Colt .44 revolver

Spencer carbine .56-56 inch -- 5th Ohio Cavalry Regiment

The prevailing winds in the Monroe's Crossroads area are from the southwest. The average wind speed is highest in the Spring, about nine miles per hour. Throughout March in 1865, the weather in southeastern North Carolina was cool and rainy. The frequent rains indicate that temperatures tended to be above freezing. The nights would have been colder than the days. Roads were wet and muddy. With the creeks and rivers running high, fording points and approaches to bridges were often flooded. Adjacent wetlands stayed at flood stage. The rain ceased before dawn on 10 March at Monroe's Crossroads.

During the night, visibility was poor, with the light from the moon limited because of the cloudy skies and rain. Because of the sparse population in the area, there was little, if any, ambient light from towns or homes. Distant stores of turpentine, tar, and pitch, set ablaze by the Union Army, possibly reflected off the clouds. Campfires lit by Kilpatrick's Cavalry would have revealed the location of the Union camp.

Twilight on 10 March began at 05:38. Sunrise occurred at 06:33. During the Confederate assault, ground fog obscured low areas along Nicholson Creek. The fog probably dissipated completely about an hour after sunrise.