength: Roughly 20,000 to 25,000.

Significance

The Carolinas Campaign is important to American History because it helped bring the Civil War to a close. General William T. Sherman’s army moved north from Savannah, captured Columbia, destroyed Confederate resources, and joined General John  Schofield’s army. Confederate leaders placed General Joseph E. Johnston in command, but he lacked enough healthy soldiers to stop the Union advance. After General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House, Johnston recognized that his army was isolated and outnumbered. His surrender at Bennett Place included 89,270 Confederate troops in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida, making it the largest Confederate surrender of the war.

History

At the dawn of 1865, the strategy devised by Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant of having all Union forces in the field act in concert was coming to fruition. In the East, despite suffering unprecedented casualties under horrific battlefield conditions during the Overland and the Petersburg campaigns of 1864, Major General George Meade and his Army of the Potomac had General Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia under siege at Petersburg, Virginia. In the West, Major General George H. Thomas, commanding the Army of the Cumberland and the Army of the Ohio, had shattered General John Bell Hood and his Army of Tennessee during Hood’s desperate Franklin-Nashville Campaign in late 1864. In the Deep South, Major General William T. Sherman and his combined forces from the Army of the Tennessee and the Army of Georgia had cut a sixty-mile-wide swath of destruction across Georgia during his March to the Sea and captured the port city of Savannah, Georgia on December 21, 1864.

William T. Sherman Proposes Marching through the Carolinas

With a new campaign season about to begin, Grant intended to tighten the noose. In December, he ordered Sherman to transport his forces by sea to Virginia to reinforce the Army of the Potomac outside of Richmond and Petersburg. Sherman, however, had other ideas. Rather than traveling by ship, he proposed marching his army north through the Carolinas to reach Virginia. Sherman believed that his plan would cut off supplies and reduce any remaining hopes for reinforcement of Lee’s army from the south. Furthermore, a march through the Carolinas would demoralize Southerners, much as the March to the Sea had done. Grant endorsed Sherman’s plan, and in a dispatch dated December 27, 1864, he instructed Sherman,

Without waiting further directions, then, you may make your preparations to start on your northern expedition without delay. Break up the railroads in South and North Carolina, and join the armies operating against Richmond as soon as you can.

Sherman immediately began preparing for his expedition.

Robert E. Lee Supersedes Jefferson Davis

The prospect of Sherman marching his armies north from Savannah and punishing the Carolinas as he had Georgia, prompted many Southerners to question the competency of President Jefferson Davis as commander-in-chief of Confederate forces. Opposition to Davis’ leadership reached a crescendo on January 23, 1865, when the Confederate Congress enacted legislation creating the post of General-in-Chief of Confederate forces. The same bill contained a resolution stating “That if the President will assign Gen. JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON to the command of the Army of Tennessee, it will, in the opinion of the Congress of the Confederate States, be hailed with joy by the army and receive the approval of the country.”

With no recourse available, in late January 1865, Davis nominated Lee for the position of General-in-Chief. On February 1, Samuel Cooper, Adjutant and Inspector General (CSA) informed Lee that the Confederate Senate had confirmed his appointment. On February 6, Cooper, issued General Orders, No. 3 announcing that Lee was officially General-in-Chief of the Confederate Armies.

Sherman Moves North

Meanwhile, Sherman departed from Savannah with nearly 60,000 battle-hardened veterans on February 1, 1865. He divided his forces into two wings. The Army of Tennessee, commanded by Major General Oliver O. Howard, was on the right and the Army of Georgia, commanded by Major General Henry W. Slocum, was on the left. Their first target was Columbia, South Carolina.

Inclement weather and flooded tidewater swamps hindered Sherman’s progress more than the few Rebel troops in the area. On February 3, 1865, 1,200 Confederate soldiers, commanded by Major General Lafayette McLaws, attempted to prevent Slocum’s wing from crossing the Salkehatchie River at the Battle of Rivers Bridge. The Federals flanked their opponents by crossing downstream, forcing McLaws to concede the crossing. Nearly unopposed for the next two weeks, Sherman’s soldiers constructed bridges and corduroy roads that enabled them to traverse the rugged terrain. As they moved north, they cut railroads and laid hard hands on South Carolinians in their path.

Sherman Occupies Columbia

In just two weeks, Union troops reached the outskirts of Columbia, and the garrison stationed there began evacuating. On February 17, Sherman occupied the city. On the same day, faced with the prospect of being isolated, the Confederate garrison at Charleston evacuated that city also.

