The Battle of Averasborough was a prelude to the Battle of Bentonville three days later. General William T. Sherman was moving his army north towards Goldsboro, in two columns. The right column (Army of the Tennessee) was under Oliver Otis Howard and the left column (Army of Georgia) was under the command of Henry Slocum. General Joseph Johnston sent General William Hardee's corps to attack Slocum's left wing while it was separated from the rest of Sherman's forces. Slocum crossed the Cape Fear River near Averasborough where they encountered Hardee's corps. On the morning of the 16th, troops of the Union XX Corps under Alpheus S. Williams were driven back by a Confederate assault. When reinforcements arrived the Union forces counterattacked and drove back two lines of Confederates but were repulsed by a third line. By this time units from General Jefferson C. Davis' XIV Corps began to arrive on the field. Outnumbered and in danger of being flanked Hardee's troops withdrew. The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the United States – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (76th in Leap years). ... 1865 is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Harnett County is a county located in the state of North Carolina. ... Cumberland County is a county located in the state of North Carolina. ... National Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God our Vindicator) Official language English de facto nationwide Various European and Native American languages regionally Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865 Danville, Virginia April 3–April 10, 1865 Largest city New Orleans... Henry Warner Slocum (September 24, 1827 – April 14, 1894), was a United States politician who served in the House of Representatives from New York. ... William J. Hardee (1817-1873) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War. ... The Army of Georgia was a Union army that constituted the Left Wing of William T. Shermans Army Group during the March to the Sea and the Carolinas campaign. ... Battle of Bentonville Conflict American Civil War Date March 19-21, 1865 Place Bentonville, North Carolina Result Union victory The Battle of Bentonville was the last major battle between the armies of William T. Sherman and Joseph E. Johnston during the Civil War. ... Battle of Bentonville Conflict American Civil War Date March 19-21, 1865 Place Bentonville, North Carolina Result Union victory The Battle of Bentonville was the last major battle between the armies of William T. Sherman and Joseph E. Johnston during the Civil War. ... Portrait of William Tecumseh Sherman by Mathew Brady William Tecumseh Sherman (February 8, 1820 – February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, and author. ... Goldsboro is a city located in Wayne County, North Carolina. ... Portrait of Oliver O. Howard by Mathew Brady, ca. ... Portrait of General Henry W. Slocum by Mathew Brady, ca. ... Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 - March 21, 1891) was a military officer in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, whose effectiveness was undercut by tensions with President Jefferson Davis. ... The Cape Fear River, shown highlighted, with its tributaries The Cape Fear River is a 202 mi (325 km) long river in east central North Carolina in the United States. ... List of military corps — List of military corps by number A number of countries have an Twentieth, or XX, Corps: British XX Corps American XX Corps This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... This article needs cleanup. ... List of military corps — List of military corps by number A number of countries have Fourteenth, or XIV, Corps: US XIV Corps This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

The Confederates had not held up the Union Army as long as they had hoped. Each side suffered just under 700 casualties, however these were losses the Federals could afford while the Confederates could not afford at all.