Confederate troops marched long and hard to reach the mountain called Missionary Ridge near Fort Payne, AL, several miles south of the Alabama-Tennesee state line. They wanted to reach this position before the Federals because they knew that if they were on the ridge then they had the advantage. The commanding officers felt it a good decision to place 4 cannons on top of the ridge to protect the troops camped at the base of the mountain. Shortly after lunch, fighting could be heard in the woods nearby. The Federal forces had somehow managed to march into the valley unnoticed. A battle followed with the sounds of gunfire and artillery shots echoing down the valley. Cavalry fought for a little while, being supported by the infantry. The Federal forces captured the flag of the 28th AL. Despite this, the Confederate forces were able to push the Yankees back to the tree line on the other side of the valley.
