nd water over shoe mouth in depth, then it was densely
covered with a thick growth of shrubs, briars and vines, closely
interwoven. Judge the difficulty of such a place during a desperate
engagement.

When the 3rd brigade was thrown out on the flank of the division, the
Eighty-sixth Illinois was met by the enemy before it had formed its
lines, Colonel Fahnestock ordering it to lie down and maintain its own,
which it succeeded in doing for about ten minutes when the enemy struck
it in flank, forcing it back several hundred yards, where it formed
again and threw up a slight protection by means of logs and rails, with
its left resting on the main road. Here it remained, holding its own,
during the desperate charges made by Johnston on our lines.

In this day's fight, General Feering was wounded, and Colonel Langley
took command of the brigade. Soon after the battle had ceased, the
enemy fell back to his main line of works; our forces following up on
the 20th, and taking position, built breastworks.

On the night of the 21st, General Johnston evacuated his intrenchments
at this point, and retreated with his main force on Smithfield.
Accordingly, on the morning of the 22nd, the 14th Corps having no enemy
to oppose it, marched, and crossing the Neuse river on a pontoon, eight
miles above Goldsboro, camped at that place, late at night of the same
day. A few days previous to this, Generals Schofield and Terry had
opened a line of communication to this place from Newbern.

The loss of the Eighty-sixth, in the battle of Bentonville, was, in
all, two killed and twenty wounded.

The company loss was as follows:

KILLED.

Company G 1
Company K 1
--
Total 2

WOUNDED.

Company B 1
Company C 1
Company E 2
Company G 6
Company H 4
Company I 1
Company K 5
--
Total 20

Here ends the second great raid.

The Eighty-sixth Illinois had traversed over five hundred miles,
through all kinds of weather, country and scenery, and had consumed
sixty-two days in doing it. Crossed no less than ten rivers, some of
them at high water, and marched through the heart of South Carolina,
leaving its mark behind it. Was engaged in several skirmishes and two
battles, and lost twenty-seven men in battle and nine missing on the
route