Hood's army departs Florence on November 21,…

Hood's army departs Florence on November 21, marching in three columns, with Cheatham on the left, Lee in the center, and Stewart on the right, all screened by Forrest's cavalry.

Hood's plan is to consolidate at Mount Pleasant and from there move to the east to cut off Schofield before he can reach Columbia and the Duck River.

The rapid forced march seventy miles north has been under miserable conditions, with freezing winds and sleet, which had made progress difficult for the underfed and underclothed army.

Nevertheless, Hood's men are in good spirits as they return ro Tennessee.

Because of Forrest's relentless screening, Schofield has no idea where the Confederate Army is headed.

The aggressive Forrest has a considerable advantage over his Union cavalry opponents, commanded by Major General James H. Wilson.

Wilson had arrived from the Eastern Theater in late October to reorganize and command Thomas's cavalry, but he possesses only forty-three hundred horsemen, scattered around the theater in numerous small units, compared to ten thousand men unified under Forrest.

The Confederate cavalry has advanced to Mount Pleasant by November 23.

Brigadier General John T. Croxton's brigade is hopelessly outnumbered against Forrest, so Thomas reinforces him with a division under Brigadier General Edward Hatch and a brigade under Colonel Horace Capron.

Forrest keeps up the pressure and on November 23 heavy skirmishing occurred from Henryville to the outskirts of Mount Pleasant.