That night, much of Columbia went up in flames. The source of the fire remains undetermined. Unionists claimed that Rebel soldiers started the inferno, burning Columbia’s cotton stores to keep them from falling into enemy hands. Some Columbia residents maintained that drunken Union soldiers started the blaze, perhaps in revenge for South Carolina’s role in launching the war. Whatever the source of the fire, it destroyed roughly two-thirds of Columbia.

Braxton Bragg Evacuates Wilmington

While Sherman’s army ravaged South Carolina, Federal forces in North Carolina were in the final stages of completing the Union blockade of the Confederacy’s Atlantic seacoast. On February 12, 1865, troops commanded by Major General John Schofield began operations against Wilmington, North Carolina, the Confederacy’s last open port on the Atlantic. Attempts by Confederate General Braxton Bragg and his 6,600 defenders to halt Schofield’s 12,000 soldiers proved fruitless. On the night of February 21-22, Bragg ordered the destruction of Wilmington’s stores, and his troops evacuated the city. On the day after Wilmington fell into Federal hands, Sherman resumed his march towards the North Carolina border, but only after destroying anything in Columbia that might be of use to the Confederacy.

Johnston Assumes Command of the Army of Tennessee

As Sherman moved north nearly unabated, alarmed Southerners called for Lee to stop the Union marauders. Lee redeployed the remnants of the Army of Tennessee to bolster the Confederate forces in the Carolinas. On February 22, 1865, the General-in-Chief ordered General Joseph E. Johnston to “Assume command of the Army of Tennessee and all troops in the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.” Lee also ordered Johnston to “Concentrate all available forces and drive back Sherman.”

On the same day, Johnston advised Lee that “It is too late to expect me to concentrate troops capable of driving back Sherman. The remnant of the Army of Tennessee is much divided.” Johnston’s assessment was correct.

On March 6, 1865, Confederate officials added the Department of Southern Virginia to Johnston’s command. The general designated the 20,000 to 25,000 men serving under him in North Carolina as the Army of the South. In reality, Johnston’s army was a paper tiger, as he commanded few fit soldiers.

Battle of Wyse Fork

In early March, Schofield’s referred to his forces as the Army of Ohio (not to be confused with the Union armies with the same name organized in 1861 and 1863). Schofield began marching his army inland to unite with Sherman at Goldsboro, North Carolina. On March 7, Braxton Bragg attempted to thwart Schofield’s plans by attacking the Union army at Kinston, North Carolina. Although the Rebel offensive, known as the Battle of Wyse Fork, delayed Schofield’s progress for three days, the assault failed, and Bragg could not prevent the rendezvous.

Battle of Monroe’s Crossroads

As Sherman’s army moved north, Lieutenant General Wade Hampton and his Confederate cavalry surprised Brigadier-General Judson Kilpatrick and his cavalry division, which was encamped at Cumberland (now Hoke) County, North Carolina, on March 10. The startled Federals fled in panic, abandoning their supplies and artillery, but a counterattack later in the day forced the Rebels to concede their gains and to withdraw. Kilpatrick’s men won the Battle of Monroe’s Crossroads, and the inexorable march north continued.

On the following day, March 11, 1865, Sherman’s forces entered Fayetteville, North Carolina, facing little resistance. Sherman rested his army for one day and then resumed his trek toward Goldsboro. On March 14, his rearguard destroyed the arsenal at Fayetteville along with anything else that might be useful to the Confederacy, including railroad trestles, mills, and factories.

Battle of Averasboro

Battle of Bentonville

On March 19, 1865, Johnston made a stand, entrenching his army at Cole’s Plantation, blocking the road to Goldsboro. Once again, Slocum’s wing was the target. That afternoon, Johnston launched an assault on the Federals, forcing them to fall back temporarily. By nightfall, Slocum’s men checked the Rebel advance, and the first day of fighting at the Battle of Bentonville ended in a stalemate.

On the next day, Federal reinforcements arrived, and Slocum gradually pushed Johnston’s men back. Johnston held on until March 21, when he withdrew during the night. Sherman pursued only briefly the next day, preferring instead to confront Johnston on another day, after increasing the size of his army after completing his rendezvous with General Schofield and the Army of Ohio at Goldsboro.

Sherman Meets with Grant and Lincoln

With Johnston out of the way, Sherman reached Goldsboro on March 23, 1865. The addition of the Army of Ohio swelled the size of Sherman’s forces to nearly 90,000 soldiers. On March 27, General Grant summoned Sherman to his headquarters at City Point, Virginia, to meet with President Abraham Lincoln. Expecting the imminent fall of the Confederacy, the three men discussed procedures and terms of surrender for the Rebel armies remaining in the field.

Sherman Occupies Raleigh

Sherman returned to Goldsboro on April 11, 1865, planning to move against the North Carolina state capital of Raleigh. The next day, he received word that General Robert E. Lee had surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia. Sherman moved on and occupied Raleigh on April 13.

