One Last Fight

The Battle of Wyse Fork [aka the Battle of Southwest Creek], a part of the Carolina Campaign ramped up again on March 10^th 1865.

The city of Wilmington, North Carolina fell into Union hands in February 1865.  Union Major General John M Schofield moved in from the coast and joined his force with Major General William T Sherman at Goldsboro, North Carolina where they would move against Confederate General Joseph E Johnston’s army.

As the Union troops advanced they encountered Confederate General Braxton Bragg who was entrenched along the Southwest Creek near Kinston, North Carolina on March 7^th 1865.  Bragg’s position threatened a cross road and the New Bern Goldsboro Railroad.  Bragg moved to the offensive and sent Confederate General Robert Hoke into the Union left flank.  On March 8^th 1865 he crossed the creek about noon and slammed into the Union flank and rear and captured about 1,500.  After an active advance by the Confederates the two sides settled into skirmishing for the next couple of days.

Hoke again tried to turn the Union left flank on March 10^th 1865.  The Union position had been strongly fortified and they repulsed Hoke’s men within about an hour.  Confederate General Daniel Harvey Hill then made a moved on the Union center, but again they were repulsed by Union artillery.  At this point remaining members of the Union XXII corps arrived from Tennessee, and finding himself facing five Union divisions, Bragg had his men withdrawn.

On To North Carolina

The Battle of Wyse Fork was fought in North Carolinia on March 8th 1865.

Major General Jacob Cox was directing his Union force in February from New Berne, at the same time Major General John Schofield was moving inland from Wilmington. Cox’s men were stopped at Southwest Creek near Kinston, North Carolinia when they encountered Robert Hoke’s divisions under Confederate General Braxton Bragg.

On March 8th 1865 the Confederates attacked the Union flanks at the Battle of Wyse Fork. Although the Confederates saw some initial success, do to poor communication the attack came to a stand still. The next day reinforcements on the Union side pushed Bragg’s men back. After heavy fighting during the next few days the Confederates withdrew across the Neuse River ending with the fall of Kinston on March 14th 1865.

This was a Union victory in which about 12,000 Union troops and 8,500 Rebel troops were engaged. The casualties are estimated at about 2,601. This battle is also known as Wilcox’s Bridge, Wise’s Fork, Second Kinston, Second Southwest Creek, Kelly's Mill Pond.