Major General Thomas C. Hindman was camped with an army of 11,000 men near Fort Smith, Arkansas. On November 28th, 1862, Hindman sent Marmaduke north with approximately 2000 cavalry men to attack Blunt in what would become known as the Battle of Cane Hill. Blunt remained in the area around Cane Hill and on December 3rd, Hindman began moving the main body of his army north to forge an attack on Blunt. Hindman's troops though well supplied with ammunition were hungry and the trek through the Boston Mountains was slow. By December 6th, Hindman had reached the Morrows just south of Prairie Grove and directly east of Cane Hill. That night however he learned that Herron's army was fast approaching from the north to relieve Blunt causing Hindman to reevaluate his plan of attack. Rather than attack Blunt, he decided that he would move north and intercept Herron and then once Herron was defeated return to advance on Blunt. That night, Hindman's army slipped past Blunt unnoticed on Cove Creek Road moving north to intercept Herron.