l　content　myself　with　watching　Lee；　and　be　prepared　to　pitch　into　him　if　he　attempts　to　evacuate　the　place。　　I　may　bring　Sheridan　overthink　I　will　and　break　up　the　Danville　and　Southaide　Railroads。　　These　are　the　last　avenues　left　to　the　enemy。
  Recruits　have　come　in　so　rapidly　at　the　West　that　Thomas　has　now　about　as　much　force　as　he　had　when　he　attacked　Hood。　　I　have　stopped　all　who；　under　previous　orders；　would　go　to　him；　except　those　from　Illinois。
  Fearing　the　possibility　of　the　enemy　falling　back　to　Lynchburg；　and　afterward　attempting　to　go　into　East　Tennessee　or　Kentucky；　I　have　ordered　Thomas　to　move　the　Fourth　Corps　to　Bull's　Gap；　and　to　fortify　there；　and　to　hold　out　to　the　Virginia　line；　if　he　can。　　He　has　accumulated　a　large　amount　of　supplies　in　Knoxville；　and　has　been　ordered　not　to　destroy　any　of　the　railroad　west　of　the　Virginia　Hue。　　I　told　him　to　get　ready　for　a　campaign　toward　Lynchburg；　if　it　became　necessary。　　He　never　can　make　one　there　or　elsewhere；　but　the　steps　taken　will　prepare　for　any　one　else　to　take　his　troops　and　come　east　or　go　toward　Rome；　whichever　may　be　necessary。　　I　do　not　believe　either　will。
  When　I　hear　that　you　and　Schofield　are　together；　with　your　back　upon　the　coast；　I　shall　feel　that　you　are　entirely　safe　against　any　thing　the　enemy　can　do。　　Lee　may　evacuate　Richmond；　but　he　cannot　get　there　with　force　enough　to　touch　you。　　His　army　is　now　demoralized　and　deserting　very　fast；　both　to　us　and　to　their　homes。　A　retrograde　movement　would　cost　him　thousands　of　men；　even　if　we　did　not　follow。
  Five　thousand　men；　belonging　to　the　corps　with　you；　are　now　on　their　way　to　join　you。　　If　more　reenforoements　are　necessary；　I　will　send　them。　　My　notion　is；　that　you　should　get　Raleigh　as　soon　as　possible；　and　hold　the　railroad　from　there　back。　　This　may　take　more　force　than　you　now　have。
  》From　that　point　all　North　Carolina　roads　can　be　made　useless　to　the　enemy；　without　keeping　up　communications　with　the　rear。
  Hoping　to　hear　soon　of　your　junction　with　the　forces　from　Wilmington　and　Newborn；　I　remain；　very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；
  U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　COX'S　BRIGADE；　NEUSE　RIVER；　NORTH　CAROLINA；　March　22；　1865
  Lieutenant…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　Commander…in…Chief；　City　Point；　Virginia。
  GENERAL：　I　wrote　you　from　Fayetteville；　North　Carolina；　on　Tuesday；　the　14th　instant；　that　I　was　all　ready　to　start　for　Goldsboro'；　to　which　point　I　had　also　ordered　General　Schofield；　from　Newborn；　and　General　Terry；　from　Wilmington。　　I　knew　that　General　Jos。　Johnston　was　supreme　in　command　against　me；　and　that　he　world　have　time　to　concentrate　a　respectable　army　to　oppose　the　last　stage　of　this　march。　　Accordingly；　General　Slocum　was　ordered　to　send　his　main　supply…train；　under　escort　of　two　divisions；　straight　for　Bentonsville；　while　he；　with　his　other　four　divisions；　disencumbered　of　all　unnecessary　wagons；　should　march　toward　Raleigh；　by　way　of　threat；　as　far　as　Averysboro'。　　General　Howard；　in　like　manner；　sent　his　trains　with　the　Seventeenth　Corps；　well　to　the　right；　and；　with　the　four　divisions　of　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　took　roads　which　would　enable　him　to　come　promptly　to　the　exposed　left　flank。　　We　started　on　the　16th；　but　again　the　rains　set　in；　and　the　roads；　already　bad　enough；　became　horrible。
