eight o'clock in the morning
All night the Federal troops had marched , and at daybreak on the 21st nearly 40,000 men were in position on the left flank of the Confederates . The latter were not taken by surprise when Stuart 's cavalry brought in news of the Federal movement , and General Beauregard , instead of moving his troops toward the threatened point , sent orders to General Longstreet on the right to cross the river as soon as the battle began , and to fall upon the Federal flank and rear . Had this movement been carried out , the destruction of the Federal army would have been complete ; but by one of those unfortunate accidents which so frequently occur in war and upset the best laid plans , the order in some way never came to hand , and when late in the day the error was discovered it was too late to remedy it . At eight o'clock in the morning two of the Federal divisions reached the river , and while one of them engaged the Confederate force stationed at the bridge , another crossed the river at a ford . Colonel Evans , who commanded the Confederate forces , which numbered but fifteen companies , left 200 men to continue to hold the bridge , while with 800 he hurried to oppose General Hunter 's division , which had crossed at the ford . This consisted of 16,000 infantry , with cavalry and artillery , and another division of equal force had crossed at the Red House ford higher up . To check so great a force with this handful of men seemed all but impossible ; but Colonel Evans determined to hold his ground to the last , to enable his general to bring up reinforcements .