In the last days of December, 1862 the Union Army of the Cumberland (Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans) advanced south from Nashville to engage the Confederate Army of Tennessee (Gen. Braxton Bragg) at Murfreesboro.  On December 31 a successful attack by Confederate forces drove back the Union right flank threatening to cut off Rosecrans’ line of supply and retreat to Nashville.  Expecting the Federal army to withdraw, Bragg did not renew his attack until January 2, 1863 giving Rosecrans time to reconfigure and strengthen his lines.  The Confederate attack was repulsed and followed by a Union counter attack that forced the Army of Tennessee to ultimately withdraw to Tullahoma.