SUBMITTED BY: Steve Bailey
THE CIVIL WAR IN ANSON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA: ANSON COUNTY CITATIONS FROM THE WAR OF REBELLION VOLUME — Book Title: THE WAR OF THE REBELLION: A COMPILATION OF THE OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE UNION AND CONFEDERATE ARMIES. SERIES 1 – VOLUME 47 (PART I) REPORTS – OPERATIONS IN NC, SC, South Georgia & East Florida – THE CAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS (CHAP. LIX) – Pages 884-886: Report of Col. George S. Acker, Ninth Michigan Cavalry, of operations January 28-March 23 – HDQRS. NINTH MICHIGAN VOLUNTEER CAVALRY, Near Mount Olive, N. C., March 29, 1865 –
In compliance with orders I have the honor to submit the following report of the campaign from Savannah, Ga., to Mount Olive, NC – On March 1st 1865 we moved camp one mile. On March 2nd, marched at daylight toward Wadesborough NC located about seventeen miles away. On March 3rd, marched into North Carolina sixteen miles and went into camp at Phillips Cross-Roads. On March 4th, at 1 p.m. the picket on the White Store road was driven in by the enemy, thus opening a road to the rear of Companies E and H picketing the Wadesborough road. Captains Hinchey and Rice, in command, not being notified of this fact, were resisting a vigorous attack by the enemy in their front when they were suddenly assailed by overwhelming numbers in the rear.
They at once decided to cut their way through to the command. In the charge Captain Rice lost 2 men killed and 11 from the command missing. Captain Hinchey had his horse shot and quite a number of his men also lost their horses. After holding the cross-roads for three hours our brigade moved beyond the camp of the First Brigade to Bethel Church, ten miles, skirmishing in the rear nearly the whole distance.
Early in the day, in compliance with orders from division headquarters, a scouting party of 100 men, under command of Major McBride, was sent to Wadesborough, nine miles, with written instructions to “clean out the town.” The major proceeded to Wadesborough, destroyed a grist-mill, sawmill, tannery, large Government stables and all other public property. He discovered no enemy until he neared our picket-post of the morning, when his advance guard reported the enemy in front.
Deeming it impossible, he rode up with the advance, when the rebels opened fire upon him. By a gallant charge he drove them back, but seeing our pickets no longer there and the dead bodies of two of our men, he withdrew and joined the command near Bethel Church by another road. The coolness and courage of Major McBride and the men under his command on this occasion is highly commendable. On March 5th marched to Morven Post-Office and thence at 9 p.m. to pontoon bridge across Great Pee Dee River near the State line of North and South Carolina. March 6th, crossed Great Pee Dee River at 9 p.m. and marched toward Rockingham ten miles (would be interesting to know if any Anson County men lost their lives in this 3 hour battle)