Finally, in april of 1862 northern troops began bombarding for polaski. The amazing thing was, they could hit everything they were aiming at from a distance they laid outside of the ability of the confederates to land a telling blow in return. The closer they got to the magazine, the more quickly commander olmsted was able to fly the flag of surrender and give for polaski over to the union. And in effect, inform robbery lee that the blockade of southern ports was going to work, because the union had technology that was going to overcome anything the confederates could do to answer it. They couldnt counter the parent rifles that the union army had. We hope to be doing a lot of digitizing and scanning of the correspondence because it contains a lot of genealogical information that will be of interest families. A lot of the families who did not return, of soldiers to maine, but whose family members would now like to know, what did there great, great, grandfather do during the war. We look at this election being of infinite value in shedding light on not just maines past, but means present and perhaps looking at maines future. Back now to American History tvs live coverage of the seminar on the closing of the civil war in the spring of 1865. 150 years ago, this spring. We are live at Longwood University in farmville, virginia. This event is an allday seminar, cohosted by Longwood University and Appomattox CourtHouse National historical park. In just a few moments, the final presentation of the day with mark bradley on closing civil war operations in North Carolina. Again, live coverage of American History tv, here on cspan3. We are live at Longwood University in farmville farm would virginia. One of the cohosted todays events. The closing of the civil war 150 years ago this bring. The last presentation of the day, fort fisher to bennett place, closing operations in North Carolina with mark bradley, scheduled to get underway at this time it. It should get started here shortly. Live on cspan3. You can watch all of todays events here at Longwood University tonight. We rear them 6 p. M. Eastern time on American History tv on cspan3. And tomorrow, we are back for the final day of longwood of war seminar, longwoods civil war seminar. The closing operations in North Carolina should get started here shortly live on American History tv. We need to get rolling with her last speaker here. I think your sees been friends are going to have some deadlier dead air on their hands. Grab your seats, this is the last program. The great day to be inside, the rain is coming down. You can go to Sailors Creek into the visitor center. David, if you will come up and introduce our next speaker. Thank you, patrick. Our next speaker, we are going to change gears. We have been focusing on the campaigns in virginia and appomattox. Mark bradley will be speaking about what were the final military operations in the surrender in North Carolina. Obviously, appomattox wasnt the very end, but things continued on for a month and a half after that. Dr. Bradley is a historian who works the u. S. Army center for military history in washington currently. He is working on a book on the vietnam war. He has moved a little far field from civil war activities. He has a phd from the university of North Carolina, which i think beat uva yesterday, so dont gloat great people like that here. People wont like that here. He is received numerous awards, and two of his major works, and this astounding close, the road to bennett place, last stand in the carolinas, the battle of bentonville. He has written a number of book reviews for various journals, as well as different articles and books. His topic today is fort fisher to the bennett place, closing operations in North Carolina. Dr. Bradley. [applause] thank you, david. Can everyone hear me ok . All right. We have watched the armys of grant and lee moving across the virginia landscape from the siege of petersburg to the surrendered Appomattox Courthouse. Now im going to take a detour. We are going to make a sharp turn south, and were going to turn back the clock. Were going to go back to december of 1864. And we are going to follow this man, general william t sherman. And his progress in what he believes in hopes will be his final campaign of the war. Sherman grant are pursuing the grand strategy that they formulated in march of 1864. In cincinnati, ohio. The idea was to keep the armys in the east and in the west, the confederate armys so busy that they cannot reinforce each other. And i have a repeat fiasco of the battle of chickamauga. The strategy is working. Slowly, but inexorably. While grant keeps lees army bottled up around the trenches of petersburg in richmond, sherman captures atlanta georgia, in september of 1864. On december 16, the army of the cumberland general George H Thomas crushes the army of tennessee, the confederacys secondlargest field army, and one week later, general sherman completes his march from atlanta to the sea by presenting the city of Savannah Georgia to president Abraham Lincoln as a christmas gift. Now, sherman is looking ahead to his next campaign. He is going to make a march through the carolinas, moving his army group northward to richmond, virginia. There he will join forces with general grant, and together, they will crush lees army and bring the war to a victorious conclusion. Sherman plans to launch his campaign and january of 1865. But torrential winter rain prevents that from happening. He is forced to delay his campaign to the following month. In the meantime, general grant decides to launch a second expedition to capture fort fisher, and close wilmington North Carolina, the