This Astounding Close: The Road to Bennett Place

by Mark L. Bradley

Book Overview

Even after Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox, the Civil War continued to be fought, and surrenders negotiated, on different fronts. The most notable of these occurred at Bennett Place, near Durham, North Carolina, when Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered the Army of Tennessee to Union General William T. Sherman. In this first full-length examination of the end of the war in North Carolina, Mark Bradley traces the campaign leading...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807825654
• ISBN13: 9780807825655
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: University of North Carolina Press
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.1" x 9.7"

Customer Reviews

Excellent History of the Final Campaign in NC and the Complicated Surrender of the Army of the Tenns

This book is a well-written history of the final campaign in the Carolinas at the close of the war, particularly the final actions in NC along with the very complicated and unusual circumstances of the surrender of the Army of Tennessee that virtually closes out the war. Bradley, following up on his 'Battle of Bentonville: Last Stand in the Carolinas' spends more detail on the personal, social and political aspects of the campaign. Of interest in particular, is how Joe Johnston was able to assemble several fragments forces under a fascinating collection of generals such as Hardee, DH Hill, Cheatham, McLaws, Alexander, Hampton and even Bragg. The book whirls through Sherman's active campaign through South Carolina that moves so rapidly through natural barriers like swamps that Hardee is totally stunned exclaiming 'I made up my mind that there had been no greater army in existence since the days of Julius Caesar'. The author also whirls through the downfall of Wilmington and provides a short but effective over view of the Battle of Averasboro, an effective holding action (and a very well preserved battlefield by the local battlefield association), and in follow up Bentonville. In Bentonville, the author provides an interesting discussion on why Sherman did not make a serious attempt to destroy Johnston's army. Only a heroic counter attack by Hardee stifles General Mower's late crushing of the Confederate left flank yet Sherman terminates any further aggressive action. It has been noted by historians that Sherman was a brilliant strategist but not so a tactician. It seems that he expressed supreme confidence in his army and corps commanders and that he felt his army was never in significant danger. More importantly, he seemed to recognize that the Confederates were close to collapse and the end of the war necessitating the limiting further loss of life. That premise sets up the controversial negotiations between Johnston and Sherman and to a political degree, NC governor Vance who final sees the end of the war coming and his desire to save the capitol and State from further destruction. Introduced into this complicated state of affairs is Davis and his cabinet traveling southwest through NC with Davis' myopic view of the state of the war. Bradley provides an ironic and fascinating account of how Johnston, his least favorite General, and Secretary of War Breckenridge have to bring the reality of the state of the Confederacy to Davis' attention. The intricacies of the surrender are also told quite well as Sherman, with good intentions, over steps his bounds and presents terms of surrender very similar to what Confederate Postmaster Reagan offered. The fall out from Secretary Stanton, virtually through a newspaper release and the requirements for Sherman to renegotiate with Grant having to act as a supervisor becomes a cause for recrimination that Sherman never forgives and whose prolonged fiery response is well documented by Bradley. The fragmenting

Helps put Appomatox into proper perspective

Most of us grew up believing that the Civil War ended the moment Robert E. Lee surrendered to U.S. Grant at Appomatox Court House in Virginia. One can only assume that his came about as a part of the deification of Lee and the promotion of the 'Lost Cause' doctrine that was so popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Historically, most things regarding the Confederacy have always begun and ended with Lee. Thanks to the scholarship and hard work of Mark Bradley, we now have a much more accurate picture of how the war ended and the major roles played by Joseph Johnston and W. T. Sherman well after Lee's surrender. As a companion to Bradley's earlier work on the Bentonville battle, 'Last Stand in the Carolinas', 'This Astounding Close' creates an extremely satisfying conclusion. But, as a stand alone work, 'This Astounding Close' is a tremendous asset in its own right. If you want a comprehensive blow-by-blow description of the battles of Averasboro and Bentonville, read 'Last Stand in the Carolinas'. For a valuable capsule summary of the battles, combined with a complete historical account of the negotiations leading up to the surrender, 'This Astounding Close' fills the bill wonderfully!

A Fascinating Read on the Last Days of the Civil War in North Carolina!

Mark Bradley has written a most excellent account of the last days of the Civil War in North Carolina between Joseph Johnston and William Sherman. Being a North Carolina native and having visited and traveled through many of the places in the book, I was particularly interested. The book is not so much a detailed account of the last battles in North Carolina (Bentonville, Averasboro, Wyse Fork, Fort Fisher, etc.) as it is the military and political maneuvering between the two generals - Johnston in attempting to gain favorable surrender terms for his army and Sherman attempting to be lenient with the South at the end of the war. Indeed, aside from the aforementioned battles, most encounters between North and South during the last days in North Carolina were no more than brief skirmishes. I particulary enjoyed reading the accounts of the Union occupation of Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, and Goldsboro. Having lived in Goldsboro and Raleigh earlier in my life, I enjoyed reading the accounts. Also interesting were the accounts of the Rebel occupation of Greensboro and Charlotte. Throughout the book, Bradley manages to incorporate several interesting anecdotes: the unfortunate luck of Rebel Lietenant Walsh from Texas, the marriage of Northern General Atkins' courtship and marriage to a Chapel Hill lady, etc. Bradley's writing style is interesting and maintains a fine balance between being a free-flowing read, just like his excellent Battle of Bentonville title. Read and enjoy! Highly recommended.

Johnston's Last Hurrah!

The Civil War didn't officially end with General Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox. General Joe Johnston's Army of the South and General Kirby Smith's forces in the Trans-Mississippi still remained in the field. This is the story of the situation in North Carolina facing Johnston and Union General William Sherman after the Battle of Bentonville. The author presents both sides of the story along with the political pressures from Richmond and Washington. There is not an abundance of information about Johnston's eventual surrender of the Army of the South and other forces under his command. The author is a leading authority about the 1865 North Carolina Campaign and presents an entertaining, interesting and scholarly review of the events after Bentonville.

Gripping portrait of the final days of the Army of Tennessee

Mark Bradley's second book is a worthy companion to his excellent book on Bentonville. This book takes a different approach, presenting the movements and subsequent surrender negotiations instead of the chaos of a pitched battle, but it works nontheless, infusing a different sort of drama and emotion. I found the descriptions of Sherman's army extremely interesting, and the fate of the Army of Tennessee was both moving and compelling. The book places the surrender of Johnston's army in its historical context, explaining the strong position that Johnston was negotiating from, and the possibility of uniting with Lee's army for another offensive, an event which worried Sherman greatly. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has read Bradley's Bentonville work, as this provides the rest of the story. The only negative comment is that I miss the incredible maps by Mark Moore, which are not present in this work. Otherwise, Mark Bradley continues his tradition of a very readable first hand account.