Meeting of the Generals
On April 17, 1865, Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman and Gen. Joseph Eggleston Johnston met on this section of the Raleigh to Hillsboro Road at the home of James and Nancy Bennett to negotiate a peace settlement to end the war. Staff officers, troopers, and news reporters accompanied them.
Limited documentation makes it difficult to know who came to the Bennett Farm each day, but it is clear that several officers in attendance assisted the generals during the three meetings. After the initial conference, Johnston was accompanied by Secretary of War John C. Brekinridge on April 18, to help in securing the most favorable terms. Gen. John Schofield served as Sherman’s second in command and remained at Raleigh during the first two meetings, but accompanied Sherman on the final meeting of April 26.
Marker is on Bennett Memorial Road, on the right when traveling east.
Courtesy hmdb.org
