bert　Rhett；　former　commander　of　Fort　Sumter。　　He　was　a　tall；　slender；　and　handsome　young　man；　dressed　in　the　most　approved　rebel　uniform；　with　high　jackboots　beautifully　stitched；　and　was　dreadfully　mortified　to　find　himself　a　prisoner　in　our　hands。　　General　Frank　Blair　happened　to　be　with　me　at　the　moment；　and　we　were　much　amused　at　Rhett's　outspoken　disgust　at　having　been　captured　without　a　fight。　　He　said　he　was　a　brigade　commander；　and　that　his　brigade　that　day　was　Hardee's　rear…guard；　that　his　command　was　composed　mostly　of　the　recent　garrisons　of　the　batteries　of　Charleston　Harbor；　and　had　little　experience　in　woodcraft；　that　he　was　giving　ground　to　us　as　fast　as　Hardee's　army　to　his　rear　moved　back；　and　during　this　operation　he　was　with　a　single　aide　in　the　woods；　and　was　captured　by　two　men　of　Kilpatrick's　skirmish…line　that　was　following　up　his　retrograde　movement。　　These　men　called　on　him　to　surrender；　and　ordered　him；　in　language　more　forcible　than　polite；　to　turn　and　ride　back。　　He　first　supposed　these　men　to　be　of　Hampton's　cavalry；　and　threatened　to　report　them　to　General　Hampton　for　disrespectful　language；　but　he　was　soon　undeceived；　and　was　conducted　to　Kilpatrick；　who　sent　him　back　to　General　Slocum's　guard。
  The　rain　was　falling　heavily；　and；　our　wagons　coming　up；　we　went　into　camp　there；　and　had　Rhett　and　General　Blair　to　take　supper　with　us；　and　our　conversation　was　full　and　quite　interesting。　　In　due　time；　however；　Rhett　was　passed　over　by　General　Slocum　to　his　provost…guard；　with　orders　to　be　treated　with　due　respect；and　was　furnished　with　a　horse　to　ride。
  The　next　day　（the　16th）　the　opposition　continued　stubborn；　and　near　Averysboro'　Hardee　had　taken　up　a　strong　position；　before　which　General　Slocum　deployed　Jackson's　division　（of　the　Twentieth　Corps）；　with　part　of　Ward's。　　Kilpatrick　was　on　his　right　front。　Coming　up；　I　advised　that　a　brigade　should　make　a　wide　circuit　by　the　left；　and；　if　possible；　catch　this　line　in　flank。　　The　movement　was　completely　successful；　the　first　line　of　the　enemy　was　swept　away；　and　we　captured　the　larger　part　of　Rhett's　brigade；　two　hundred　and　seventeen　men；　including　Captain　Macbeth's　battery　of　three　guns；　and　buried　one　hundred　and　eight　dead。
  The　deployed　lines　（Ward's　and　Jackson's）　pressed　on；　and　found　Hardee　again　intrenched；　but　the　next　morning　he　was　gone；　in　full　retreat　toward　Smithfield。　　In　this　action；　called　the　battle　of　Averysboro'；　we　lost　twelve　officers　and　sixty…five　men　killed；　and　four　hundred　and　seventy…seven　men　wounded；　a　serious　loss；　because　every　wounded　man　had　to　be　carried　in　an　ambulance。　　The　rebel　wounded　（sixty…eight）　were　carried　to　a　house　near　by；　all　surgical　operations　necessary　were　performed　by　our　surgeons；　and　then　these　wounded　men　were　left　in　care　of　an　officer　and　four　men　of　the　rebel　prisoners；　with　a　scanty　supply　of　food；　which　was　the　best　we　could　do　for　them。　　In　person　I　visited　this　house　while　the　surgeons　were　at　work；　with　arms　and　legs　lying　around　loose；　in　the　yard　and　on　the　porch；　and　in　a　room　on　a　bed　lay　a　pale；　handsome　young　fellow；　whose　left　arm　had　just　been　cut　off　near　the　shoulder。　　