On December 4, 1863, three thousand Confederate cavalry with artillery, led by Gen. James Chalmers, attacked the Memphis & Charleston Railroad bridge over Wolf River and ambushed Col. Edward Hatch's brigade of Union cavalry as it crossed the river on the state line road wagon bridge. Intense fighting followed, and fortified Union artillery bombarded the Confederate rear. Union troops manning the nearby fort and protecting the railroad at Moscow included African-American troops of the 2nd Regiment, West Tennessee Infantry, under Col. Frank Kendrick; when attacked, the regiment fought from rifle pits on the east bank of Wolf River and was instrumental in repelling the Confederate attack. Near sunset, the Confederates withdrew after losing 30 killed and 54 taken prisoner, while Union losses were 175 men and 100 horses. Later, Union forces burned the town of Moscow, leaving only two residences. Gen. Stephen A. Hurlbut, commander of the 16th Army Corps at Memphis, later publicly praised the regiment for its gallant and successful defense of the important position.