[2] Wanting to push the Confederates out of their winter headquarters and having received reports of good forage south of the French Broad River, Union forces under Maj. Gen. John G. Parke advanced on Dandridge, near the East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad, on January 14, with orders to cross the river and occupy the area for the Federals.

Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis, commanding the Cavalry Corps, Army of the Ohio, rode forward from Dandridge along the Morristown Road (now Valley Home Rd., State Hwy 66) to occupy Kimbrough's Crossroads.

At the same time Union cavalry under the command of Col. Frank Wolford engaged Confederate forces south and east of Dandridge on the bend of Chucky Road.

[2] Around noon on January 17, Sturgis received information that the Confederates were preparing for an attack, so he formed his men into lines of battle.

Having failed to cross the river to the opposite bank, and fearing that Longstreet's entire force was in front of them, General Parke ordered the Federals to retreat to New Market and Strawberry Plains during the night.