Battle of Morrisville
Encyclopedia
The Battle at Morrisville Station was fought April 13–15 1865 in Morrisville, North Carolina
during the Carolinas Campaign
of the American Civil War
. It was the last cavalry
battle of the War and occurred between the armies of Major General
William T. Sherman and General Joseph E. Johnston
. General Judson Kilpatrick, commanding officer of the Union cavalry advance, defeated the Confederates who were frantically trying to transport their remaining supplies and wounded westward toward Greensboro, NC. Kilpatrick forced the Confederates to retreat hastily leaving many supplies behind, but the trains with wounded escaped. Later, General Johnston sent a courier to Morrisville to pass a message on to General Sherman to discuss a truce. Eventually, the two generals met at Bennett Place
on April 17, 1865 to begin discussing the terms of what would become the largest surrender of the war.
Morrisville, North Carolina
Morrisville is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. A small portion of the town extends into Durham County. The population was 18,576 according to a April 1, 2010 census. Morrisville is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region...
during the Carolinas Campaign
Carolinas Campaign
The Carolinas Campaign was the final campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. In January 1865, Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman advanced north from Savannah, Georgia, through the Carolinas, with the intention of linking up with Union forces in Virginia. The defeat of ...
of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. It was the last cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
battle of the War and occurred between the armies of Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
William T. Sherman and General Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career U.S. Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
. General Judson Kilpatrick, commanding officer of the Union cavalry advance, defeated the Confederates who were frantically trying to transport their remaining supplies and wounded westward toward Greensboro, NC. Kilpatrick forced the Confederates to retreat hastily leaving many supplies behind, but the trains with wounded escaped. Later, General Johnston sent a courier to Morrisville to pass a message on to General Sherman to discuss a truce. Eventually, the two generals met at Bennett Place
Bennett Place
Bennett Place, sometimes known as Bennett Farm, in Durham, North Carolina was the site of the largest surrender of Confederate soldiers ending the American Civil War, on April 26, 1865.-History:...
on April 17, 1865 to begin discussing the terms of what would become the largest surrender of the war.