Battle of Wyse Fork
Battle of Wyse Fork | |||||||
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Part of the Campaign of the Carolinas | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United States (Union) | CSA (Confederacy) | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Jacob D. Cox[1] | Braxton Bragg | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Cox's Provisional Corps |
Department of North Carolina Hoke’s Division (Army of No. Virginia) | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
12,000 | 8,500 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
1,257 |
1,500 Campaign of the Carolinas | ||||||
The Battle of Wyse Fork, also known as the Battle of Kinston, was fought in the
Background
At the end of February 1865 the port city of
At New Bern, the Union forces were increased to three divisions and formed into a Provisional Corps with Cox in command. Moving towards Goldsboro, the Union forces repaired the railroad which was to function as a supply route for Sherman's Army Group. Johnston's army was too far away to move against Schofield's divided forces, but General Braxton Bragg's forces, falling back from Wilmington, were within striking distance. Bragg moved against Cox near Kinston.
Opposing forces
Union
Confederate
Battle
On March 7, Federal advance units encountered Bragg's entrenched forces along Southwest Creek east of Kinston. Bragg's position not only blocked Cox's path but threatened a vital cross road and the New Bern-Goldsboro Railroad. Cox saw the importance of this position and moved forward the divisions of
Skirmishing continued for the next few days until Hoke tried again to turn the Federal left flank on March 10. The Federal position had been strongly fortified by artillery and repulsed Hoke's attack within an hour. Hill then moved against the Union center but again Federal artillery proved decisive and the attackers were repulsed. The remaining elements from the Federal XXIII Corps, which had just arrived in New Bern from Tennessee, were moving on Kinston. Facing five Union divisions, Bragg withdrew.
Aftermath
Bragg had only momentarily been able to check Cox's advance. Schofield's forces reached two full corps and were organized into the Army of the Ohio. Sherman's armies, which had just defeated Johnston's army at Bentonville, joined with Schofield at Goldsboro on March 23. Facing three Union armies, Johnston retreated to the north and on April 26 Johnston surrendered to Sherman.
Battlefield preservation
The
The battlefield is now under threat by an NCDOT project to create a bypass around Kinston. It currently faces local opposition from lawmakers and the public.[4]
U.S. 70 Kinston Bypass-Wyse Fork Interchange
The N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has proposed upgrading the existing four-lane
NCDOT is working with federal and state partners to minimize all environmental impacts, including to the historic battlefield. Specifically, NCDOT is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the N.C. State Historic Preservation Office by following the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 Section 106 review process for determining impacts to the battlefield and developing mitigation efforts.
NCDOT has created a project website [5] that includes more details, such as the project's timeline and estimated costs and preliminary roadway design maps of the 21-mile section of U.S. 70 to be upgraded to interstate standards. The website also features a Frequently Asked Questions page [6] section and a virtual room [7] with video simulations showing how the upgraded highway would look and function.
Alternative names
The battle was also known by the following names:
- Battle of Wyse's Fork
- Battle of Wise's Forks
- Battle of Wilcox's Bridge
- Battle of Kelly's Mill Pond
- Second Battle of Kinston
- Second Battle of Southwest Creek
References
- ^ "Maps of Wyse Fork, North Carolina (1865)". Civil War Trust. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016.
- ^ Battlefields.org
- ^ "Wyse Fork Battlefield". American Battlefield Trust. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
- ^ Bunting, Courtney (11 March 2023). "Proposed I-42 interchange could impact historic battlefield in Jones & Lenoir Counties". www.witn.com. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
- ^ "Kinston Bypass Project Page". North Carolina Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ^ "Kinston Bypass FAQs". North Carolina Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ^ "Kinston Bypass Virtual Room". North Carolina Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- "Wyse Fork". National Park Service. Archived from the original on March 8, 2015.
- CWSAC Report Update
- Edwards, Tom, J.; Rowland, William H. (2006). Through the Eyes of Soldiers: The Battle of Wyse Fork Kinston North Carolina March 7–10, 1865. Lenoir County Historical Association.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Korn, Jerry (1987). Pursuit to Appomattox: The Last Battles. Time-Life Books. ISBN 0-8094-4788-6.
- Martin, Samuel J. (2011). General Braxton Bragg, C.S.A. (1st ed.). McFarland. ISBN 978-0786459346.
- Sokolosky, Wade; Smith, Mark A. (2015). "To Prepare for Sherman's Coming". The Battle of Wise's Forks, March 1865. El Dorado Hills, California: Savas Beatie. ISBN 978-1-61121-266-2.