Some　one　used　my　name；　when　he　asked；　in　a　feeble　voice；　if　I　were　General　Sherman。　　He　then　announced　himself　as　Captain　Macbeth；　whose　battery　had　just　been　captured；　and　said　that　he　remembered　me　when　I　used　to　visit　his　father's　house；　in　Charleston。　　I　inquired　about　his　family；　and　enabled　him　to　write　a　note　to　his　mother；　which　was　sent　her　afterward　from　Goldsboro'。　I　have　seen　that　same　young　gentleman　since　in　St。　Louis；　where　he　was　a　clerk　in　an　insurance…office。
  While　the　battle　of　Averysboro'　was　in　progress；　and　I　was　sitting　on　my　horse；　I　was　approached　by　a　man　on　foot；　without　shoes　or　coat；　and　his　head　bandaged　by　a　handkerchief。　　He　announced　himself　as　the　Captain　Duncan　who　had　been　captured　by　Wade　Hampton　in　Fayetteville；　but　had　escaped；　and；　on　my　inquiring　how　he　happened　to　be　in　that　plight；　he　explained　that　when　he　was　a　prisoner　Wade　Hampton's　men　had　made　him　〃get　out　of　his　coat；　hat；　and　shoes；〃　which　they　appropriated　to　themselves。　　He　said　Wade　Hampton　had　seen　them　do　it；　and　he　had　appealed　to　him　personally　for　protection；　as　an　officer；　but　Hampton　answered　him　with　a　curse。　　I　sent　Duncan　to　General　Kilpatrick；　and　heard　afterward　that　Kilpatrick　had　applied　to　General　Slocum　for　his　prisoner；　Colonel　Rhett；　whom　he　made　march　on　foot　the　rest　of　the　way　to　Goldsboro'；　in　retaliation。　　There　was　a　story　afloat　that　Kilpatrick　made　him　get　out　of　those　fine　boots；　but　restored　them　because　none　of　his　own　officers　had　feet　delicate　enough　to　wear　them。　　Of　course；　I　know　nothing　of　this　personally；　and　have　never　seen　Rhett　since　that　night　by　the　cooper…shop；　and　suppose　that　he　is　the　editor　who　recently　fought　a　duel　in　New　Orleans。
  》From　Averysboro'　the　left　wing　turned　east；　toward　Goldsboro'；　the　Fourteenth　Corps　leading。　　I　remained　with　this　wing　until　the　night　of　the　18th；　when　we　were　within　twenty…seven　miles　of　Goldsboro'　and　five　from　Bentonsville；　and；　supposing　that　all　danger　was　over；　I　crossed　over　to　join　Howard's　column；　to　the　right；　so　as　to　be　nearer　to　Generals　Schofield　and　Terry；　known　to　be　approaching　Goldsboro'。　　I　overtook　General　Howard　at　Falling…　Creek　Church；　and　found　his　column　well　drawn　out；　by　reason　of　the　bad　roads。　　I　had　heard　some　cannonading　over　about　Slocum's　head　of　column；　and　supposed　it　to　indicate　about　the　same　measure　of　opposition　by　Hardee's　troops　and　Hampton's　cavalry　before　experienced；　but　during　the　day　a　messenger　overtook　me；　and　notified　me　that　near　Bentonsville　General　Slocum　had　run　up　against　Johnston's　whole　army。　　I　sent　back　orders　for　him　to　fight　defensively　to　save　time；　and　that　I　would　come　up　with　reenforcements　from　the　direction　of　Cog's　Bridge；　by　the　road　which　we　had　reached　near　Falling…Creek　Church。　　The　country　was　very　obscure；　and　the　maps　extremely　defective。
