Confederate units engaged belonged to Roddey's Brigade, most of which had just arrived from a raid in northeast Alabama, as well as parts of Ferguson's Brigade.

A recent post listed most of Ferguson's Brigade plus Moreland's Battalion from Roddey's command as being engaged at Vincent's Crossroads MS, Oct. 26, 1863. At the time General Lee was attempting to impede Sherman's advance along the Memphis & Charleston R.R., and would not have greatly weakened his small force to pursue a minor raid. As it was, sending three commands (2nd Alabama Cav., Biffle's 19th Tennessee, and Moreland's Alabama Battalion) after the raiders, substantially depleted his force. Evidently Lee had more confidence in the abilities of the officer leading this detachment, Samuel W. Ferguson, than the numbers Ferguson actually led against the enemy.

Lee's confidence was not misplaced. Ferguson not only came to grips with the 1st Alabama (U.S.) Cavalry, but defeated it severely, scattering tories across the countryside. He prevailed despite having only parts of Earle's and Biffle's Regiment engaged in the fight. In his report of the action, Ferguson declared that had Moreland's Battalion been in position as he had ordered, few of the "home-made" Yankees would have escaped. As it was, Confederates were busy routing bluecoats out of the brush for days.

A Unionist's recollection of this defeat appears in the link below. Obviously there was no Confederate infantry within a hundred mile radius of this fight: