By: SocEtTuem on 12/2/10
This Battle, fought with Bedford Forrest's cavalry with and Maj General William Bates Division of CS Infantry was a side show of the battle of Nashville. Hood had ordered Bate to join with Forrest and destroy the railroad and Federal blockhouses between Murfreesboro and Nashville. Bates attacked blockhouse 7 near Overall Creek but the federals did not yield. Forrest headed out toward Murfreesboro, splitting his force, one column to attack the fort on the hill and the other to take Blockhouse No. 4, both at La Vergne. Upon his demand for surrender at both locations, the Union garrisons capitulated. Attacks were made against Union positions around Murfreesboro but the fighting ceased after several hours with no real progress on either side. On December 7th, Union Maj Gen Lovell Rousseau dispatched two full brigades of troops to engage the Confederates. At one point some of Forrest's troops broke and ran causing disorder in the Confederate ranks; even entreaties from Forrest and Bate themselves failed to stem the tide. The rest of Forrest's command conducted an orderly retreat and encamped for the night outside Murfreesboro. While Forrest had destroyed railroad track, blockhouses, and some homes and generally disrupted Union operations, he did not accomplish much else. The raid on Murfreesboro ended as little more than a minor irritation for the federals and, more importantly, Forrest was absent at the Battle of Nashville where Hood was routed.