Near Dunn in Cumberland County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Federal Artillery
Photographed By Robert Cole, June 6, 2010
1. Federal Artillery Marker
Erected 1961 by NC Archives and Highway Departments. Confederate Centennial Commission. (Marker Number I-74.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Military • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the North Carolina Division of Archives and History series list.
Location. 35° 14.793′ N, 78° 40.879′ W. Marker is near Dunn, North Carolina, in Cumberland County. Marker is on Burnett Road (State Highway 82) ¾ mile north of Overcreek Lane, on the right when traveling south. Marker is on Burnett Road, between W Thornton Road (NC-1783) and Overcreek Lane. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8262 Burnett Rd, Dunn, NC 28334, Dunn NC 28334, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. "Oak Grove" (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Confederate First Line (approx. 0.4 miles away); Taliaferro’s Division (approx. 0.4 miles away); 20th Corps (approx. 0.4 miles away); Rhett’s Brigade (approx. 0.4 miles away); Battle of Averasboro
this page online
Regarding Federal Artillery. On March 15th the left wing of General Sherman’s Union army, commanded by General H. W. Slocum, was advancing along the road from Fayetteville to Averasboro. General H. J. Kilpatrick’s cavalry division was in the lead, skirmishing with General Joseph Wheeler’s Confederate cavalry which contested the Union advance.
At 3:00 P.M. the Union forces struck a heavy Confederate skirmish line. General Smith Atkins’ 9th Michigan cavalry drove the skirmishers back into the first of three lines of breastworks erected across the road. The Union cavalry then constructed heavy barricades in front of the Confederate works. Nearly three hours after the initial Union attack began, Confederate General W. B. Taliaferro, whose division was holding position, ordered an attack along his line. The Union forces, though hard-pressed, were able to hold their position due to the arrival of reinforcements from the 14th Corps. Nightfall found the two armies in nearly the same positions they had held throughout the afternoon.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, August 18, 2006
2. Marker on Averasboro Battlefield
At 6:00 A.M. on March 16th, the Union forces attacked Taliaferro’s line, driving the Confederates before them. Then the Southerners launched a desperate counter-attack. A disaster for the Union forces was averted when portions of the 20th Corps arrived upon the field. Three batteries of artillery were placed in the position near the John Smith house. They began firing upon the Confederates, driving them back into their breastworks.
Within five hours two newly-arrived Union brigades engaged the Confederates in front, while the brigade of Colonel Henry Case assaulted the Confederate right flank. The attack forced the Confederates to withdraw into their second line of works.
Union General H. J. Kilpatrick’s cavalry found a back road and circled to the rear of the Confederate position. The Union cavalry attempted to use the road to flank the Confederates, but was stopped by Colonel G. P. Harrison’s brigade of McLaws’ division after moving only a short distance.
General Taliaferro decided to abandon the Confederate second position after finding his men in danger of being flanked. At 1:00 P.M. he withdrew to the third and final line of earthworks, where he was assisted by McLaw’s division on his left and Wheeler’s dismounted cavalry on his right. Rhett’s disorganized
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, August 3, 2010
3. Federal Artillery Marker
The Union forces soon advanced and established a strong line immediately in front of the Confederate third line. From the new position they pressed the Confederates all afternoon and part of the evening, but were unable to break the line. At 8:00 P.M. General W. J. Hardee, commanding the Confederate forces at Averasboro, having accomplished his objectives, began withdrawing his corps along the Smithfield road. Wheeler’s cavalry was left behind to cover the retreat. By 4:00 A.M. on March 17th, all Confederate units had been withdrawn, leaving the Union forces in control. Nearly 700 Union soldiers and approximately 500 Confederates had been killed or wounded. Local farms including “Oak Grove” and “Lebanon” as well as several other smaller dwellings were utilized by both armies as field hospitals.
General Hardee wished to accomplish two things by contesting the Union advance at Averasboro. The first objective was to determine for General Joseph E. Johnston, commander of all Confederate forces in the Carolinas, whether Sherman’s army was advancing on Raleigh or Goldsboro. The Confederates learned it was moving on Goldsboro. The second objective was to stretch out the distance between Sherman’s left and right wings (which were moving on parallel roads) in order to give General
Photographed By Robert Cole, June 6, 2010
4. Federal Artillery Marker and Field of Action
The Battle of Averasboro (also called Averysborough, Smith’s Mill and Black River) was the first deliberate, tactical resistance to the infamous march on federal forces through Georgia and the Carolinas. The battle was fought on these plantation lands of the John Smith family four miles south of the Cape Fear River village of Averasboro.
References:
(1) Mark L. Bradley, Last Stand in the Carolinas: The Battle of Bentonville (1996)
(2) Mark A. Moore, Moore’s Historical Guide to the Battle of Bentonville (1997)
(3) John G. Barrett, Sherman’s March through the Carolinas (1956)
(4) Wilson Angley, Jerry L. Cross, and Michael Hill, Sherman’s March through North Carolina: A Chronology (1995)
(5) Averasboro Battlefield Commission website: http://www.averasboro.com/
Additional keywords. Battle of Averasboro
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, August 18, 2006
5. Averasboro Battlefield Museum
The marker is located on the Averasboro Battlefield, south of the Battlefield Museum. The museum contains artifacts and exhibits that interpret the March 15-16, 1865 battle.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 12, 2022. It was originally submitted on December 27, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 1,302 times since then and 14 times this year. Last updated on June 6, 2010, by Cleo Robertson of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Photos: 1. submitted on June 6, 2010, by Cleo Robertson of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 2. submitted on December 27, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 3. submitted on August 11, 2010, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 4. submitted on June 6, 2010, by Cleo Robertson of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 5. submitted on December 27, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.
