From the March15, 2015, Goldsboro (NC) News-Argus "The last battle" by Ethan Smith.
The filds and forests of Johnston County are a lot quitere now than they were 150 years ago when two great armies clashed as the Civil War was drawing to a close.
On Saturday and Sunday, march 21-22, the battle will occur again, this time with some 4,000 re-enactors and as many as 50,000 spectators.
Among those re-enactors will be several local men, members of the Wayne County History Club: Randy Sauls, Lynn Bull and Bob Richter. They participate in some of the area re-enactments, but not all, but say Bentonville is special because of its sheer magnitude where some 80,000 men took part back in 1865. They took part in the 145th re-enactment five years ago. I was there for that one.
Bob Richter says he was a Boy Scout in 1965 when his troop went to a re-enactment at Bentonville and he really goy hooked on the cannons.
The Bentonville re-enactment occurs only every five years, something that started in 1995. As such, a huge push is made to get re-enactors. Like I mentioned earlier, I was at the one in 2010, but was very disappointed in not being able to see much of the fighting. I did, however, get the idea of what a regiment would look like on the march as I saw Union re-enactors in a large number marching through the woods to the battlefield.
Another nice thing about re-enactments at Bentonville is that they take place on the actual battlefield, something that can't be done on a National Battlefield.
--Old Re-EnactSecesh
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