nd　afterward　the　Twentieth　on　its　left；　he　received　and　repulsed　all　attacks；　and　held　his　ground　as　ordered；　to　await　the　coming　back　of　the　right　wing。　　His　loss；　as　reported；　was　nine　officers　and　one　hundred　and　forty…five　men　killed；　eight　hundred　and　sixteen　wounded；　and　two　hundred　and　twenty…six　missing。　　He　reported　having　buried　of　the　rebel　dead　one　hundred　and　sixty…seven；　and　captured　three　hundred　and　thirty…eight　prisoners。
  The　loss　of　the　right　wing　was　two　officers　and　thirty…five　men　killed；　twelve　officers　and　two　hundred　and　eighty…nine　men　wounded；　and　seventy　missing。　　General　Howard　reported　that　he　had　buried　one　hundred　of　the　rebel　dead；　and　had　captured　twelve　hundred　and　eighty…seven　prisoners。
  Our　total　loss；　therefore；　at　Bentonsville　was：　1；604
  General　Johnston；　in　his　〃Narrative　〃　（p。　　392）；　asserts　that　his　entire　force　at　Benton　sville；　omitting　Wheeler's　and　Butler's　cavalry；　only　amounted　to　fourteen　thousand　one　hundred　infantry　and　artillery；　and　（p。　　393）　states　his　losses　as：　2；343
  Wide　discrepancies　exist　in　these　figures：　for　instance；　General　Slocum　accounts　for　three　hundred　and　thirty…eight　prisoners　captured；　and　General　Howard　for　twelve　hundred　and　eighty…seven；　making　sixteen　hundred　and　twenty…five　in　all；　to　Johnston's　six　hundred　and　fifty　threea　difference　of　eight　hundred　and　seventy…two。　　I　have　always　accorded　to　General　Johnston　due　credit　for　boldness　in　his　attack　on　our　exposed　flank　at　Bentoneville；　but　I　think　he　understates　his　strength；　and　doubt　whether　at　the　time　he　had　accurate　returns　from　his　miscellaneous　army；　collected　from　Hoke；　Bragg；　Hardee；　Lee；　etc。　　After　the　first　attack　on　Carlin's　division；　I　doubt　if　the　fighting　was　as　desperate　as　described　by　him；　p。　385；　et　seq。　　I　was　close　up　with　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　on　the　20th　and　21st；　considered　the　fighting　as　mere　skirmishing；　and　know　that　my　orders　were　to　avoid　a　general　battle；　till　we　could　be　sure　of　Goldsboro'；　and　of　opening　up　a　new　base　of　supply。　　With　the　knowledge　now　possessed　of　his　small　force；　of　course　I　committed　an　error　in　not　overwhelming　Johnston's　army　on　the　21st　of　March；　1865。　　But　I　was　content　then　to　let　him　go；　and　on　the　22d　of　March　rode　to　Cog's　Bridge；　where　I　met　General　Terry；　with　his　two　divisions　of　the　Tenth　Corps；　and　the　next　day　we　rode　into　Goldsboro'；　where　I　found　General　Schofield　with　the　Twenty…third　Corps；　thus　effecting　a　perfect　junction　of　all　the　army　at　that　point；　as　originally　contemplated。　During　the　23d　and　24th　the　whole　army　was　assembled　at　Goldsboro'；　General　Terry's　two　divisions　encamped　at　Faison's　Depot　to　the　south；　and　General　Kilpatrick's　cavalry　at　Mount　Olive　Station；　near　him；　and　there　we　all　rested；　while　I　directed　my　special　attention　to　replenishing　the　army　for　the　next　and　last　stage　of　the　campaign。　　Colonel　W。　W。　Wright　had　been　so　indefatigable；　that　the　Newbern　Railroad　was　done；　and　a　locomotive　arrived　in　Goldsboro'　on　the　25th　of　March。
  Thus　was　concluded　one　of　the　longest　and　most　important　marches　ever　made　by　an　organized　army　in　a　civilized　country。　　The　distance　from　Savannah　to　Goldsboro'　is　four　hundred　and　twenty…five　miles；　and　the　route　traversed　embraced　five　large　navigable　rivers；　viz。；　the　Edisto；　Broad；　Catawba；　Pedee；　and　Cape　Fear；　at　either　of　which　a　comparatively　small　force；　well…handled；　should　have　made　the　passage　most　difficult；　if　not　impossible。　The　country　generally　was　in　a　state　of　nature；　with　innumerable　swamps；　with　simply　mud　roads；　nearly　every　mile　of　which　had　to　be　corduroyed。　　In　our　route　we　had　captured　Columbia；　Cheraw；　and　Fayetteville；　important　cities　and　depots　of　supplies；　had　compelled　the　evacuation　of　Charleston　City　and　Harbor；　had　utterly　broken　up　all　the　railroads　of　South　Carolina；　and　had　consumed　a　vast　amount　of　food　and　forage；　essential　to　the　enemy　for　the　support　of　his　own　armies。　　We　had　in　mid…winter　accomplished　the　whole　journey　of　four　hundred　and　twenty…five　miles　in　fifty　days；　averaging　ten　miles　per　day；　allowing　ten　lay…days；　and　had　reached　Goldsboro'　with　the　army　in　superb　order；　and　the　trains　almost　as　fresh　as　when　we　had　started　from　Atlanta。
  It　was　manifest　to　me　that　we　could　resume　our　march；　and　come　within　the　theatre　of　General　Grant's　field　of　operations　in　all　April；　and　that　there　was　no　force　in　existence　that　could　delay　our　progress；　unless　General　Lee　should　succeed　in　eluding　General　Grant　at　Petersburg；　make　junction　with　General　Johnston；　and　thus　united　meet　me　alone；　and　now　that　we　had　effected　a　junction　with　Generals　Terry　and　Schofield；　I　had　no　fear　even　of　that　event。　　On　reaching　Goldsboro；　I　learned　from　General　Schofield　all　the　details　of　his　operations　about　Wilmington　and　Newbern；　also　of　the　fight　of　the　Twenty…third　Corps　about　Kinston；　with　General　Bragg。　I　also　found　Lieutenant　Dunn；　of　General　Grant's　staff；　awaiting　me；　with　the　general's　letter　of　February　7th；　covering　instructions　to　Generals　Schofield　and　Thomas；　and　his　letter　of　March　16th；　in　answer　to　mine　of　the　12th；　from　Fayetteville。
