Erick:

I am glad you found this helpful. One point I might make would perhaps be a bit symantical, yet I think is important. This action or series of actions has been described in recent publications as the "Battle" or "Running Skirmish" "at Romulus," terms which I believe are not entirely accurate in describing the exact nature of the fighting which my research indicates took place nor the location of the same.

A battle technically is a military action between more principal formations of greater scale than the side-show of Wilson's invasion of which Croxton's foray was. A running skirmish or cavalry fight suggests a continually-moving action of constant contact between mounted combatant forces, which Dr.Hoole applies particularly to this action. What took place on April 6, 1865, in southern Pickens County is better understood to be a series of cavalry actions between mounted and dismounted forces at particular points. Generally Adams' Confederate force, mounted or dismounted, would charge a portion of the Federal force, usually dismounted but occationally mounted, followed by the withdrawal, orderly or disorderly, of the blue force. Adams' force would or could pursue only after some reorganization, and it would seem that 'twas difficult for continuous contact to be kept by Wirt's men. Croxton's men would then reorganize themselves at the next point of resistance, only to be again overwhelmed, in the case of the 6th Kentucky and 8th Iowa, or able to repulse the graycoats, with the 2nd Michigan. It would seem that in each assault Adams' force would be pretty spent and unable to capitalize on their success, allowing the Federals to escape (seems this happened more than once between 1861 and 1864). I am sure the weather and road conditions as well as those of the Confederate mounts contributed to this result. Thus a regular two hour interval between actions.

My best summary of the series of skirmishes which took place in the encounter between Adams and Croxton would be the following:

Sipsey Mills/Sipsey Bridge, c 11:00 AM
Pleasant Ridge/Sipsey Swamp, c 1:00 PM
Brush Creek Ridge, c 3:00 PM
near King's Bridge, c 5:00 PM
Hamp Mountain ambush/Romulus, c 8:00 PM

Testimony of primary sources describe portions of the actions at the various times, and it seems no one source, not surprisingly, alludes to the entire series of fights. Each witness only described what he saw or was aware took place. All the above locations are ascribed in Compiled Service Records of men who became casualties on this date, and the times given are specified by various primary accounts as when engagements took place. Excepting the "Brush Creek Ridge" action, which is conjectural based only upon my knowledge of the terrain along the road, though the time is one given of an attack by Adams upon the 6th Kentucky in one source.

Another missing part of the puzzle is Confederate casualties, which though enumerated (in Roland's "Military History of Mississippi") cannot be identified particularly (save Capt. Luckett) nor documented in CRSs, due to the lack of post-December 1864 information found in Confederate CSRs, to which I have earlier alluded. Confederate KIAs and wounded are scarce after that date. Indeed, Lt. Eli Montgomery's capture near King's Bridge is the ONLY documented Confederate casualty on this date. I would conjecture, however, that most of Adams' losses were suffered near King's Bridge.

Since most of the fighting took place more than ten miles from Romulus, it is hardly accurate to describe much of the combat as "at Romulus." That is really where the two forces camped in the rain after the fighting was over, rather than where much lead flew. And as I am a bit reticent to employ the Northern convention of referring to a body of water as the location of the fight (Bull Run, Antietum, Stone's River, etc.), I'd rather not call it the "Skirmishes on Sipsey River." Naturally employing the Southern pattern of place names (Manassas, Sharpsburg, Murphreesboro, etc.) the term I prefer is "Pleasant Ridge-Romulus Skirmish."

Thanks for your interest.