The command did not reach their encampment until late in the evening, when from the movements of the enemy it was concluded that he intended to give battle at Murfreesboro, and every disposition of troops was made with reference to this.That night McCook's command was encamped in line of battle with two brigades of Johnson's division watching the right, Woodruff's brigade guarding the bridge at Overall's Creek, Davis on the right of the Wilkinson pike, with Sheridan on the left of that road.The brigade that McCook had left at Triune was ordered up and assumed its position with the troops on the 30th.McCook's entire command on the morning of that day advanced down the Wilkinson turnpike until the head of the column encountered the enemy's pickets.The line of battle was at once formed with the division deployed in a line running to the right in a southeast direction with the left of Sheridan upon the Wilkinson pike immediately on Negley's right.Davis's division was at once thrown into line of battle with his left resting on Sheridan's right, and Johnson's held in reserve.Covering the front with a strong line of skirmishers, McCook moved his men slowly forward, the enemy stubbornly contesting every foot of ground.McCook's skirmishers soon became sharply engaged with those of the rebels.
The ground was very favorable to the enemy, they being under cover of heavy woods and cedar thickets.At 12 o'clock part of the enemy's line of battle was determined, McCook's skirmishers being then about five hundred yards from it.The resistance to Davis's advance was especially stubborn, and the losses of the day footed up seventy-five in Sheridan's division and some two hundred in Davis's.Shortly before sunset the rebel position was plainly discernible from Davis's front, and was formed diagonally across the old Murfreesboro and Franklin road.In the afternoon, McCook learned from a citizen who had seen the enemy's line of battle and the position of his troops, that they were posted with the right of Cheatham's division resting on the Wilkinson pike; Wither's division on Cheatham's left, with his left resting on the Franklin road; the entire of Hardee's corps to the left of that road extending toward Salem pike.This formation of the enemy's line placed the right of McCook's line as then formed directly in front of the enemy's centre.Information was at once sent to Rosecrans, and McCook informed his three division commanders of this fact and then placed two brigades of the reserve division under Willich and Kirk--two of the best and most experienced brigade commanders in the army--on the right of Davis, to protect the right flank and guard against surprise--that of Kirk with his left resting on Davis's right, with his right refused, Willich on Kirk's right and in a line nearly perpendicular to the main line, thus covering the right flank.The third brigade of Johnson's division was held as reserve.
McCook's line of battle as thus formed was broken in several points.The general direction of Sheridan's line was to the east and south, facing nearly at right angles with Negley, that of Davis was to the west, facing south, nearly at right angles to Sheridan, Kirk's brigade to Davis's right faced more to the east, while Willich's faced due south.The general direction of McCook's line, however, conformed to the line of the enemy in its front, except the latter had no breaks in the line and that its left division under McCown had its left extended due south.The main portion of the enemy's battle-line faced northwest.Breckinridge on the right of the line was facing nearly north while McCown on the left faced due west.The enemy awaiting attack--acting on the defensive--had as far as practicable located its line in the cedars, with open ground in the front.McCook considered his line a strong one, with "open ground in the front for a short distance." Rosecrans, on being informed by McCook of the location of his line of battle, expressed himself against it, saying: "I don't like the facing so much to the east, but must confide that to you, who know the ground.If you don't think you present the best position, change it." At six o'clock in the evening McCook received an order from Rosecrans to have large and extended camp-fires made on the right, extending far beyond the right of the line, to deceive the enemy and make him believe that troops were being massed there.Fires were built extending nearly a mile beyond the right of McCook's line.In this position the right wing rested in the cedars the night before the battle.The troops, cutting cedar boughs for beds, and officers and men, wrapping themselves in their blankets, slept in the frosty night air with the silent stars looking down.
On the 26th, Thomas's command, "the Centre," with Negley's division in the advance, moved out promptly to Brentwood on the Franklin pike, and from there turned to the left and advanced on the Wilson pike to Owen's store, where the troops were to encamp for the night.
