Fayetteville, NC

So, here I am in my son’s back yard. If you read my About Me page, you would know that one of the reasons I wanted a trailer was so I could visit relatives without putting them or me out in any way. I must say it is very nice this way and my son likes the idea as well. His backyard is large enough to drive my trailer in and turn it around. He is providing electric, and wifi. He did have to move his spare garage refrigerator to another circuit so I can run my air conditioning. Not much of a view in this “campground” but it’s cheap (free), very nice company, and they serve dinner for free. Heh heh.

My son is stationed at Fort Bragg so he took me on the driving tour of it. Haven’t been on an active base in a very long time.

Today I went to Goldsboro, NC where I served at Seymour-Johnson AFB a very long time ago. No, I’m not going to tell you how long ago. 😛 Naturally, they would not let me on base but seeing it and seeing how much the area has changed and grown was enough. I see the Wendy’s outside the front gate is still there but Arby’s, Piggly Wiggly, and Winn-Dixie are all gone. Hardee’s is still Hardee’s but with a Carl’s Jr. logo sign. The Days Inn my mother stayed at once is still there but pretty run down. Their tall sign is broken into pieces and not inviting. The town has expanded quite a bit and has a lot of new and wealthier homes nearby while the downtown area is old and looking it.

Nearby, I discovered my first Civil War battleground, Bentonville Battleground. I learned a lot on the driving tour and at the Visitor Center. I had no idea the area had been so important during the war. General Sherman marched through the South with no supplies per his request to move faster. They lived off the land which actually meant taking anything and everything from civilians then burning everything else. He finally took Goldsboro for its trains and got fresh supplies there by train.

The battle at Bentonville was fought on farms such as the Harper family farm where the Visitor Center is. It was the last big push by the Confederates, desperate to turn the tide. It was also the bloodiest and most deadly in North Carolina history. The Confederates won the first battle nearby and captured 3 artillery pieces which is quite a coup. But, they lost at Bentonville when the Federal forces, who were hiding in the woods, caught them on open fields. Across from the Visitor Center is the Harper Family Cemetery, a mass grave of 360 Confederate soldiers and the berms created by the Federal forces for protection in front of the woods. The battle ended when the Confederates slipped away in the middle of the night. The end of the war was near however. It wouldn’t be long before they surrendered.

BTW, the war did not end with Lee surrendering to Grant. Other units continued to fight for a short time until those were surrendered as well. Also of note, the Union forces were particularly hard on South Carolina because they seceded first and started this bloody mess.