The Battle Of Bentonville: Last Stand In The Carolinas [Hardcover]

Mark L. Bradley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 21, 1996

As Sherman completed the destruction of Georgia, only the outnumbered but wily Confederate commander Joseph E. Johnston stood between the victorious Northern troops and the conquest of North and South Carolina.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 608 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (May 21, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1882810023
• ISBN-13: 978-1882810024
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #966,962 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars By Far the Best Account of the North Carolina Finale, August 13, 2006

By 

Kevin R. Austra (Delaware Valley, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Battle Of Bentonville: Last Stand In The Carolinas (Hardcover)

Of several accounts I have read about this March 1865 battle, this is definitely the most complete study of the battle to date. Finally a battle narrative with enough detailed maps to follow the action. Unlike many battle studies that toss in a map every hundred pages, Mark L. Bradley includes military movement or troop disposition maps anytime there is a significant movement of troops. At times there are maps every other page.

Bentonville was, in many ways, the Confederacy's "Battle of the Bulge." Southern General Joseph E. Johnston was reinstated to command of scattered Confederate forces in the Carolinas during the last months of the Civil War. That he was able to weld together an army at this late stage is a miracle in itself. Fully realizing that there was no way to stop the inevitable, Johnston and his generals snapped back at Sherman's advancing columns to buy time for the Confederacy.

The Bentonville Battle is not one of the more familiar accounts from the War Between the States. Indeed, many sources summarize or bypass the battle as if it were a mere skirmish. In my case, I knew little more about the battle other than there were one or two highway signs on Interstate 95 for the exit to reach this battlefield. In 1986, while spending several weeks at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, I used one of my free weekends to visit the site. At the time, a majority of the battlefield was located on various private properties. After a trip to the visitor center and some blatant historical trespass through a cornfield or two, I realized that this battle was much bigger than I realized. At the time, the only book available on the subject from Fayetteville's Cross Creek Mall bookstore was a volume titled SHERMAN'S MARCH THROUGH THE CAROLINAS. Fortunately a good portion of SHERMAN'S MARCH was devoted to Bentonville.

At the time, my only regret (one that has been repeated at other historic sites) was that I read the book after I visited the battlefield and then moved on to another military assignment in a different state.

As fate would have it, fifteen years later I found that I would be back in the neighborhood of Bentonville and began ordering additional books on the subject. Mark L. Bradley's book was one of them. I only wish that his book had been available way back in 1986. The book has a lot of detail, yet it is enjoyable to read. The volume is so meticulously researched that a full 150 pages are devoted to tables of organization, endnotes and indexing.

On the other hand, this is not a book to attempt to read the night before you plan to visit Bentonville. The four hundred plus pages and maps will keep you busy a couple days before you reach the last page. If you are looking for an overview of the battle, this is not the book for you.

However, if you thirst for the detailed events leading up to and including the Bentonville Battle, I recommend you add this book to your collection.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Battle of Bentonville is rescued from obscurity., May 4, 1998

By 

Steve Basic (Oradell, New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Battle Of Bentonville: Last Stand In The Carolinas (Hardcover)

Mark L. Bradley's Last Stand In The Carolinas: The Battle of Bentonville could not have come at a more proper time. The terrible fighting that took place in the fields of North Carolina in March of 1865 have been long forgotten; thankfully Mr. Bradley has reminded us of the sacrifices that our ancestors endured on that sacred ground. Bentonville is a stirring reminder of the American spirit..something that was exhibited on both sides of the lines during those fateful three days in March. Mr. Bradley has written a stirring tribute to the two armies that fought in this last great battle that pitted the forces of "Uncle Billy" Sherman, against his old nemesis "Old Joe" Johnston. Mr. Bradley has written an outstanding account of the soldiers who fought this landmark battle in the waning days of the war, and he has given us a thorough look at what was going on in the minds of the Generals who led their soldiers to the killing fields of Bentonvile. Mr. Bradley has also included an outstanding photo collection of the battlefield as it appears today, something that is rarely added to most of the narratives on Civil War battles that are printed today. These photos help to give us an understanding of the terrain that each man, Union or Confederate, faced on those days in March, 1865. I heartily recommend this narrative to all students of the Civil War. The Battle of Bentonville has been neglected too long. Thankfully, Mr. Bradley has corrected that mistake, and he has provided us buffs with a truly compelling story. Special appreciation is due to Mark A. Moore. Mr. Moore's maps of the campaign are outstanding, and they help the reader understand and comprehend the many troop movements of this last major battle of the Civil War in the Eastern Theater. One final note....Mr.Bradley is working on a companion volume that brings us the story of both armies after those three horrible days of Mid-March, 1865 until the final surrender of Johnston's forces at the Bennett House in late! April. This student of the war can hardly wait until this narrative appears, and I know that the story will be just as compelling.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Study on a Forgotten Battle!, March 11, 2003

By 

Michael Taylor "Michael Taylor" (Indian Trail NC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Battle Of Bentonville: Last Stand In The Carolinas (Hardcover)

Bradley's book on the last major (and often overlooked) battle in the Civil War is a gem. Although, I am somewhat biased since I am a North Carolinian, the book has an engaging writing style and is full of superb maps.

Some Civil War books I have read were difficult to follow due to either/or the lack of maps or quality of maps depicting troop movements and the theater of operations. Not so with this title! The maps are numerous and easily clarify troop movements and the flow of battle.

Bradley also does an excellent job of describing the little known battles of Averasboro (General Hardee did a commendable job of delaying Sherman's advance) and Monroe's Crossroads (Kilpatrick was almost captured and his force ambushed).

The next time I visit the battlefields I will certainly have Bradley's book with me to serve as the ultimate guide. Bradley's writing style is technical in describing troop movements and engaging in supplying ample anecdotes on the campaign's participants. Overall, a nice balance of not being too technical (and dry) and not too basic.

The book will always be special to me since I spent my early years in Eastern North Carolina close to the battlefields. Visiting these battlefields as a little boy sparked a life-long interest in the Civil War.

Bravo, excellent job! May more such studies be written on other battles!