  On　Tuesday；　the　16th；　General　Slocum　found　Hardee's　army；　from　Charleston；　which　had　retreated　before　us　from　Cheraw；　in　position　across　the　narrow；　swampy　neck　between　Cape　Fear　and　North　Rivers；　where　the　road　branches　off　to　Goldsboro'。　　There　a　pretty　severe　fight　occurred；　in　which　General　Slocum's　troops　carried　handsomely　the　advanced　line；　held　by　a　South　Carolina　brigade；　commanded　by　a　Colonel　Butler。　　Its　Commander；　Colonel　Rhett；　of　Fort　Sumter　notoriety；　with　one　of　his　staff；　had　the　night　before　been　captured；　by　Kilpatrick's　scouts；　from　his　very　skirmish…line。　　The　next　morning　Hardee　was　found　gone；　and　was　pursued　through　and　beyoud　Averysboro'。　　General　Slocum　buried　one　hundred　and　eight　dead　rebels；　and　captured　and　destroyed　three　guns。　　Some　eighty　wounded　rebels　were　left　in　our　hands；　and；　after　dressing　their　wounds；　we　left　them　in　a　house；　attended　by　a　Confederate　officer　and　four　privates；　detailed　out　of　our　prisoners　and　paroled　for　the　purpose。
  We　resumed　the　march　toward　Goldsboro'。　　I　was　with　the　left　wing　until　I　supposed　all　danger　had　passed；　but；　when　General　Slocum's　head　of　column　was　within　four　miles　of　Bentonsville；　after　skirmishing　as　usual　with　cavalry；　he　became　aware　that　there　was　infantry　in　his　front。　　He　deployed　a　couple　of　brigades；　which；　on　advancing；　sustained　a　partial　repulse；　but　soon　rallied；　when　he　formed　a　line　of　the　two　leading　divisions　（Morgan's　and　Carlin's）　of　Jeff。　C。　Davis's　corps。　　The　enemy　attacked　these　with　violence；　but　was　repulsed。　　This　was　in　the　forenoon　of　Sunday；　the　19th。　General　Slocum　brought　forward　the　two　divisions　of　the　Twentieth　Corps；　hastily　disposed　of　them　for　defense；　and　General　Kilpatrick　massed　his　cavalry　on　the　left。
  General　Jos。　Johnston　had；　the　night　before；　marched　his　whole　army　（Bragg；　Cheatham；　S。　D。　Lee；　Hardee；　and　all　the　troops　he　had　drawn　from　every　quarter）；　determined；　as　he　told　his　men；　to　crash　one　of　our　corps；　and　then　defeat　us　in　detail。　　He　attacked　General　Slocum　in　position　from　3　P。　M。　　on　the　19th　till　dark；　but　was　everywhere　repulsed；　and　lost　heavily。　　At　the　time；　I　was　with　the　Fifteenth　Corps；　marching　on　a　road　more　to　the　right；　but；　on　hearing　of　General　Slocum's　danger；　directed　that　corps　toward　Cox's　Bridge；　in　the　night　brought　Blair's　corps　over；　and　on　the　20th　marched　rapidly　on　Johnston's　flank　and　rear。　　We　struck　him　about　noon；　forced　him　to　assume　the　defensive；　and　to　fortify。　Yesterday　we　pushed　him　hard；　and　came　very　near　crushing　him；　the　right　division　of　the　Seventeenth　Corps　（Mower's）　having　broken　in　to　within　a　hundred　yards　of　where　Johnston　himself　was；　at　the　bridge　across　Mill　Creek。　　Last　night　he　retreated；　leaving　us　in　possession　of　the　field；　dead；　and　wounded。　　