Recollections of men hardened by four years of war tell the story of the intense fighting at Bentonville, mere weeks before the American Civil War’s end.
“I was never under such a terrible storm of bullets in all my life,” recalled one veteran of the Battle of Bentonville, referring to the fierce rifle fire he had survived on March 19, 1865.
But there was more to being a foot soldier than fighting. The role of infantrymen in the American Civil War will be displayed on Sept. 18 at Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site during “Life on Campaign.”
Infantry demonstrations by reenactors of the 27th NC Company D, will take place at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., with additional activities scheduled to occur throughout the day, beginning at 10 a.m. Interpretive talks and living history displays will shed further light on the daily life of the soldiers who fought in the Battle of Bentonville. Tours of the Harper House, which served as a field hospital for the XIV Corps of the U.S. Army, will also be available. Bring family and friends to enjoy a day of learning and fun. The event runs from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and is free to attend.
The Battle of Bentonville, fought March 19-21, 1865, is the largest battle ever fought in North Carolina and one of the last major battles of the Civil War. Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site interprets the battle and the Harper House, a farmhouse used as a field hospital where surgeons treated nearly 600 men wounded in the battle.
The site is located at 5466 Harper House Road, Four Oaks, NC 27524, three miles north of Newton Grove on S.R. 1008, about one hour from Raleigh and about 45 minutes from Fayetteville.
For more information, visit https://historicsites.nc.gov/all-sites/bentonville-battlefield or call (910) 594-0789.
Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site is part of the Division of State Historic Sites in the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.