6
Averasboro, Harnett County, N.C.
March 14-15, 1865
On March 14-15, 1865, the 9th Michigan Cavalry Regiment was noted as being in Averasboro, Harnett County (Turner 3-4). Depending on the route taken, the distance between Aversboro and the regiment’s last noted movement in Fayetteville is 20+ miles (Google Maps).
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The regiment would have been in Averasboro during this period in preparation for the Battle of Averasboro. The Battle of Averasboro officially started on March 15 when General Kilpatrick’s cavalry met Lieutenant General William Hardee’s infantry (Harnett County and Cumberland County, NC | Mar 16, 1865). The battle ended the night of March 16 when Lt. Gen. Hardee’s units retreated towards Smithfield, leaving their campfires burning as a distraction (Harnett County and Cumberland County, NC | Mar 16, 1865). The battle engaged 30,400 forces and resulted in 1,457 casualties (Harnett County and Cumberland County, NC | Mar 16, 1865).
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The Battle of Averasboro was the last precursor of the Battle of Bentonville which would begin three days later.
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*At the time, the battle was referred to as the "Battle at Black River" instead of the "Battle of Averasboro."
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Waud, William, -1878, Artist. Battle at Black River March 16th. Sketch. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
Waud, Alfred R. , Artist. Battle at Black River, March 16th, 65. Sketch. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
References
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Google Maps, Google, www.google.com/maps/.
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“Harnett County and Cumberland County, NC | Mar 16, 1865.” American Battlefield
Trust, History, 2022, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-
“North Carolina Civil War Battles.” National Park Service, U.S. Department of the
Interior, https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/northcarolina.htm.
Turner, Assistant Adjutant General, Col.George H., editor. “Ninth Cavalry.” Record of
Service of Michigan Volunteers in the Civil War (1861-1865), vol. 39, Senate and
House of Representatives of the Michigan Legislature,
https://michiganology.org/uncategorized/IO_e7cddf59-87fb-4fd7-bf14-
aa02dcb254e7.