Battle of Monroe’s Cross Roads

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Sherman had sent a message to Kilpatrick on March 4 ordering him to Fayetteville. In the message, Sherman had warned Kilpatrick that his primary mission was to protect the army’s left flank and that under no circumstances was he to confront the Confederate cavalry in battle. Therefore, Kilpatrick’s decision to order his division to picket the roads to intercept Hampton’s cavalry was in violation of a direct order.

At about 2 o’clock that afternoon, Spencer’s 3rd Brigade arrived at Solemn Grove and halted to let the rest of the division close up. About 5 o’clock, Way’s 4th Brigade arrived and was sent ahead on the Morganton Road. Spencer’s brigade, with two pieces of field artillery, followed closely behind and was ordered to halt for the night where the Morganton and Yadkin roads intersected near Green Springs (Monroe’s Cross Roads), 12 miles from Solemn Grove and about six miles west of Longstreet Church.

Kilpatrick waited for the 2nd Brigade in order to tell Atkins to join him at Green Springs. Shortly after the meeting, Kilpatrick started off, accompanied by his staff and escort, to rejoin the 3rd and 4th brigades.

After leaving Solemn Grove, Jordan’s 1st Brigade advanced over Patterson’s Bridge and headed east toward Chicken Road. The brigade crossed Devil’s Gut (now Aberdeen Creek) west of Aberdeen and halted near Blue’s Church (also known as Rockfish Church and Bethesda) on Bethesda Road. Because of rainy weather, the road was very muddy and in poor condition, and Jordan ordered his men to dismount and pull the wagons and artillery by hand through the soggy sand.

By midnight, Jordan’s troops were at rest for the night. Small earthworks across the road from the church and behind the old cemetery protected the camp. Although some of the men rested at the church, Jordan stayed in the Malcolm Blue farmhouse, only a short distance away. Other troopers camped in and around the farmhouse and reportedly killed every cow, hog and chicken owned by the Blue family.

In compliance with Kilpatrick’s orders, Jordan reached the Moore County Road before dawn on the 10th, and at about 9 o’clock reached Chicken Road at Big Rockfish. Upon his arrival, Jordan heard firing in the distance to the north and pushed his troops to join Kilpatrick.

Around dusk on the evening of the 9th, the Confederate cavalry approached the Solemn Grove area. The Confederates knew that there was Union cavalry to the south of their main force, but did not realize that Spencer’s brigade had arrived at their designated campsite at Green Springs ahead of schedule. Hampton instructed Butler to camp at a farm a few hundred yards east of Green Springs. The division was comprised of Captain John Humphrey’s squadron of the 6th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry. The front guard was Butler’s brigade, commanded by Brig. Gen. Evander Law, while Wheeler’s division brought up the rear.

Moving toward the designated campsite, the Confederates traveled south from Yadkin Road onto a side road and then hit Morganton Road. Humphrey abruptly halted at the intersection of the road to Fayetteville. The Confederate cavalrymen were now between Kilpatrick’s 2nd Brigade, which was moving toward Green Springs, and the 3rd Brigade. Butler rode up to determine the cause of the delay, and Humphrey pointed out the signs that enemy cavalry had recently passed ahead of them. While discussing the situation–they all agreed that it was Kilpatrick’s cavalry–Butler turned to see a squad of about 30 mounted men riding up the road. This small squad, approaching from the west, was Kilpatrick’s personal escort.

After learning that Humphrey had not sent anyone down the road, Butler called out, ‘Who comes there?’ The answer was, ‘Fifth Kentucky.’ Aware that this was a regiment under Kilpatrick, Butler called out to the officer in charge, ‘Ride up, sir, I want to speak with you.’

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Tags: 19th Century, America's Civil War, American Civil War, Historical Conflicts

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