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 hroughout
history, incidents occur that go unnoticed or receive only the
most cursory mention in historical accounts. The battle at Monroe's
Crossroads, fought on March 10, 1865, was one of the largest
all-cavalry engagements of the Civil War. Though not a major battle
in terms of its effect on the outcome of the war, it is of interest
to historians for the role it played in General William T. Sherman's
march through the Carolinas. To students of the Civil
War,
the battle is of interest because it was a cavalry clash between
two flamboyant and highly regarded cavalry officers, Confederate
Major General Wade Hampton and Union Major General Judson Kilpatrick.
General Kilpatrick was totally surprised, almost captured, and
nearly lost his command. General Hampton executed a daring dawn
cavalry charge, overran the Union camp, but failed to capture
his objective. The battle was nearly a Union disaster, but in
the totality of the overall campaign, it has become only a footnote
to the epic events played out at Appomattox Courthouse one month
later.
In
order to gain a greater understanding of the details of the battle
and to help the U.S. Army preserve the battlefield, the National
Park Service's Southeast Archeological Center, in association
with NPS's Midwest Archeological Center, has carried out two field
seasons of archeological studies. Work has been funded by the
U.S. Army, HQ, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg. This work
has revealed previously unknown details of the battle. Many of
the same investigation techniques used to unravel the mysteries
of the Battle of the Little Bighorn have been adapted and applied
at the Monroe's Crossroads Civil War site. A series of six original
oil paintings, depicting the historical and archeological accounts,
has been produced by Newnan, Georgia artist Martin Pate.
For
more information, contact: Jeff Irwin, Cultural Resources Manager,
Cultural Resources Management Program,
Department of the Army,
Directorate of Public Works (IMSE BRG PW),
HQ Fort Bragg, Garrison Command (ABN),
Installation Management Agency,
BLDG 3-1333 Butner Road,
Fort Bragg NC 28310-5000; email:jeff.irwin@us.army.mil. Web site:http://www.bragg.army.mil/culturalresources/
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