One of the last all-cavalry engagements of the Civil War, the battle delayed Union forces from entering Fayetteville first during the Carolinas campaign.
Key Facts
- Date
- March 10, 1865
- Total forces engaged
- ~4,500 men
- Outcome
- Inconclusive; Confederate attack delayed Union advance
- Location
- Grounds of present-day Fort Bragg, North Carolina
- Campaign
- Carolinas campaign
- Engagement type
- Mounted Confederate vs. dismounted Union cavalry
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the Carolinas campaign of early 1865, Union cavalry under Brevet Maj. Gen. Hugh Judson Kilpatrick was advancing toward Fayetteville, North Carolina. Confederate cavalry sought to disrupt this movement and prevent Union forces from freely occupying the town.
On the morning of March 10, 1865, approximately 4,500 men clashed at Monroe's Crossroads in Cumberland County, North Carolina. Confederate mounted cavalry launched a surprise attack against dismounted Union cavalry, and fighting lasted for several hours without a decisive result.
The Confederate attack succeeded in delaying Kilpatrick's Union cavalry, denying him the distinction of being the first to enter Fayetteville. The battle is historically noted as one of the last all-cavalry engagements of the American Civil War.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Hugh Judson Kilpatrick.
Side B
1 belligerent