I was in the fight near Fayetteville, N. C. and no event of the war left a more vivid recollection. I belonged to Company D, 6th Georgia Cavalry (John R. Hart), under Wheeler.

On March 9, 1865, Wheeler's Brigade marched slowly in a misty rain most of the day, moving toward Fayetteville, N. C., and when night came we continued to march until about 2 or 3 A.M. of the 10th. During the march after nightfall, while riding leisurely along, it being rather dark, to my surprise, I discovered a Yankee riding in our columns by my side, which I reported to our commander at the head of our column. A halt was made and a detail of picked men given me with orders to go back after our rear guard, which we supposed had a number of prisoners. On going back no guard was found, but in lieu of that a column of Yankees who had captured our guard and prisoners. Returning and reporting this, we were halted. The Yankees were marching on a parallel road and soon "mixed up with us." We remained here until Just before day. In the meantime we were within from four to six hundred yards of where Kilpatrick went into camp. While resting Wheeler went in person, with staff and some other men, and captured all sentinels placed on picket, so when day dawned, we had nothing to do but to ride on into their camp, which we did without the firing of a gun.

It was now daylight, and the head of our column rode up to the top of the ridge to a cabin which I took to be an old schoolhouse, where Kilpatrick's headquarters were. I was within one hundred and twenty five yards of the headquarters, as I was in the sixth company (D) and necessarily down toward the foot of the hill. The Yankees, being surprised, hustled out from under their little tents, some with pants on, others with only their night clothing, carrying their guns, and ran across the ridge. No firing was done as we went in on them. They ran out, leaving all horses and equipage. The Yanks fell back over the hill, formed, and came back, then the fight began. I dismounted, picked out the best horse I could find, saddled him with the best saddle, picked out good equipage, saddlebags, blankets, etc., and mounted. Having a led horse now, I was not in much fix for fighting, and too many others were like me in equipping themselves instead of fighting. My excuse was that I had lost two good horses one shot under me, the other captured with me and I was trying to play even.

As I saw it, the 6th Georgia Regiment under Wheeler were the first Confederate troops to reach Kilpatrick (no other troops in sight), but when the mix up came, others came in and participated. We fought until eleven or twelve that day, having our orderly sergeant killed and some others wounded.