Customer Reviews

The Battle Of Bentonville: Last Stand In The Carolinas

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

I've lived most of my life here in NC but didn't know how close the Civil War really came. This book helped me to understand just how close Sherman came to being defeated in his finest hour. Mixing historical facts with just a bit of human interest stories, Bradley turned a mundane "blow by blow" account into something informative and entertaining.

Great reading particularly when there are detailed maps showing the movements of the units. I wonder if Bradley will write another book about other Civil War battles.

"Last Stand in the Carolinas' along with Bradley's later work 'This Astounding Close' combine to create an extremely satisfying description of the last days of Southern resistance. While complimentary to each other, either volume succeeds very well as a stand alone work and each book is a tremendous asset in its own right.

Most of us grew up believing that the Civil War ended the moment Robert E. Lee surrendered to U.S. Grant at Appomatox Court House in Virginia. One can only assume that this came about as a part of the deification of Lee and the promotion of the 'Lost Cause' doctrine that was so popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Historically, most things regarding the Confederacy have always begun and ended with Lee. Thanks to the scholarship and hard work of Mark Bradley, we now have a much more accurate picture of how the war ended and the major roles played by Joseph Johnston and W. T. Sherman well after Lee's surrender.

If you want a comprehensive blow-by-blow description of the battles of Averasboro and Bentonville, read 'Last Stand in the Carolinas'. For a valuable capsule summary of the battles, combined with a complete history of the negotiations leading up to the surrender, 'This Astounding Close' fills the bill wonderfully!

I must admit, before I read this book, all I knew about the Battle of Bentonville was that it was fought in North Carolina by Joseph E. Johnston and William T. Sherman. But this great book has opened my eyes on a little-known campaign and filled an empty hole on my book shelf.

Bradley's accounts of the battles at Monroe's Crossroads, Averasboro, and Bentonville are priceless. His writing is quick-paced, yet easy to follow. Another great part of this book are the maps, which are some of the best I have ever had the pleasure to see. Lastly, Appendix A of the book, which contains pictures of the battlefields (Averasboro and Bentonville) today, with captions. I recommend purchasing this book with Mark Moore's guide to the battlefield, which I did.

It is my opinion that no Civil War buff's library is cpmplete without this book. Get it!

I grew up in Northern Virginia, but have lived all my adult life in North Carolina. Having been incredibly spoiled (and becoming a big Civil War buff at a very early age) in the former, I had a hard time getting interested in Civil War history in the latter. Bentonville was really just a historical marker on the highway for me. And I picked up this particular book in a very haphazard way - my father-in-law picked it up at a library sale, knew I was interested in the Civil War, and let me borrow it while he was having a hard time "getting around to reading it" (he's not really a buff at all).

What a great read! In fact, this may be one of the best Civil War books I've read. And all in my backyard!

I'm afraid this review may something of a me-too, so let me just summarize what I liked about the book in a list:

- It is so easy to follow the action in this book. The typical battle book doesn't do a very good job of this, and I often get lost. Between the excellent, clear, and detailed writing and the well laid-out, frequent maps, though, this is almost impossible to do here.
- A good mix of the details of movements and personal narrative
- The maps!
- The writing style
- An objective, balanced view of both sides
- Great detail on very obscure events, like Averasboro or Mitchell's Crossroads
- Current-day photos (they inspired me to check out the battlefield in detail on Google image)
- A real understanding of things like campagning, picket details, and skirmish lines

This has actually gotten me itching to go visit the battlefield, even though Bentonville is a pretty long haul from Charlotte. I may even go see the 145th anniversary. And I have a funny feeling there's no way I'm going to miss the 150th. And I know I'm also going to probably hit the library today to see if I can get Bradley's follow-up book. Great writing!

The author is to be commended for this work that is auguably the best available on the closing campaign in the Carolinas. It is not actually as long as it appears -- the text is only 414 pages, but the Appendices and notes are also valuable.

Since several other reviews are excellent in presenting what the work covers, I shall confine my comments to why I lowered what could have been a 5 star book to only four.

Although many of the maps are detailed and helpful, there is a significant lack of maps showing the movements from Savannah to Bentonville. Some actions are difficult to understand since place names in the narrative do not show up on the maps. Nor is there an overall map that would allow the reader to see the battle of Bentonville in its entirety. Some actions are missing altogether such as some of Kilpatrick's skirmishes, and units seem to disappear and reappear like magic in the narrative. What is needed are comments as to their disposition, even when not actually engaged. Also missing is the aftermath of the battle and the negotiations for Johnston's surrender that properly should have been included to conclude the campaign. I also found a great deal of analysis missing, such as Serman's own comment that he missed an opportunity by not supporting Mower to a greater extent.

All that being said, this is an excellent work. Sherman's Carolina campaign has not been a major topic in Civil War literature, and this volume was sorely needed. I recommend it to all individuals interested in the Civil War.

Since a relative died for the Confederacy in the battle, I took special interest. This book was very informative and complete. Recommended reading.

Maybe I've read too many of these histories now but it just seems that these guys are using the same book of phrases to get to the required number of pages. It's boring. So many sound the same that if you took the author's name off the cover of a dozen books I bet most of us couldn't match them up with their works. Mr Bearss may find it a "barnburner" but I had trouble finishing it.