last blockade running seaport the confederacy and in effect close the lifeline of the confederacy as it is called. The First Expedition went badly. Gender general Benjamin F Butler launch that x with rear admiral david d porter. But without even attempting an attack on the fort, butler decided to abandon the campaign and return to virginia. Grant probably stacked at and replaced him with Brigadier General alfred h 28. And in effect, he gets a better general, and he gets a much easier man to live with. Both butler and porter are prima donnas. They dont get along well at all. In fact, that bad blood goes back to 1862, but with terry at the helm of the army components, that will be a problem. The two men soon find that work well together. Terry will also have a large force at his disposal, close to 10,000 infantry, including a division of black troops. Well porter will lead in our model of 58 warships. An armada of 58 warships. Now, commanding the coastal defenses below wilmington, none other than general braxton bragg. By this late stage in the war there is probably only one person in the south who Still Believes in bragg. But he happens to be the commanderinchief, jefferson davis. Davis appointed senior military advisor is the commander of the defenses around wilmington. In effect, superseding the previous commander, Major GeneralWilliam Henry chase waiting period chase whiting. Colonel william lamb is also the four chief architect. Lamb is a quick learner he is learning military engineering on the fly in 1852 when the federals attack and reduce for polaski from atlanta georgia, and reduce that fort to rubble. He decides to build his fort out of sand. Also, its nice the fact that there is plenty of Building Material there on the beach. By the fall of 1864, fort fisher is the most imposing seacoast fortifications. It boasts 47 guns. That may seem like a lot. But the union fleet out guns the fisher defenses on the order of almost 10 to one. In fact, the Largest Union warship, the colorado, both 55 guns alone. Now, the federal seat appears at fort fisher on the afternoon of april 12 and proceed to bombard the fort over two and a half days, they fire more than 19,000 rounds. And knock out all but two guns on the Northern Land face. In the meantime, general bragg and wilmington has refused to send reinforcements south for the notable attack. The inevitable attack. When whiting gets to fort fisher, he says lamb, my boy ive come to share your fate. We are to be sacrificed. After that massive bombardment the federals launched their assault. Attacking the northeast bastion marines and sailors armed with cutlasses and pistols, attacking a position defended by artillery. They are easily repulsed however, they give the army in opportunity to gain a foothold inside the fort off to and after desperate handtohand fighting that lasted well into the night, of which both writing and lamb are severely wounded. And now lees lifeline is cut. But the city of wilmington itself remains in confederate hands, and it will require another campaign to capture it. Now general sherman decides to begin his campaign on february 1, 1865. He moves his 60,000 man army group into South Carolina. The left wing is commanded by henry slocum. The right wing is commanded by the one armed Major General oliver o howard, who commands the 15th and 17th court core rps. The Cavalry Division under general kilpatrick, 60,000 men in all. Opposing this force our confederates general pgt beauregard. Beauregard very obligingly calls for something that sherman does regularly, and that is to faint on given locations off to the east or off to the west to keep the confederates guessing as to what his objective is. In this case, in entering South Carolina and sherman thanks to the northwest towards augusta with his cavalry. Charleston is the cradle of secession. Wanted for its symbolic value while the city of augusta is also a desirable target. In effect, beauregard opens the road to colombia, the state capital, for sherman. With minimal interference, sherman reaches columbia on february 17, 1865. By this point it is clear to the confederacys new general in chief, that beauregard is not up to the task of stopping sherman. On february 22, he directs general joseph johnson, who has been living in virtual retirement since his removal from the army of tennessee in july of 1864 he appoints johnson to command those troops. He says, concentrate all available forces and drive back sherman. At this point, johnson is saying, with what . In the words of the cavalry chief, wade hampton, it would scarcely have been possible to disperse the force more effectually. They are the remnants of the army of tennessee. There is Lieutenant General william j. Hardys core. The garrison that defended charleston, they are retreating to shermans right. Third, once the federals cross into North Carolina, the department in North Carolina troops under braxton bragg. And finally, the one force that had been opposing shermans advance, the cavalry under general hampton. Hampton arrives from the army of northern virginia. He arrives in South Carolina his home state justintime to see his family home, millwood, burned to the ground, along with a lot of other buildings in columbia, South Carolina. No pun intended, hampton is burning for revenge. The opportunity is presented to him a few days after the two armies cross into North Carolina. Hampton and kilpatrick have been skirmishing almost constantly during their progress. Kilpatrick managed to steal a march around hamptons force, and hes gotten between the confederate cavalry and infantry under hardy. Kilpatrick sets up a series of roadblocks to prevent