Near Dunn in Harnett County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Battle of Averasboro

Sherman’s Left Wing Departs Averasboro

— Carolinas Campaign —

Battle of Averasboro Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 24, 2026

1. Battle of Averasboro Marker

Inscription.

Battle of Averasboro. Sherman’s Left Wing Departs Averasboro. , The Carolinas Campaign began on February 1, 1865, when Union Gen. William T. Sherman led his army north from Savannah, Georgia, after the “March to the Sea.” Sherman’s objective was to join Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in Virginia to crush Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Scattered Confederate forces consolidated in North Carolina, the Confederacy’s logistical lifeline, where Sherman defeated Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s last-ditch attack at Bentonville. After Sherman was reinforced at Goldsboro late in March, Johnston saw the futility of further resistance and surrendered on April 26, essentially ending the Civil War.. As Gen. William T. Sherman marched north from Fayetteville, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston positioned his army near Smithville, uncertain whether Sherman’s destination was Raleigh or Goldsboro. On March 15, 1865, the head of Sherman’s Left Wing struck Confederate Gen. William J. Hardee’s skirmishers guarding the road just south of Averasboro. Hardee struck back, and the fight began. After several bloody attacks and counterattacks, Hardee withdrew during the night of March 16, and Sherman turned toward Goldsboro., After the delay of his army’s Left Wing at the Battle of Averasboro, Gen. William T. Sherman marched most of it past this point en route to Goldsboro. He sent some of the troops in pursuit of the Confederates to maintain the appearance of moving towards Raleigh. Sherman’s wagons carried 500 Union wounded, and part of his force crossed the flooded Black River one mile west of here. Early on the morning of March 19, 1865, Sherman and his staff departed the Left Wing to join Gen. Oliver O. Howard’s Right Wing between Bentonville and Goldsboro., Gen. William J. Hardee’s command, meanwhile, had withdrawn through Averasboro and east of the Black River into Johnston County. There his troops reassembled in the elevated area about fifteen miles from Averasboro, then marched east to join Gen. Joseph E. Johnston and the main body of Confederates near Bentonville. Hardee left more than 600 wounded men in the care of physicians and civilians at the plantation houses on the Averasboro battlefield and in the town. Later, wounded Confederates from both Averasboro and Bentonville traveled by rail from Smithfield to a Thomasville hospital., (Sidebar): , The town of Averasboro was located on the Cape Fear River three miles north of the battlefield and five miles west of here. Averasboro had a post office, stage stop, sawmill, ferry, and as many as 700 inhabitants depending upon the river commerce at the time. The Fayetteville to Raleigh Stage Road passed directly through Averasboro. The town, which was abandoned by early 1900s in favor of sites closer to the railroad, lay in the path of Sherman’s Left Wing.

The Carolinas Campaign began on February 1, 1865, when Union Gen. William T. Sherman led his army north from Savannah, Georgia, after the “March to the Sea.” Sherman’s objective was to join Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in Virginia to crush Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Scattered Confederate forces consolidated in North Carolina, the Confederacy’s logistical lifeline, where Sherman defeated Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s last-ditch attack at Bentonville. After Sherman was reinforced at Goldsboro late in March, Johnston saw the futility of further resistance and surrendered on April 26, essentially ending the Civil War.*** As Gen. William T. Sherman marched north from Fayetteville, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston positioned his army near Smithville, uncertain whether Sherman’s destination was Raleigh or Goldsboro. On March 15, 1865, the head of Sherman’s Left Wing struck Confederate Gen. William J. Hardee’s skirmishers guarding the road just south of Averasboro. Hardee struck back, and the fight began. After several bloody attacks and counterattacks, Hardee withdrew during the night of March 16, and Sherman turned toward Goldsboro.

After the delay of his army’s Left Wing at the Battle of Averasboro, Gen. William T. Sherman marched most of it past this point en route to Goldsboro. He sent some

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of the troops in pursuit of the Confederates to maintain the appearance of moving towards Raleigh. Sherman’s wagons carried 500 Union wounded, and part of his force crossed the flooded Black River one mile west of here. Early on the morning of March 19, 1865, Sherman and his staff departed the Left Wing to join Gen. Oliver O. Howard’s Right Wing between Bentonville and Goldsboro.

Gen. William J. Hardee’s command, meanwhile, had withdrawn through Averasboro and east of the Black River into Johnston County. There his troops reassembled in the elevated area about fifteen miles from Averasboro, then marched east to join Gen. Joseph E. Johnston and the main body of Confederates near Bentonville. Hardee left more than 600 wounded men in the care of physicians and civilians at the plantation houses on the Averasboro battlefield and in the town. Later, wounded Confederates from both Averasboro and Bentonville traveled by rail from Smithfield to a Thomasville hospital.

(Sidebar):
The town of Averasboro was located on the Cape Fear River three miles north of the battlefield and five miles west of here. Averasboro had a post office, stage stop, sawmill, ferry, and as many as 700 inhabitants depending upon the river commerce at the time. The Fayetteville to Raleigh Stage Road passed directly through Averasboro. The town, which was abandoned by early 1900s

Battle of Aversboro - Sherman’s Left Wing Departs Averasboro image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 18, 2006

2. Battle of Aversboro - Sherman’s Left Wing Departs Averasboro

This is a previous iteration of the marker. It is identical to the current version.

in favor of sites closer to the railroad, lay in the path of Sherman’s Left Wing.

Erected by North Carolina Civil War Trails.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the North Carolina Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is February 1, 1865.

Location. 35° 16.5′ N, 78° 37.54′ W. Marker is near Dunn, North Carolina, in Harnett County. It is at the intersection of Norma Drive and Longbranch Road, on the left when traveling south on Norma Drive. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Dunn NC 28334, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Coastal Plain and in the Piedmont.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Sherman's March (approx. ¼ mile away); Link Wray (approx. 1.9 miles away); a different marker also named Battle of Averasboro (approx. 2.1 miles away); G. B. Cashwell (approx. 2.4 miles away); William C. Lee (approx. 2.4 miles away); Dunn High School Sit-Ins (approx. 2½ miles away); "Lebanon" (approx. 2.6 miles away); Underground Barn Quilt Trail (approx. 2.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dunn.

More about this marker. The marker displays portraits of Gens. Sherman, Hardee, and Johnston in the upper center. Below the portraits a campaign map depicts the movements

Battle of Averasboro Marker (significantly damaged) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Michael Buckner, October 28, 2022

3. Battle of Averasboro Marker (significantly damaged)

This is the prior version of the marker after it heavily weathered.

of the armies at this stage of the Carolinas Campaign.

Also see . . . Battle of Averasboro. Civil War Album offers several pages of photos of the Averasboro battlefield. (Submitted on January 28, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 24, 2026

4. Battle of Averasboro Marker

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 3, 2010

5. Battle of Averasboro Marker

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 3, 2010

6. Battle of Averasboro Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on June 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 28, 2008. This page has been viewed 3,066 times since then and 22 times this year. Last updated on November 23, 2020, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos: 1. submitted on June 1, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 2. submitted on January 28, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 3. submitted on November 12, 2022, by Michael Buckner of Durham, North Carolina. 4. submitted on June 1, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 5, 6. submitted on August 3, 2010, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.