Bentonville Battlefield

Bentonville Battlefield
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Location	Bentonville Township and Newton Grove, Johnston County, North Carolina, USA
Coordinates
Area	(landmarked battlefield area) 130 acres (53 ha) (state historic site area)
Built	1865
NRHP Reference #	70000460
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	February 26, 1970
Designated NHLD	June 19, 1996

Bentonville Battlefield is a North Carolina state historic site at 5466 Harper House Road in Johnston County, North Carolina. It is the site of the 1865 Battle of Bentonville, fought in the waning days of the American Civil War. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1996.

Description and history

Further information: Battle of Bentonville

The Bentonville Battlefield is located in southern Johnston County, roughly midway between Newton Grove and Bentonville. The visitors center is located at the junction of Harper House Road and Mill Creek Church Road (County Roads 1008 and 1108, respectively). It is roughly at the southwestern corner of the area in which the battle took place, which extends most of the way to Bentonville, and is also the location of the Harper House, the only surviving building from the time of the battle. Evidence of earthworks erected by both Union and Confederate forces is visible in the agricultural fields in this area.

The Battle of Bentonville was fought March 19-21, 1865, and was the largest Civil War battle fought in North Carolina. The Confederate defeat marked a serious weakening of one of its last surviving major armies, but was a significant enough engagement that it convinced Union General Ulysses S. Grant to leave General William T. Sherman in North Carolina, in order to further subdue the surviving forces led by General Joseph E. Johnston.

Exhibits

Visitors to the Bentonville Battlefield can tour the restored Harper House, which has been furnished as a Civil War field hospital, and includes a reconstructed kitchen and slave quarters. Exhibits at the park's visitor center focus on the battle, and include interactive maps, artifacts and displays about soldiers and commanders from both armies. There is also a 10-minute audiovisual program about the battle. Outdoor exhibits in the park include the Federal XX Corps reserve trenches, the Harper family cemetery, a Confederate mass grave, several monuments and a field fortification exhibit.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Johnston County, North Carolina
• List of National Historic Landmarks in North Carolina

External links

• Bentonville Battleground State Historic Site - official site
• Bentonville Battlefield
• The Battle of Bentonville: Caring for Casualties of the Civil War, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan