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The Battle of Monroe's Crossroads and the Civil War's Last Campaign
The Battle of Monroe's Crossroads, fought March 10, 1865, was one of most important but least known engagements of William T. Sherman's Carolinas Campaign. Confederate cavalry, led by Lt. Gen. Wade Hampton and Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler, launched a savage surprise attack on the sleeping camp of Maj. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick, Sherman's cavalry chief. After three hours of some of the toughest cavalry fighting of the entire Civil War, Hampton broke off and withdrew. His attack, however, had stopped Kilpatrick's advance and bought another precious day for Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee to evacuate his command from Fayetteville. This, in turn, permitted Hardee to join the command of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston and set the stage for the climactic Battle of Bentonville nine days later.
Noted Civil War author Eric Wittenberg has written the first detailed tactical narrative of this important but long-forgotten battle, and places it in its proper context within the entire campaign. His study features 28 original maps and 50 illustrations. Finally, an author of renown has brought to vivid life this overlooked portion of the Carolinas Campaign.
Ohio Attorney Eric J. Wittenberg is a noted Civil War cavalry historian and the author of some dozen books and two dozens articles on the Civil War. His first book, "Gettysburg's Forgotten Cavalry Actions," won the 1998 Bachelder-Coddington Literary Award.
Noted Civil War author Eric Wittenberg has written the first detailed tactical narrative of this important but long-forgotten battle, and places it in its proper context within the entire campaign. His study features 28 original maps and 50 illustrations. Finally, an author of renown has brought to vivid life this overlooked portion of the Carolinas Campaign.
Ohio Attorney Eric J. Wittenberg is a noted Civil War cavalry historian and the author of some dozen books and two dozens articles on the Civil War. His first book, "Gettysburg's Forgotten Cavalry Actions," won the 1998 Bachelder-Coddington Literary Award.
366 pages, Hardcover
First published April 15, 2006
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About the author
Eric J. Wittenberg
36 books23 followersEric J. Wittenberg is an American Civil War historian, author, lecturer, tour guide and battlefield preservationist. He is a practicing attorney in downtown Columbus, Ohio. His published works have focused especially on the Civil War cavalryman and the cavalry battles of the Civil War, with emphasis on the Army of the Potomac's Cavalry Corps
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 2, 2020
The Battle of Monroe's Crossroads is one of those engagements which every Civil War buff ought to know, mainly for its sheer lunacy and storytelling value. Wade Hampton, Joe Wheeler, and the Confederate cavalry have a mission: To capture Judson Kilpatrick. Hampton and Wheeler gather their forces to do the deed while Kilpatrick is traveling towards Monroe's Crossreads in a manner rather unusual for a cavalry general. The unsuspecting Kilpatrick is resting his head in the lap of his paramour Alice, (a 'Yankee schoolteacher' Wittenberg estimates to be around age 50) with his feet dangling out the window of his carriage.
As Kilpatrick spends the night with Alice in the upstairs bedroom of the Monroe house, his staff bunking downstairs and his men dozing peacefully in the yard, the Confederate troopers silently form a ring around the house and launch a surprise attack. The Union men are driven out of the yard while Kilpatrick, hearing the commotion, wanders sleepily downstairs and out onto the front porch clad only in his shirttail to see two Confederate officers charging up to demand the location of General Kilpatrick.
What happens next? The oldest trick in the book, that's what happens. Kilpatrick points towards a fleeing Federal and says, 'He went that way.' Incredibly, the Confederates fall for this, giving Kilpatrick time enough to run off through a swamp. Directly afterwards the Confederates close in on the house, and Kilpatrick's staffers flee upstairs where Alice hides them in her bedroom. This lady of lowered virtue then goes down to confront the Confederates. She tells the searchers she has wounded men in her bedroom and that they please not be disturbed, and the Confederates politely obey, assuming she is the lady of the house. Thus Kilpatrick's staff escapes capture.
By this time a full-scale melee is bursting out all over the Monroe yard as the Union men counterattack. As Alice steps out onto the porch a chivalrous Confederate officer, still thinking she's the lady of the house, rushes up to rescue her from her peril. He escorts her to a ditch where she is sheltered from the fire, but a soldier notes that she is proof that curiosity in women is stronger than the love of life; she keeps sticking her head out to see the action.
Meanwhile Kilpatrick finds some of his scattered men, locates a saddleless nag to ride, and leads them back into the fight in one of the least picturesque rallies ever, still in his shirttail. The counterattack is successful, the Monroe house recaptured, and honor is (sort of) saved. Alice goes back to New England, and Kilpatrick, who has lost literally everything except his shirt, begs Wade Hampton to return his beloved horse Spot. With an incredulous sneer, Hampton does so.
Although the reader might get somewhat lost in all the troop movements, the basic story is a good read. There really needs to be a 'populist' version of this story because not everyone will make it through to the good parts, but the book is still recommended.
As Kilpatrick spends the night with Alice in the upstairs bedroom of the Monroe house, his staff bunking downstairs and his men dozing peacefully in the yard, the Confederate troopers silently form a ring around the house and launch a surprise attack. The Union men are driven out of the yard while Kilpatrick, hearing the commotion, wanders sleepily downstairs and out onto the front porch clad only in his shirttail to see two Confederate officers charging up to demand the location of General Kilpatrick.
What happens next? The oldest trick in the book, that's what happens. Kilpatrick points towards a fleeing Federal and says, 'He went that way.' Incredibly, the Confederates fall for this, giving Kilpatrick time enough to run off through a swamp. Directly afterwards the Confederates close in on the house, and Kilpatrick's staffers flee upstairs where Alice hides them in her bedroom. This lady of lowered virtue then goes down to confront the Confederates. She tells the searchers she has wounded men in her bedroom and that they please not be disturbed, and the Confederates politely obey, assuming she is the lady of the house. Thus Kilpatrick's staff escapes capture.
By this time a full-scale melee is bursting out all over the Monroe yard as the Union men counterattack. As Alice steps out onto the porch a chivalrous Confederate officer, still thinking she's the lady of the house, rushes up to rescue her from her peril. He escorts her to a ditch where she is sheltered from the fire, but a soldier notes that she is proof that curiosity in women is stronger than the love of life; she keeps sticking her head out to see the action.
Meanwhile Kilpatrick finds some of his scattered men, locates a saddleless nag to ride, and leads them back into the fight in one of the least picturesque rallies ever, still in his shirttail. The counterattack is successful, the Monroe house recaptured, and honor is (sort of) saved. Alice goes back to New England, and Kilpatrick, who has lost literally everything except his shirt, begs Wade Hampton to return his beloved horse Spot. With an incredulous sneer, Hampton does so.
Although the reader might get somewhat lost in all the troop movements, the basic story is a good read. There really needs to be a 'populist' version of this story because not everyone will make it through to the good parts, but the book is still recommended.
May 28, 2015
Many of my readers are no strangers to the fine work which Eric J. Wittenberg has published throughout his career and this is yet another addition to his cavalcade of Civil War academia. Originally published in 2006, the 2015 edition makes the work available in paperback. The Battle of Monroe’s Crossroads is an excellent study into the final campaign of the Civil War. The general idea is that the Civil War ended with the surrender of General Lee during the Appomattox Campaign and the writing surrounding Sherman accepting Johnston’s surrender has not been justly covered. Here, in this work, we get a look into the ways in which the final campaign was the last and epic conclusion the Civil War deserved.
Eric J. Wittenberg is the author of many works including The Devil’s to Pay: John Buford at Gettysburg, Gettysburg’s Forgotten Cavalry Action and Protecting the Flank at Gettysburg. He has authored many other numerous works with other co-authors including the famous Plenty of Blame to Go Around. He is the recipient of many awards and has often been chosen as the History and Military Book Club selections. Some of his awards include the 1998 Bachelder Coddington Award and the Army Historical Foundation’s Distinguished Writing Award. He is considered an authority on Civil War Cavalry.
