Customer Reviews

Bentonville: The Final Battle of Sherman and Johnston (Civil War America)

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If you can only purchase one book on the battle of Bentonville this book should be your second choice. I have read Hughes history of the battle as well as Mark Bradley's book on the same subject. Bradley's book covers the battle in much greater detail and has excellent maps. Hughes book is a good book, but head to head with Bradley's work finishes a distant second. Hughes gives a good overview, but I did not find his writing as engaging as I did Bradley's. Hughes book lacks the passion of the other book.

I found Nathaniel Cheairs Hughes' book on Bentonville to be a nicely written and well researched book. It was a very readable book, informative to me since Bentonville is one of the few Civil War battles, I don't know too much about. This book proves to be detailed in style and structure. I thought the narrative could have been bit more smoother but overall, I enjoyed reading it.

The book find itself conflicted at times. For example, the book made it clear that Bentonville was one battle that should have never been fought. South had little or no chance for victory according to the book. And at the same time, the book praises General Joe Johnston's humanity as an army commander. Ironically, it was this humane general that initiated the battle that should have never taken place. However, the book stated that Johnston attacked because he was pressed by his government and to regained his lost reputation. That sound bit irresponsible for such a humane general as Johnston supposed to be. Strategic situation was totally hopeless for the south and that should be very clear to any general on the field alive back then - may they be wearing blue or gray. The book never did get that straighten out in the end. However, the book made it clear that this was one of Johnston's worst battles as a commander.

Overall, a pretty decent effort on the battle that often get overlooked by many historians. I also thought it could have use some better battlefield maps to show the situation more clearly. This battle is often regarded as Confederate Army of Tennessee's last battle although they were no bigger then a division size force when they entered the battlefield and left even smaller.

This is a very enjoyable book to read and offers a detailed and well researched account of the final battle between Sherman and Johnston at Bentonville fought on March 19-21, 1865. This was the last full scale battle between the two opposing armies. The book has 9 maps which are well presented and the battle ones are very easy to understand and follow. Overall this book is a well documentated account of this very interesting and bloody battle.

When I was younger, I thought that the Confederate Army of the Tennessee had ended after Hood's disastrous efforts at Franklin and then Nashville. But then I read histories where a brief few paragraphs would mention the battle at Bentonville, where the remnants of that Army fought. I've always been rather curious about Bentonville. For one thing, a ragtag force performed well against Sherman's troops. For another, we see Joseph Johnston, the Confederate commanding General at this battle, engaging in a slashing attacking role--something that was not his norm.

This book takes those few paragraphs that I would read in other Civil War histories and given us a complete book on the subject. And the end result is quite satisfying.

Sherman's army, divided into two wings, nearing linking up with the forces of Generals Schofield and Terry was on an inexorable march from Savannah to hitch up with Ulysses Grant, confronting Lee at Petersburg. Lee gave Johnson command of the scattered forces left, including Hoke's, Bragg's, and Hardee's forces. And the pitiable remnants of the Army of the Tennessee (only 4,500 of whom took part in the battle).

Johnston deployed his forces well, caught the wing of the Union forces led by Henry Slocum in an ambush, and then aggressively attacked. The book describes the different aspects of this struggle nicely, providing considerable detail, and noting which leaders distinguished themselves (Hardee, Hampton, and D. H. Hill for the Confederates and Davis, Williams, Slocum, and Logan on the Union side). Braxton Bragg did as poorly as one might have anticipated. One story here, though, is the aggressiveness of Johnston.

The book, in the concluding chapter, observes that (Page 222): "Bentonville should not have been fought." Why not? The southern forces were so outnumbered that they were doomed; their forces were an amalgamation, without much coherence. Nonetheless, the battle was fought. And after Johnston's defeat and the linkage of the forces of Sherman, Terry, and Schofield, the end was in sight.

For those interested in the final days of the Civil War generally and the battle at Bentonville specifically, this volume will be most satisfying.

Nathaniel Cheairs Hughes Jr. some years ago did a book on the battle of Belmont, Grant's sort of victory in the early part of the war, and the book was very good. Hughes continues this trend with a book on the battle of Bentonville, which has been largely ignored by historians because the war was essentially over when it took place. Hughes explains the maneuvers with dexterity and skill, and shows why the battle was important and how the Confederates thought they were going to make something of the victory they hoped to achieve. Includes much participant accounts of various episodes from the battle. Recommended

I bought this book, because I love history and wanted to read a book about a battle I knew little or nothing about. Mr. Hughes book does not disappoint. He doesn't bore you with a long introduction or painful details. It is clearly very well researched and he seems to enjoy telling the story of the battle and is very complimentary of General Johnston. My only complaint is that he seems to "cheerlead"
for every Union officer involved from Willie Sherman himself to the Union Jefferson D. Davis.....To be certain, General William Sherman developed a well commanded and effective army that "pillaged" the South from Atlanta, Georgia to Columbia South Carolina....I think the book could have been more intriguing with the stories of
the Southern officers including General Hardee. There seems to be a presumption that the reader may already be acquainted with these men and so a lot of time is devoted to the inevitable victors.

I was looking for one larger volume dealing exclusively with the Battle of Bentonville, and this work more than fit the bill. There really isn't that much available on the battle in a single work, but I found that the author was more than up to the challenge, and feel no need to look further.