Manual of the Civil War and Key to the Grand Army of the Republic and Kindred Societies by J. Worth Carnahan, p. 119

August 31, 1864 – Contingents of Wheeler’s cavalry skirmish near Murfreesboro and Smyrna

Our squadron (Capt. Rheagan’s) was ordered to move on to Murfreesboro and drive in the yankee pickets, but when we arrive we found no pickets outside the fortifications. We could see the sentinels on the breastworks, walking their beats. We remained about two hours on picket duty, within a few hundred yards of the works, and then we discovered a body of the enemy’s cavalry attempting to get in our rear and cut us off. We fell back and avoided a collision. During this time our command was moving on Smyrna to destroy the railroad. We followed it up, and rejoined our regiment to night. The command captured one stockade to night. We are camped nine miles from Nashville. Diary of William A. Sloan