  By　this　movement　I　hoped　General　Slocum　would　hold　Johnston's　army　facing　west；　while　I　would　come　on　his　rear　from　the　east。　The　Fifteenth　Corps；　less　one　division　（Hazen's）；　still　well　to　the　rear；　was　turned　at　once　toward　Bentonsville；　Hazen's　division　was　ordered　to　Slocum's　flank；　and　orders　were　also　sent　for　General　Blair；　with　the　Seventeenth　Corps；　to　come　to　the　same　destination。　Meantime　the　sound　of　cannon　came　from　the　direction　of　Bentonsville。
  The　night　of　the　19th　caught　us　near　Falling…Creek　Church；　but　early　the　next　morning　the　Fifteenth'Corps；　General　C。　R。　Woods's　division　leading；　closed　down　on　Bentonsville；　near　which　it　was　brought　up　by　encountering　a　line　of　fresh　parapet；　crossing　the　road　and　extending　north；　toward　Mill　Creek。
  After　deploying；　I　ordered　General　Howard　to　proceed　with　due　caution；　using　skirmishers　alone；　till　he　had　made　junction　with　General　Slocum；　on　his　left。　　These　deployments　occupied　all　day；　during　which　two　divisions　of　the　Seventeenth　Corps　also　got　up。　At　that　time　General　Johnston's　army　occupied　the　form　of　a　V；　the　angle　reaching　the　road　leading　from　Averysboro'　to　Goldsboro'；　and　the　flanks　resting　on　Mill　Creek；；　his　lines　embracing　the　village　of　Bentonsville。
  General　Slocum's　wing　faced　one　of　these　lines　and　General　Howard's　the　other；　and；　in　the　uncertainty　of　General　Johnston's　strength；　I　did　not　feel　disposed　to　invite　a　general　battle；　for　we　had　been　out　from　Savannah　since　the　latter　part　of　January；　and　our　wagon…　trains　contained　but　little　food。　　I　had　also　received　messages　during　the　day　from　General　Schofield；　at　Kinston；　and　General　Terry；　at　Faison's　Depot；　approaching　Goldsboro'；　both　expecting　to　reach　it　by　March　21St。　During　the　20th　we　simply　held　our　ground　and　started　our　trains　back　to　Kinston　for　provisions；　which　would　be　needed　in　the　event　of　being　forced　to　fight　a　general　battle　at　Bentonsville。　　The　next　day　（21st）　it　began　to　rain　again；　and　we　remained　quiet　till　about　noon；　when　General　Mower；　ever　rash；　broke　through　the　rebel　line　on　his　extreme　left　flank；　and　was　pushing　straight　for　Bentonsville　and　the　bridge　across　Mill　Creek。　I　ordered　him　back　to　connect　with　his　own　corps；　and；　lest　the　enemy　should　concentrate　on　him；　ordered　the　whole　rebel　line　to　be　engaged　with　a　strong　skirmish…fire。
  I　think　I　made　a　mistake　there；　and　should　rapidly　have　followed　Mower's　lead　with　the　whole　of　the　right　wing；　which　would　have　brought　on　a　general　battle；　and　it　could　not　have　resulted　otherwise　than　successfully　to　us；　by　reason　of　our　vastly　superior　numbers；　but　at　the　moment；　for　the　reasons　given；　I　preferred　to　make　junction　with　Generals　Terry　and　Schofield；　before　engaging　Johnston's　army；　the　strength　of　which　was　utterly　unknown。　　The　next　day　he　was　gone；　and　had　retreated　on　Smithfield；　and；　the　roads　all　being　clear；　our　army　moved　to　Goldsboro'。　　The　heaviest　fighting　at　Bentonsville　was　on　the　first　day；　viz。；　the　19th；　when　Johnston's　army　struck　the　head　of　Slocum's　columns；　knocking　back　Carlin's　division；　but；　as　soon　as　General　Slocum　had　brought　up　the　rest　of　the　Fourteenth　Corps　into　line；　and　afterward　the　Twentieth　on　its　left；　he　received　and　repulsed　all　attacks；　and　held　his　ground　as