Hearing movement before dawn, Peabody sent a small reconnaissance force forward. Major Powell led roughly 250 infantry into a Confederate outpost held by the 3rd Mississippi Battalion. Their clash around 5:15 a.m. generated gunfire and messengers that alerted nearby Union troops. The warning did not provide prepared defences, but it reduced the shock of the main assault and helped the line begin forming.
Notable Point · 1:39:22-1:41:00
Peabody's reconnaissance gives warning
Colonel Everett Peabody's early reconnaissance encountered Confederate troops and gave the Union camps time to wake and form before the main attack.