“To Prepare for Sherman’s Coming”: The Battle of

“To Prepare for Sherman’s Coming”: The Battle of Wise’s Forks, March 1865

History has relegated the Battle of Wiseâ€™s (Wyse) Forks, March 7â€“11, to little more than an insignificant skirmish during the final days of the Civil War. Indeed, most histories mention it not at all. Mark A. Smithâ€™s and Wade Sokoloskyâ€™s â€œTo Prepare for Shermanâ€™s Comingâ€: The Battle of Wiseâ€™s Forks, March 1865 erases this misconception and elevates this battle and its related operations to the historical status it deserves.

By March 1865, the Confederacy was on its last legs. Its armies were depleted, food and resources were scarce, and morale was low. Gen. Robert E. Lee was barely holding on to his extended lines around Richmond and Petersburg, and Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman was operating with nearly complete freedom in North Carolina on his way north to form a junction with Union forces in Virginia. As the authors demonstrate, the fighting that is the subject of this book came about when Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant initiated a broad military operation to assist Sherman.

The responsibility for ensuring a functioning railroad from New Bern to Goldsboro rested with Maj. Gen. Jacob D. Cox. On March 2, 1865, Cox ordered his hastily assembled Provisional Corps to march toward Goldsboro. In response to Coxâ€™s movement, Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston executed a bold but risky plan to divert troops away from Sherman by turning back Coxâ€™s advance. Under the command of the aggressive but controversial Gen. Braxton Bragg, the Confederates stood for four days and successfully halted Cox at Wiseâ€™s Forks. This delay provided Johnston with the precious time he needed to concentrate his forces and fight the large and important Battle of Bentonville.

â€œTo Prepare for Shermanâ€™s Comingâ€ is the result of years of careful research in a wide variety of archival sources, and relies upon official reports, diaries, newspapers, and letter collections, all tied to a keen understanding of the terrain. Sokolosky and Smith, both career army officers, have used their expertise in military affairs to produce what is not only a valuable book on Wiseâ€™s Forks, but what surely must be the definitive study of one of the Civil Warâ€™s overlooked yet significant battles. Outstanding original maps by George Skoch coupled with period photographs reinforce the quality of this account and the authorsâ€™ commitment to excellence.

REVIEWS

â€œThe March 8-10, 1865 Battle of Wiseâ€™s Forks has been neglected by Civil War historians for too longâ€•even though it was one of the largest battles in North Carolinaâ€™s history. Fought near Kinston, it was the Confederatesâ€™ first major attempt to defeat General Shermanâ€™s forces in the Tar Heel State. Authors Wade Sokolosky and Mark A. Smith have crafted a deeply researched and engagingly written study that at last places the Wiseâ€™s Forks in its proper strategic and operational context. â€˜To Prepare for Shermanâ€™s Comingâ€™ will remain the definitive work on the battle for many years to come.â€

â€• Mark L. Bradley, author of Last Stand in the Carolinas: The Battle of Bentonville

â€œThe March 8-10, 1865 combat at Wiseâ€™s Forks was one of the major engagements of Shermanâ€™s Carolinasâ€™ Campaign, and until now, has been completely ignored. A Confederate victory there would have cut Shermanâ€™s main line of supply and directly impacted his ability to march across North Carolina. â€˜To Prepare for Shermanâ€™s Comingâ€™ rectifies this glaring oversight in a detailed tactical study by retired career Army officers Wade Sokolosky and Mark Smith. For the first time, this small but important battle gets the attention and treatment it has long deserved. The clear and crisp writing, supplemented with original maps, photos, and wonderful research, means this book deserves a place on the bookshelf of any student of the Carolinas Campaign.â€

â€• Eric J. Wittenberg, award-winning Civil War historian and author of The Battle of Monroeâ€™s Crossroads and the Civil Warâ€™s Final Campaign

â€œCivil War battle study advocates in general, and enthusiasts of the Carolinas Campaign in particular, will be more than pleased with Sokoloskyâ€™s and Smithâ€™s new book on the battle of Wiseâ€™s Forks. It is everything readers of this genre enjoy: good research, good writing, helpful original maps, and plentiful photos and illustrations. Now, finally, this small but important battle during the warâ€™s final full month in North Carolina gets the due it rightfully deserves.â€

â€• Chris Mackowski, Emerging Civil War Series editor and author of Chancellorsvilleâ€™s Forgotten Front and Grantâ€™s Last Battle: The Story Behind the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant
Country USA
Brand Savas Beatie
Manufacturer Savas Beatie
Binding Hardcover
ItemPartNumber 55 images; 8 maps 8 maps
ReleaseDate 2015-10-19
UnitCount 1
EANs 9781611212662

Country	USA
Brand	Savas Beatie
Manufacturer	Savas Beatie
Binding	Hardcover
ItemPartNumber	55 images; 8 maps 8 maps
ReleaseDate	2015-10-19
UnitCount	1
EANs	9781611212662

“To Prepare for Sherman’s Coming”: The Battle of Wise’s Forks, March 1865

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