"No such army since the days of Julius Caesar" : Sherman's Carolinas campaign from Fayetteville to Averasboro, March 1865

The final days of the Confederacy saw a kaleidoscope of action in the east, with most Civil War historians focusing on the imminent demise of the Army of Northern Virginia. However, to both Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant, it was the inexorable advance of the Union’s western army up through the Carolinas in the spring of 1865 that dictated their final moves.William Tecumseh Sherman’s Carolinas campaign has long been overshadowed by the events in Virginia, even as the Confederates themselves recognized it as the crucial, war-winning blow, and pitted a luminous array of their best generals—Johnston, Hardee, Hampton, A.P. Stewart, D.H. Hill, and others—against it. In this work, career military officers Mark A. Smith and Wade Sokolosky rectify the oversight with “No Such Army Since the Days of Julius Caesar”, a careful and impartial examination of Sherman’s advance up the seaboard.After his largely unopposed “March to the Sea,” in March 1865 Sherman struck off again north, aiming to unite with Grant and crush Lee between them. But the Confederacy in the Carolinas was not finished yet, and while Sherman rampaged through South Carolina they gathered forces to resist him in its northern neighbor.In North Carolina the Rebels conceded their vast arsenal at Fayetteville, which the Federals destroyed, but under William J. Hardee prepared to receive Sherman’s host in the narrow corridor between the Black and Cape Fear rivers at Averasboro. With a number of untried units (former coastal battalions) plus a scattering of veterans in Lafayette McLaws’ division, and Joe Wheeler’s cavalry, Hardee created a defense-in-depth, reminiscent of four-score years earlier at the battle of Cowpens.At Averasboro, Sherman’s spearhead was stopped cold in a two-day battle, which in these pages is described in intimate detail. This work uncovers a long-overlooked clash in the Civil War, which had consequences beyond the sacrifices of the men...

"Smith and Sokolsky have firmly established themselves within the highest echelon of 1865 Carolinas Campaign historians." — Civil War Books and Authors Gen. William T. Sherman's 1865 Carolinas Campaign receives scant attention from most Civil War historians. Career military officers Mark A. Smith and Wade Sokolosky rectify this oversight with "No Such Army Since the Days of Julius Caesar, " a careful and impartial examination of Sherman's army and its many accomplishments. The authors focus on the overlooked run-up to the seminal Battle of Bentonville. They begin on March 11, 1865, with the capture of Fayetteville and the demolition of the arsenal there, before chronicling the two-day Battle of Averasboro in more detail than any other study. At Averasboro, Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee's Confederates conducted a well planned and brilliantly executed defense-in-depth that held Sherman's juggernaut in check for two days. With his objective accomplished, Hardee disengaged and marched to concentrate his corps with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston for what would become Bentonville. This completely revised and updated edition of "No Such Army Since the Days of Julius Caesar" is based upon extensive archival and firsthand research. It includes new original maps, orders of battle, abundant illustrations, and a detailed driving and walking tour for dedicated battlefield enthusiasts. Readers with an interest in the Carolinas, Generals Sherman and Johnston, or the Civil War in general will enjoy this book. "Smith and Sokolosky are military historians with a particular interest in what happened in the Carolina States. What they bring to the table regarding Sherman and Johnston is remarkable, a revelation." — Books Monthly

**"Smith and Sokolsky have firmly established themselves within the highest echelon of 1865 Carolinas Campaign historians." —__Civil War Books and Authors__** Gen. William T. Sherman's 1865 Carolinas Campaign receives scant attention from most Civil War historians. Career military officers Mark A. Smith and Wade Sokolosky rectify this oversight with , a careful and impartial examination of Sherman's army and its many accomplishments. The authors focus on the overlooked run-up to the seminal Battle of Bentonville. They begin on March 11, 1865, with the capture of Fayetteville and the demolition of the arsenal there, before chronicling the two-day Battle of Averasboro in more detail than any other study. At Averasboro, Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee's Confederates conducted a well planned and brilliantly executed defense-in-depth that held Sherman's juggernaut in check for two days. With his objective accomplished, Hardee disengaged and marched to concentrate his corps with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston for what would become Bentonville. This completely revised and updated edition of is based upon extensive archival and firsthand research. It includes new original maps, orders of battle, abundant illustrations, and a detailed driving and walking tour for dedicated battlefield enthusiasts. Readers with an interest in the Carolinas, Generals Sherman and Johnston, or the Civil War in general will enjoy this book. "Smith and Sokolosky are military historians with a particular interest in what happened in the Carolina States. What they bring to the table regarding Sherman and Johnston is remarkable, a revelation." — General William T. Sherman’s 1865 Carolinas Campaign receives scant attention from most Civil War historians, largely because it was overshadowed by the Army of Northern Virginia’s final battles against the Army of the Potomac. Career military officers Mark A.