hampton from reaching the town of fayetteville and joining forces with party. Hardy. He presents hampton with an ideal opportunity to concentrate on an isolated part of the cavalry at munros crossroads. It just so happens that kilpatricks headquarters are located there. It is at dawn on march 10 1865 that hampton launches a surprise attack on kilpatricks camp, succeeds in sweeping everything before him, writhing the federals into a swamp. That attack is so successful that the confederates are disorganized, giving the federals an opportunity to counterattack and drive the confederates out of their camp. Kilpatrick manages to avoid being captured. The confederates are now free to march into fayetteville. However, Union Infantry are endlessly delighted by this embarrassing encounter that kilpatrick has with hampton at munros crossroad. They nickname this battle kilpatrick shirttail skedaddle. Sherman reaches fayetteville on the following day, march 11. Promptly orders the first michigan engineers and mechanics to burn the former u. S. Arsenal there. He will rest his army there until march the 15th, when he will begin the final stage of his progress to his destination. In the meantime, on fairbury 22nd 1865, department of North Carolina troops commanded by Major General john m. Schofield capture wilmington. Schofield has been transferred east from nashville, tennessee with the 23rd army corps. They are joining terrys forces. Now there is going to be a new objective. Sherman is going to be headed towards goldsboro. I will be his First Destination where he will refit his army before beginning continuing the march into virginia. Its up to the 23rd corps commanded by general jacob d. Potts to secure goldsboro for sherman. Guess whos in his way . General braggs troops consisting of general robert f. Hoax division from the army of northern virginia, and the remnants of the army of tennessee troops, who average North Carolina at this point. Say what you will about bragg at least he ate timid. Aint timid. He launches an attack on forces a few miles east of kinston on march 8 and succeeds in routing a portion of coxs forces, capturing 800 federals and one canon. Things look pretty good for the confederates on the first day but then the second day cox brings up reinforcement. The federals dig in. Bragg attempts an attack on the tense, but hes repulsed. Receiving words that cox is receiving still more reinforcements, bragg decides to fall back towards goldsboro ending the battle of lysis forks. In the meantime, sherman plots the course of his army group from fayetteville. Goldsboro is his objective, but he wants to keep johnston guessing as to what his objective is. Hes going to send the left wing under slocum northward on the old raleigh stage road, as if hes heading towards the North Carolina state capital. They will be marching in light marching order, all the unnecessary wagons will be with the right wing under howard. They will be taking direct roads to goldsboro. The idea is to keep johnston up in the air as to where sherman is heading. Johnston has a plan of his own. He has told general hardy to make a stand somewhere south of a verse broke to buy time for the concentration of the federal confedereateate army. Its there that a Brigade Commander by the name of colonel offered am. The colonel accompanied by nothing more than one staff officer he is probably captured, taken prisoner of war by kilpatricks chief of staff. This turns out to be something of a reunion, because it seems the general sherman and several of his subordinates were stationed in charleston before the war. They spend the evening together and have dinner. And then the following morning, shermans army moves out. Sherman has accompanied slocums wing. They find hardy drawn up in the defense mac apps. For you students of the revolutionary war, this looks like the gelber courthouse. Sherman is able to drive back the first two lines, but he gets to the third and main line around dusk. He decides to launch a general assault the following morning. However, after dark, hard he falls back towards smithfield. That is were johnson has made his headquarters. He informs johnston that he believes that shermans destination is goldsboro. Now most of the left wing is turning to the right, heading east on the goldsboro road. Johnson has made his headquarters at smithfield because its roughly midway between raleigh and goldsboro. Hardy managed to accomplish what he was supposed to do, which was slow shermans progress. I now johnston has to make a decision. Where and if he should attack shermans army. He sends a dispatch to general hampton. Hampton has made his headquarters on the evening of march 17 at the willis plantation willis cole plantation on the goldsboro road. Hampton johnson asks hampton for his assessment. Hampton says i found a Perfect Place to launch a surprise attack on the union left wing. And he recommends that johnson sent his army marching for bentonville. At dawn on march 18, johnston does just that. Up to this time, general sherman has expected johnston to try to oppose his entry into goldsboro. But faulty intelligence and poor maps lead him to believe that johnston is falling back towards raleigh, confederates are burning all the bridges that will separate them from the union army, and that the road to goldsboro is open. If theres anything in the union army that is dangerous right now, its overconfidence. In the words of lieutenant John Marshall brain them, one of the soldiers in the leftwing. He said, on the morning of march 19 he writes in his diary, we feel in excellent spirits. Everything promises for a smooth entry into goldsboro. That will pr