  These　are　all　given　here　to　explain　the　full　reasons　for　the　events　of　the　war　then　in　progress；　with　two　or　three　letters　from　myself；　to　fill　out　the　picture。
  HEADQUARTERS　OF　THE　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES　CITY　POINT；　VIRGINIA；　February　7；　1865
  Major…General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　commanding　Military　Division　of　the　Mississippi
  GENERAL：　Without　much　expectation　of　it　reaching　you　in　time　to　be　of　any　service；　I　have　mailed　to　you　copies　of　instructions　to　Schofield　and　Thomas。　　I　had　informed　Schofield　by　telegraph　of　the　departure　of　Mahone's　division；　south　from　the　Petersburg　front。　These　troops　marched　down　the　Weldon　road；　and；　as　they　apparently　went　without　baggage；　it　is　doubtful　whether　they　have　not　returned。　　I　was　absent　from　here　when　they　left。　　Just　returned　yesterday　morning　from　Cape　Fear　River。　　I　went　there　to　determine　where　Schofield's　corps　had　better　go　to　operate　against　Wilmington　and　Goldsboro'。　　The　instructions　with　this　will　inform　you　of　the　conclusion　arrived　at。
  Schofield　was　with　me；　and　the　plan　of　the　movement　against　Wilmington　fully　determined　before　we　started　back；　hence　the　absence　of　more　detailed　instructions　to　him。　　He　will　land　one　division　at　Smithville；　and　move　rapidly　up　the　south　side　of　the　river；　and　secure　the　Wilmington　&　Charlotte　Railroad；　and　with　his　pontoon　train　cross　over　to　the　island　south　of　the　city；　if　he　can。　　With　the　aid　of　the　gunboats；　there　is　no　doubt　but　this　move　will　drive　the　enemy　from　their　position　eight　miles　east　of　the　city；　either　back　to　their　line　or　away　altogether。　　There　will　be　a　large　force　on　the　north　bank　of　Cape　Fear　River；　ready　to　follow　up　and　invest　the　garrison；　if　they　should　go　inside。
  The　railroads　of　North　Carolina　are　four　feet　eight　and　one…half　inches。　gauge。　　I　have　sent　large　parties　of　railroad…men　there　to　build　them　up；　and　have　ordered　stock　to　run　them。　　We　have　abundance　of　it　idle　from　the　non…use　of　the　Virginia　roads。　　I　have　taken　every　precaution　to　have　supplies　ready　for　you　wherever　you　may　tern　up。　　I　did　this　before　when　you　left　Atlanta；　and　regret　that　they　did　not　reach　you　promptly　when　you　reached　salt…water。。。。
  Alexander　Stephens；　R。　M。　T。　Hunter；　and　Judge　Campbell；　are　now　at　my　headquarters；　very　desirous　of　going　to　Washington　to　see　Mr。　Lincoln；　informally；　on　the　subject　of　peace。　　The　peace　feeling　within　the　rebel　lines　is　gaining　ground　rapidly。　　This；　however；　should　not　relax　our　energies　in　the　least；　but　should　stimulate　us　to　greater　activity。
  I　have　received　your　very　kind　letters；　in　which　you　say　you　would　decline；　or　are　opposed　to；　promotion。　　No　one　world　be　more　pleased　at　your　advancement　than　I；　and　if　you　should　be　placed　in　my　position；　and　I　put　subordinate；　it　would　not　change　our　personal　relations　in　the　least。　I　would　make　the　same　exertions　to　support　you　that　you　have　ever　done　to　support　me；　and　would　do　all　in　my　power　to　make　our　cause　win。
  Yours　truly；
  U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。
  HEADQUARTERS　OF　THE　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES　CITY　POINT；　VIRGINIA；　January　81；　1865。
  Major…General　G。　H。　THOMAS；　commanding　Army　of　the　Cumberland。
  GENERAL：　With　this　I　send　you　a　letter　from　General　Sherman。　　At　the　time　of　writing　it；　General　Sherman　was　not　informed　of　the　depletion　of　your　command　by　my　orders。　　It　will；　be　impossible　at　present　for　you　to　move　south　as　he　contemplated；　with　the　force　of　infantry　indicated。　　General　Slocum　is　advised　before　this　of　the　changes　made；　and　that　for　the　winter　you　will　be　on　the　defensive。　I　think；　however；　an　expedition　from　East　Tennessee；　under　General　Stoneman　might　penetrate　South　Carolina；　well　down　toward　Columbia；　destroying　the　railroad　and　military　resources　of　the　country；　thus　visiting　a　portion　of　the　State　which　will　not　be　reached　by　Sherman's　forces。　　He　might　also　be　able　to　return　to　East　Tennessee　by　way　of　Salisbury；　North　Carolina；　thus　releasing　home　of　our　prisoners　of　war　in　rebel　hands。
  Of　the　practicability　of　doing　this；　General　Stoneman　will　have　to　be　the　judge；　making　up　his　mind　from　information　obtained　while　executing　the　fir