Surrender at Bennett Place

With Lee’s army defeated and the Confederate government in exile, Johnston realized the hopelessness of his situation. Isolated and outnumbered three-to-one, Johnston contacted Sherman on April 16 to discuss capitulation. The generals met the next day at a farm known as Bennett Place, near Durham, where Johnston surrendered the 89,270 troops under his command in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. The agreement that the two men signed on April 18, 1865, was the largest surrender of Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War.

Unfortunately, Radical Republicans in Washington, embittered by President Lincoln’s assassination on April 14, rejected the accord because it went beyond strictly military issues. Sherman and Johnston met again at Bennett Place on April 26, 1865, and signed a new surrender document, using the same terms Grant and Lee had agreed to at Appomattox Court House. The signing of the new agreement brought Sherman’s Carolinas Campaign to an end.

Timeline

• 1864, December
  • Union forces under William T. Sherman captured Savannah, Georgia.
  • Ulysses S. Grant gave Sherman orders to prepare for a northern expedition.
• 1865, January 19 — Robert E. Lee sent Wade Hampton’s cavalry division to South Carolina.
• 1865, January 23 — The Confederate Congress created the office of General-In-Chief of Confederate forces.
• 1865, Late January — Confederate President Jefferson Davis nominated Robert E. Lee for the position of General-in-Chief.
• 1865, February 1
  • Sherman left Savannah with nearly 60,000 troops and moved north toward Columbia.
  • Samuel Cooper informed Robert E. Lee that the Confederate Senate had confirmed him as General-In-Chief.
• 1865, February 6 — Cooper issued General Orders, No. 3, announcing Lee as General-In-Chief of the Confederate Armies.
• 1865, February 12 — John M. Schofield started operations against Wilmington, North Carolina.
• 1865, February 14 — Confederate officials promoted Wade Hampton to Lieutenant General.
• 1865, February 17
  • Union troops occupied Columbia, South Carolina.
  • The Confederate garrison at Charleston evacuated its post.
• 1865, February 21–22 — Braxton Bragg ordered the destruction of Wilmington’s stores, and Confederate troops evacuated the city.
• 1865, February 22
  • Lee ordered Joseph E. Johnston to assume command of the Army of Tennessee and all troops in the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
  • Johnston told Lee that he could not gather enough troops to stop Sherman’s advance.
• 1865, March 6 — Confederate officials added the Department of Southern Virginia to Johnston’s command.
• 1865, March 8 — Sherman’s forces crossed into North Carolina.
• 1865, March 8 — Sherman’s forces crossed into North Carolina.
• 1865, March 10 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Monroe’s Crossroads.
• 1865, March 11 — Sherman’s forces entered Fayetteville, North Carolina.
• 1865, March 14 — Sherman’s rear guard destroyed the Fayetteville arsenal and other useful Confederate resources.
• 1865, March 15 — Hugh Judson Kilpatrick’s Union cavalry skirmished with Hardee’s forward troops near Averasboro.
• 1865, March 16 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Averasboro.
• 1865, March 19–21 — Union forces won the Battle of Bentonville.
• 1865, March 23 — Sherman reached Goldsboro, North Carolina.
• 1865, March 27 — Ulysses S. Grant summoned Sherman to City Point, Virginia, to meet with President Abraham Lincoln.
• 1865, April 11 — Sherman returned to Goldsboro, and President Jefferson Davis met with Johnston in Greensboro.
• 1865, April 12 — Sherman received word that Lee had surrendered at Appomattox Court House.
• 1865, April 13 — Sherman occupied Raleigh, North Carolina.
• 1865, April 14 — John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln in Washington, D.C.
• 1865, April 16 — Johnston contacted Sherman to discuss surrender.
• 1865, April 17 — Sherman and Johnston met at Bennett Place near Durham, North Carolina.
• 1865, April 18 — Sherman and Johnston signed an agreement for the surrender of Confederate troops in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida.
• 1865, April 24 — Grant traveled to Sherman’s headquarters and told him Washington had rejected the first agreement.
• 1865, April 26 — Sherman, Johnston, and Schofield reached a final surrender agreement at Bennett Place.

AP US History

Definition

Carolinas Campaign (1865) — The Carolinas Campaign was a Union military campaign led by General William T. Sherman from February 1, 1865, to April 26, 1865, during the final months of the Civil War. Sherman marched north from Savannah, captured Columbia, joined General John Schofield at Goldsboro, and occupied Raleigh after General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House. The campaign ended when General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered Confederate forces at Bennett Place.

Alignment

The Carolinas Campaign is part of the following AP US History sections:

• Furnace of Civil War (1865–1865)