General Crittenden commanded one of the Union Corps making its way to Murfreesboro by way of La Vergne. On December 26, 1862, the corps was one mile north of La Vergne, a small community with few stores and a railroad depot sitting in the center of town. Gaining the depot was an important part of the Union Army plan to conquest General Braxton Bragg and the Confederate soldiers because the Union would be able to move supplies and men closer to Murfreesboro.
Crossing through thick tangles of cedar in the Hurricane Creek, the Union soldiers moved closer and closer, but 2500 men and a battery of artillery were waiting for major engagement. With more and more soldiers coming to both sides, the skirmish became house to house combat with Confederate soldiers firing from windows and doorways.
When the Confederate soldiers eventually retreated, their losses were minor and it was considered a victory because it gave the forces more time to prepare for the Battle of Stones River that followed a few days later.