▁lack ed ▁sufficient ▁supplies ▁and ▁am mun ition , ▁and ▁the ▁men ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁paid ▁for ▁months ; ▁only ▁about ▁ 6 , 6 0 0 ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁South ▁Carolina . ▁John ston ▁also ▁had ▁available ▁ 1 2 , 0 0 0 ▁men ▁under ▁William ▁J . ▁Har de e , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁un success fully ▁attempting ▁to ▁resist ▁Sh erman ' s ▁advance , ▁Bra xt on ▁B rag g ' s ▁force ▁in ▁Wil ming ton , ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁and ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁caval ry men ▁under ▁W ade ▁Ham pton . ▁ ▁John ston , ▁sever ely ▁out number ed , ▁hoped ▁to ▁combine ▁his ▁force ▁with ▁a ▁det achment ▁of ▁Robert ▁E . ▁Lee ' s ▁army ▁from ▁Virginia , ▁joint ly ▁defeat ▁Sh erman , ▁and ▁then ▁return ▁to ▁Virginia ▁for ▁an ▁attack ▁on ▁U ly ss es ▁S . ▁Grant . ▁Lee ▁initially ▁refused ▁to ▁co oper ate ▁with ▁this ▁plan . ▁( F ollow ing ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁Richmond ▁in ▁April , ▁Lee ▁attempted ▁to ▁escape ▁to ▁North ▁Carolina ▁to ▁join ▁John ston , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁too ▁late .) ▁Rec ogn izing ▁that ▁Sh erman ▁was ▁moving ▁quickly , ▁John ston ▁then ▁planned ▁to ▁cons olid ate ▁his ▁own ▁small ▁arm ies ▁so ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁land ▁a ▁blow ▁against ▁an ▁isolated ▁portion ▁of ▁Sh erman ' s ▁army , ▁which ▁was ▁adv ancing ▁in ▁two ▁separated ▁columns . ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 9 , ▁