Review of "Bentonville: The Final Battle of Sherman and Johnston," by Nathaniel Chears Hughs Jr.

 Review of

Bentonville: The Final Battle of Sherman and Johnston, by Nathaniel Chears Hughs Jr., ISBN 0807822817

Five out of five stars

Nearly the last battle of the war

 The battle of Bentonville between the Union forces commanded by Sherman and the Confederate forces commanded by Johnston was the last major battle between them and one of the last of the war. It took place in March 19-21, 1865, and was after Sherman’s famous march to the sea. By that time, it was clear that the Confederacy had lost the war and many of their soldiers were beginning to desert and go home.

 However, the Confederate soldiers that remained were determined to give a good accounting of themselves and they did. Despite his aggressive tendencies and numerically superior forces, Sherman was unable to defeat Johnston on the battlefield. Johnston’s surrender came when it was clear that there was no hope of victory.

 In the overall scheme of the war, the battle of Bentonville was rather minor, coming when all hope of victory was gone. These facts are clear, as is the skilled generalship of Johnston. Despite his lack of resources, Johnston was able to stave off defeat on the battlefield and even achieve a few local victories.

 This account of that battle, the lead-up to it and the immediate aftermath is thorough and informative. The one thing that is clear is how tenacious the Confederate soldiers were. Even when vastly outnumbered and with inferior weapons, they still fought with great resolve and determination. That goes a long way in explaining how the Confederacy managed to continue the fight for so long.

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