We　have　over　two　thousand　prisoners　from　this　affair　and　the　one　at　Averysboro'；　and　I　am　satisfied　that　Johnston's　army　was　so　roughly　handled　yesterday　that　we　could　march　right　on　to　Raleigh；　but　we　have　now　been　out　six　weeks；　living　precariously　upon　the　collections　of　our　foragers；　our　men　dirty；　ragged；　and　saucy；　and　we　must　rest　and　fix　up　a　little。　　Our　entire　losses　thus　far　（killed；　wounded；　and　prisoners）　will　be　covered　by　twenty…five　hundred；　a　great　part　of　which　are；　as　usual；　slight　wounds。　　The　enemy　has　lost　more　than　double　as　many；　and　we　have　in　prisoners　alone　full　two　thousand。
  I　limited　the　pursuit；　this　morning；　to　Mill　Creek；　and　will　forthwith　march　the　army　to　Goldsboro'；　there　to　rest；　reclothe；　and　get　some　rations。
  Our　combinations　were　such　that　General　Schofield　entered　Goldsboro'　from　Newborn；　General　Terry　got　Cox's　Bridge；　with　pontoons　laid；　and　a　brigade　across　Neuse　River　intrenched；　and　we　whipped　Jos。　Johnstonall　on　the　same　day。
  After　riding　over　the　field　of　battle　to…day；　near　Bentonsville；　and　making　the　necessary　orders；　I　have　ridden　down　to　this　place　（Cox's　Bridge）　to　see　General　Terry；　and　to…morrow　shall　ride　into　Goldsboro。
  I　propose　to　collect　there　my　army　proper；　shall　post　General　Terry　about　Faison's　Depot；　and　General　Schofield　about　Kinston；　partly　to　protect　the　road；　but　more　to　collect　such　food　and　forage　as　the　country　affords；　until　the　railroads　are　repaired　leading　into　Goldsboro'。
  I　fear　these　have　not　been　pushed　with　the　vigor　I　had　expected；　but　I　will　soon　have　them　both　going。　　I　shall　proceed　at　once　to　organize　three　armies　of　twenty…five　thousand　men　each；　and　will　try　and　be　all　ready　to　march　to　Raleigh　or　Weldon；　as　we　may　determine；　by　or　before　April　10th。
  I　inclose　you　a　copy　of　my　orders　of　to…day。　　I　would　like　to　be　more　specific；　but　have　not　the　data。　　We　have　lost　no　general　officers　nor　any　organization。　　General　Slocum　took　three　guns　at　Averysboro'；　and　lost　three　others　at　the　first　dash　on　him　at　Bentonsville。　　We　have　all　our　wagons　and　trains　in　good　order。
  Yours　truly；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　COX'S　BRIGADE；　GOLDSBORO'；　NORTH　CAROLINA；　March　23；　1865。
  Lieutenant…General　U。　S。　GRANT；　commanding　the　Armies　of　the　United　States；　City　Point；　Virginia。
  GENERAL：　　On　reaching　Goldsboro'　this　morning；　I　found　Lieutenant　Dunn　awaiting　me　with　your　letter　of　March　18th　and　dispatch　of　the　17th。　　I　wrote　you　fully　from　Cox's　Bridge　yesterday；　and　since　reaching　Goldsboro'　have　learned　that　my　letter　was　sent　punctually　to　Newborn；　whence　it　will　be　dispatched　to　you。
  I　am　very　glad　to　hear　that　General　Sheridan　did　such　good　service　between　Richmond　and　Lynchburg；　and　hope　he　will　keep　the　ball　moving；　I　know　that　these　raids　and　dashes　disconcert　our　enemy　and　discourage　him　much。
  General　Slocum's　two　corps　（Fourteenth　and　Twentieth）　are　now　coming　in。　　I　will　dispose　of　them　north　of　Goldsboro'；　between　the　Weldon　road　and　Little　River。　　General　Howard　to…day　is　marching　south　of　th