On July 17, 1864, at a road fork near old Providence Church, the 16th A.C. of the Army of the Tenn. (US), en route from Roswell to Decatur, took the west fork toward Nancy's Creek and camped near old Cross Keys. The 15th A.C., followed by the 17th, continued southeast on old Shallow Ford Rd. to Nancy's Creek, where they camped. Garrard's cav. was posted on the left, east of the 15th Corps. The primary purpose of McPherson's march to Decatur was to seize and destroy the Georgia Railroad between that place and Stone Mountain depot, nine miles northeast of it.