By Jamie Strickland
FOUR OAKS — When the Civil War came to Johnston County 160 years ago, the lives of soldiers from every U.S. state — whether representing the North or South — were forever changed.
“You can’t find a state that wasn’t represented here,” said Colby Stevens, site manager at Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site. “This was a national scene.”
This spring, a huge reenactment titled “A Terrible Storm” at the site brought an estimated 30,000 visitors from all over the world to observe and participate during the battle’s anniversary. “Here we are, back on the national scene again,” said Stevens.
Bentonville is known as one of the last major battles of the Civil War and involved more than 80,000 troops, spanning across 6,000 acres of land. It can be described as a last-ditch effort of the confederacy to thwart Gen. William T. Sherman’s much larger force from completing their march through the South.
The goal of the large-scale reenactment, which only takes place every five years, is to preserve the memory of those who were there.
Living historian Curt Cole grew up in nearby Duplin County and has participated in many such events portraying a variety of roles. “I do this to experience what they went through,” he said. “I have family members who served on both sides. We don’t want it to be forgotten. You come here and you can smell the gunpowder, hear the booms and see it in color.”
The event coincided with the reopening of the newly restored Harper House at the site. Harper House, which served as an emergency hospital for the Union troops during the three-day battle, was repainted in the exact off-white color it would have been in 1865, matching its color “down to the molecule” according to Stevens.
Floorboards stained with human blood still remain as part of the exhibit. The house was built in 1855 by Amy and John Harper, and looking out from its porch, Stevens said the topography of the site is virtually unchanged since then.
The tranquil green pasture of today was once the chaotic ground where battle-weary men clung desperately to their cause — and in some cases, to their lives. Plenty of them were not so fortunate, as the bloody, desperate fight saw a total of around 433 deaths, 2,806 injuries and 894 missing or captured across both sides.
Goldsboro resident Lynn Bull served as camp guard during the reenactment, and has deep roots of his own at Bentonville. He and his wife were married on the steps of Harper House decades ago. Bull is famous in the world of local history buffs for tailoring the authentic uniforms worn by many, hand sewing them down to the button for historical accuracy.
While the role-play of the confrontation commenced, the expressions on the faces of participants and spectators — men, women, adults and children alike — reflected the raw emotion of the scene. Surrounded by the thunder of cannons, clouds of smoke and the sharp cracks of handguns, watching reenactors fall or be carried to safety served as a striking reminder of the human cost of war.
To learn more about this battle and Johnston County’s role in the Civil War, the Bentonville Battlefield Historic Site is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 5466 Harper House Rd., Four Oaks.