The work opens with an incredible biographical sketch of Judson Kilpatrick whom we got to see in his book on South Cavalry Field at Gettysburg, but is detailed more in depth here. One of the highlights which has been seen all throughout the work of Wittenberg is the way in which he explains the political and militaristic background of the characters involved in the fighting. I found this especially well done when talking about Kilpatrick. I believe he is one of the more forgotten about commanders of the war, and here Wittenberg does him justice. The narrative of the battle is done in a well written easy to follow style aided by both photographs of the field and maps. One of the things which struck me as I read through his battle analysis was the humanistic element which he brought to the combat. When talking about the cavalry charge, it seemed as though the tension from the combatants was reaching out to me as a reader more than any other cavalry charge described in Civil War accounts. This cavalry charge is, as stated above in the introduction, the last epic conclusion the Civil War deserved. I can think of no other author who could have written such a fine narrative to describe the events here.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the final year of the Civil War. This is a battle most people do not normally hear about and because of this fine work by Wittenberg, it has been brought to light. The narrative flows quite nicely with the regular Wittenberg style we have all come to know and love. This book proves that Wittenberg really is the authority on Civil War cavalry and should be considered as such for this generation and the generation to come.
Matthew Bartlett - Gettysburg Chronicle
Eric J. Wittenberg is the author of many works including The Devil’s to Pay: John Buford at Gettysburg, Gettysburg’s Forgotten Cavalry Action and Protecting the Flank at Gettysburg. He has authored many other numerous works with other co-authors including the famous Plenty of Blame to Go Around. He is the recipient of many awards and has often been chosen as the History and Military Book Club selections. Some of his awards include the 1998 Bachelder Coddington Award and the Army Historical Foundation’s Distinguished Writing Award. He is considered an authority on Civil War Cavalry.
The work opens with an incredible biographical sketch of Judson Kilpatrick whom we got to see in his book on South Cavalry Field at Gettysburg, but is detailed more in depth here. One of the highlights which has been seen all throughout the work of Wittenberg is the way in which he explains the political and militaristic background of the characters involved in the fighting. I found this especially well done when talking about Kilpatrick. I believe he is one of the more forgotten about commanders of the war, and here Wittenberg does him justice. The narrative of the battle is done in a well written easy to follow style aided by both photographs of the field and maps. One of the things which struck me as I read through his battle analysis was the humanistic element which he brought to the combat. When talking about the cavalry charge, it seemed as though the tension from the combatants was reaching out to me as a reader more than any other cavalry charge described in Civil War accounts. This cavalry charge is, as stated above in the introduction, the last epic conclusion the Civil War deserved. I can think of no other author who could have written such a fine narrative to describe the events here.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the final year of the Civil War. This is a battle most people do not normally hear about and because of this fine work by Wittenberg, it has been brought to light. The narrative flows quite nicely with the regular Wittenberg style we have all come to know and love. This book proves that Wittenberg really is the authority on Civil War cavalry and should be considered as such for this generation and the generation to come.
Matthew Bartlett - Gettysburg Chronicle
June 23, 2022
Imagine my surprise to learn that this battle took place on Fort Bragg and I likely drove past it or flew over it many times while I was on active duty and stationed here; wish I had known then! If you are a student of the Carolinas Campaign, this is a must read! Well researched and written, Wittenberg relates the story well. Highly recommend it.
September 15, 2021
Good description of this forgotten Civil war cavalry battle. Really excoriates Judson Kilpatrick, the Union commander who was an incompetent general and a infamous womanizer. Terrible proof reading, but that may be due to its conversion to a ebook.
September 27, 2024
I know so much more about Judson Kilpatrick, Wade Hampton and many other cavalrymen, having read this book. It was a bit slow starting, having much emphasis on biographies, but that paid off when the action started!
July 27, 2018
Excellent book on a battle frequently given a short treatment by campaign histories. A balanced account with great analysis.
December 29, 2015
The Battle of Monroe’s Crossroads
By Eric J. Wittenberg
Savas Beatie
Reviewed by J. Keith Jones
This book provides a great rendering of an often overlooked piece of history. As Gen. Robert E. Lee was winding down his defense of Richmond and Petersburg before attempting to retreat into the Virginia countryside, there was still a lot of fighting going on in the Carolinas. By March 10, 1865, Sherman’s army had torn through South Carolina and was breathing down the neck of Fayetteville, North Carolina. It was there at Monroe’s Crossroads near the farm of Charles Monroe that the last major cavalry battle occurred. Only the most knowledgeable student of the American Civil War is familiar with this action, but more trivia buffs will have heard of it as “Kilpatrick’s Shirttail Skedaddle.”
