 On November 16, a portion of Burnside's troops engaged Longstreet's vanguard, led by General Lafayette McLaws, at the Battle of Campbell's Station.This engagement, which lasted about six hours, allowed the greater part of Burnside's forces to make their way back down the Kingston road to Knoxville.As Burnside's chief engineer Orlando Poe worked feverishly to fortify the city, Union cavalry commander William P. Sanders executed a delaying action just west of town near the Bleak House, buying Poe another 36 hours before falling mortally wounded.