150th anniversary of Battle of Bentonville is Saturday
By From staff reports
Published in News on March 20, 2015 1:46 PM
Full SizeThousands of Civil War buffs are expected to descend on the quiet Johnston County community of Bentonville this weekend for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Bentonville.
The battle, the largest ever fought on North Carolina soil, was fought over three days as Confederate forces attempted to stop the advance of the army of Union Gen. William T. Sherman, which was headed for the railroad junction at Goldsboro in the spring of 1865.
The re-enactments will take place on the same locations where the original battles were fought -- a rarity for Civil War re-enactments.
Member of the Friends of Bentonville Battleground and the state Division of Archives and History have been preparing the historic site all week for the event, which will include full-scale battle re-enactments on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
More than 80,000 men took part in the actual battle. Planners say they are expecting at least 4,000 re-enactors to attend and as many as 50,000 spectators to watch.
Because the battle was fought by two armies that were made up of soldiers from the western theatre of the war, men from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan are expected to join other re-enactors from Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.
Tickets are required for the battle re-creations only. They will cost $15 for adults and $12 for children ages 9-12. Children 8 and younger will be admitted free of charge.
The battlefield is located about 20 miles west of Goldsboro. Visitors can follow Ash Street west until it becomes Stevens Mill Road. At the county line, the road turns into Harper House Road. The battlefield is a few miles past the county line.
Officials said they expect about 40 vendors to be present, selling souvenirs and Civil War memorabilia.
The News-Argus will be reporting on the event live. Follow reporter Ethan Smith on Twitter as he takes on the guise of a Civil War correspondent at @newsargus.
To connect with the @newsargus Twitter account and follow the action go to www.twitter.com/newsargus or, if you already have a Twitter account, log in to your personal Twitter account and search for @newsargus.