Battle of Wyse Fork

Battle of Wyse Fork

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Wyse Fork


caption=
partof=the American Civil War
date=March 7 – March 10, 1865
place=Kinston, North Carolina
result=Union victory
combatant1= flagicon|USA|1863 United States (Union)
combatant2= flagicon|CSA CSA (Confederacy)
commander1=Jacob D. Cox
commander2=Braxton Bragg
strength1=12,000
strength2=8,500
casualties1=1,101
casualties2=1,500|

The Battle of Wyse Fork was a battle fought in the Carolinas Campaign of the American Civil War, resulting in a Union Army victory.

Background

At the end of February 1865 the port city of Wilmington had fallen to Union troops under the command of Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield. Schofield was then to move his forces inland from the coast and join with Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's forces at Goldsboro, North Carolina, where three Union armies would move against a Confederate army being gathered under Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston. Schofield, with the units from Alfred Terry's Expeditionary Corps, moved north from Wilmington, while Maj. Gen. Jacob D. Cox took his XXIII Corps division and sailed up the coast and landed at New Bern, North Carolina.

At New Bern, the Union forces were increased to three divisions and formed into a Provisional Corps with Cox in command. Moving towards Goldsboro, the Union forces repaired the railroad which was to function as a supply route for Sherman's Army Group. Johnston's army was too far away to move against Schofield's divided forces, but General Braxton Bragg's forces, falling back from Wilmington, were within striking distance. Bragg moved against Cox near Kinston.

Battle

On March 7, Federal advance units encountered Bragg's entrenched forces along Southwest Creek east of Kinston. Bragg's position not only blocked Cox's path but threatened a vital cross road and the New Bern-Goldsboro Railroad. Cox saw the importance of this position and moved forward the divisions of Brig. Gen. Innis N. Palmer to protect the railroad and Maj. Gen. Samuel P. Carter to protect the roads. Bragg's forces were also reinforced by veterans from the Army of Tennessee and the North Carolina Junior Reserves, all under the command of General D.H. Hill. Reinforced, Bragg went on the offensive and sent a division under North Carolina native Robert Hoke into the Union left flank. Hoke's attack hit a New England brigade in Carter's division, capturing an entire regiment. Hill joined the advance with the Junior Reserves but they panicked and refused to go any further. Hill left them behind and moved on with his veterans, hitting the Union brigade and defeating it. Disaster threatened the Union flank when Bragg stopped Hill's advance and sent him far to the north to counterattack a Union threat. When Hill arrived he found no Federals in sight. At this time Cox, who had been away from the front lines, returned and moved up his reserve division under Maj. Gen. Thomas H. Ruger to plug the gap between Palmer and Carter.

Skirmishing continued for the next few days until Hoke tried again to turn the Federal left flank on March 10. The Federal position had been strongly fortified by artillery and repulsed Hoke's attack within an hour. Hill then moved against the Union center but again Federal artillery proved decisive and the attackers were repulsed. The remaining elements from the Federal XXIII Corps, which had just arrived in New Bern from Tennessee, were moving on Kinston. Facing five Union divisions, Bragg withdrew.

Aftermath

Bragg had only momentarily been able to check Cox's advance. Schofield's forces reached two full corps and were organized into the Army of the Ohio. Sherman's armies, which had just defeated Johnston's army at Bentonville, joined with Schofield at Goldsboro on March 23. Facing three Union armies, Johnston retreated to the north and on April 26 Johnston surrendered to Sherman.

Alternative names

The battle was also known by the following names:
*Battle of Wyse's Fork
*Battle of Wise's Fork
*Battle of Wilcox's Bridge
*Battle of Kelly's Mill Pond
*Second Battle of Kinston
*Second Battle of Southwest Creek

References

* [http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/nc017.htm National Park Service battle description]
* Korn, Jerry, and the Editors of Time-Life Books, "Pursuit to Appomattox: The Last Battles", Time-Life Books, 1987, ISBN 0-8094-4788-6.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • List of battles 1801–1900 — List of battles: before 601 601 1400 1401 1800 1801 1900 1901 2000 2001 current See also: Battles of the American Civil War 19th century 1801 to 1825* 1801 ** Battle of Aboukir March 20 British Turkish army under Sir Ralph Abernathy defeats… …   Wikipedia

  • List of American Civil War battles — Contents 1 Major land battles 2 Battles rated by CWSAC 3 Other USA/CSA battles …   Wikipedia

  • North Carolina in the American Civil War — Confederate States in the American Civil War South Carolina Mississippi Florida Alabama Georgia Louisiana Texas Virginia Arkansas North Carolina …   Wikipedia

  • Carolinas Campaign — Infobox Military Conflict conflict = Carolinas Campaign partof = the American Civil War caption = Sherman in South Carolina: The burning of McPhersonville. Sketch by WIlliam Waud in Harper s Weekly , 1865 date = place = territory = result=Union… …   Wikipedia

  • 2nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Heavy Artillery — Infobox Military Unit unit name=2nd Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Heavy Artillery caption=Massachusetts flag country=United States of America allegiance= Union type=Regiment branch=Artillery dates=1863 ndash;1865 specialization= command… …   Wikipedia

  • Military history of Puerto Rico — Military history of Puerto Rico …   Wikipedia

  • Western Theater of the American Civil War — Western Theater Overview (1861–1865)   Confederate …   Wikipedia

  • Civil War Trust — The Civil War Trust Founded 1999 Location Washington, D.C. Key people Jim Lighthizer, President Area served United …   Wikipedia

  • Amerikanischer Bürgerkrieg — Sezessionskrieg Die Vereinigten Staaten 1864 blau …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Civil War — Sezessionskrieg Die Vereinigten Staaten 1864 blau …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”