 In November 1863, Confederate forces under General James Longstreet marched north from Chattanooga in hopes of taking Knoxville from Union forces under Ambrose Burnside, who had occupied the city in September of that year.Longstreet wanted to attack the city from the south, but due to fortifications in South Knoxville, he was forced to cross the Tennessee River at Huff's Ferry in Loudon, and march on Knoxville from the west.To give his troops time to strengthen Knoxville's fortifications, Burnside executed a series of maneuvers to delay Longstreet's advance down the Kingston road.