About half past seven
Gordon with the Houssa company lay a quarter of a mile in advance of the village , Gifford with his scouts close to the edge of the wood . Major Home with the engineers cut a wide path for the advance of the troops to within a hundred yards of the village which the enemy held . Every one knew that the great battle of the war would be fought next morning . About half past seven on the morning of the 81st of January the 42d Regiment entered the village of Quarman , and marched through without a halt . Then came Rait 's artillery , followed by the company of the 23d and by the Naval Brigade . The plan of operations was as follows . The 42d Regiment would form the main attacking force .