At dawn on March 10, Confederate cavalry under Lt. Gen. Wade Hampton and Major Generals Joseph Wheeler and Matthew C. Butler struck the Yankee cavalry of Maj. Gen. Hugh Judson Kilpatrick, who had neglected to properly guard and picket the woods and swamps surrounding his camp. The surprise was so complete that Kilpatrick literally ran from the house – where he had been keeping company with a young woman simply remembered by history as “Alice” – in his bed clothes where he hopped a borrowed horse and fled into the swamp. The Confederates enjoyed a rare numerical advantage and would likely have achieved a complete victory had it not been for a topographical blunder that resulted in Wheeler’s men becoming bogged down in the swamp.
As it was, the barely clad Kilpatrick was able to regain his camp and claim victory – and attempt to regain some small amount of dignity – despite having fled in his underclothes and having left “Alice” to her own devices during the raid. The most important factor of this battle, however; was not the technical nor tactical nature of victory based on who held the ground at the end of the day. Although, Hampton had a strong desire to capture and embarrass his old enemy, Kilpatrick, the larger goal was to cover the movements of the Confederate infantry as they navigated the crossing of the Cape Fear River. This allowed them to find favorable ground for what was to be their grand last stand at the Battle of Bentonville.
Contributing to the obscurity of this little known battle is the fact that the battlefield lies in the middle of what is now Fort Bragg, one of the largest U.S. Army bases in the world. So, while there are monuments, markers and graves marking this ground, you are unlikely to ever see them outside the photographs the author provides inside this book. Eric Wittenberg’s smooth narrative and thorough analysis of the battle as well as the factors leading up to it and the aftermath make this as enlightening as it is entertaining.
By Eric J. Wittenberg
Savas Beatie
Reviewed by J. Keith Jones
This book provides a great rendering of an often overlooked piece of history. As Gen. Robert E. Lee was winding down his defense of Richmond and Petersburg before attempting to retreat into the Virginia countryside, there was still a lot of fighting going on in the Carolinas. By March 10, 1865, Sherman’s army had torn through South Carolina and was breathing down the neck of Fayetteville, North Carolina. It was there at Monroe’s Crossroads near the farm of Charles Monroe that the last major cavalry battle occurred. Only the most knowledgeable student of the American Civil War is familiar with this action, but more trivia buffs will have heard of it as “Kilpatrick’s Shirttail Skedaddle.”
At dawn on March 10, Confederate cavalry under Lt. Gen. Wade Hampton and Major Generals Joseph Wheeler and Matthew C. Butler struck the Yankee cavalry of Maj. Gen. Hugh Judson Kilpatrick, who had neglected to properly guard and picket the woods and swamps surrounding his camp. The surprise was so complete that Kilpatrick literally ran from the house – where he had been keeping company with a young woman simply remembered by history as “Alice” – in his bed clothes where he hopped a borrowed horse and fled into the swamp. The Confederates enjoyed a rare numerical advantage and would likely have achieved a complete victory had it not been for a topographical blunder that resulted in Wheeler’s men becoming bogged down in the swamp.
As it was, the barely clad Kilpatrick was able to regain his camp and claim victory – and attempt to regain some small amount of dignity – despite having fled in his underclothes and having left “Alice” to her own devices during the raid. The most important factor of this battle, however; was not the technical nor tactical nature of victory based on who held the ground at the end of the day. Although, Hampton had a strong desire to capture and embarrass his old enemy, Kilpatrick, the larger goal was to cover the movements of the Confederate infantry as they navigated the crossing of the Cape Fear River. This allowed them to find favorable ground for what was to be their grand last stand at the Battle of Bentonville.
Contributing to the obscurity of this little known battle is the fact that the battlefield lies in the middle of what is now Fort Bragg, one of the largest U.S. Army bases in the world. So, while there are monuments, markers and graves marking this ground, you are unlikely to ever see them outside the photographs the author provides inside this book. Eric Wittenberg’s smooth narrative and thorough analysis of the battle as well as the factors leading up to it and the aftermath make this as enlightening as it is entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews