As Gen. Pemberton's Confederates fell back from the Tallahatchie River on December 1-7, 1862, they fought a rear guard action at Oxford on December 2. To prevent the destruction of bridges over the Yocona River, Union cavalry under Col. T. Lyle Dickey attacked the rear guard at Spring Dale railroad bridge, five miles west, while other units moved to seize the nearby Free and Prophet bridges. Prophet Bridge was captured and Free Bridge, though burned, was repaired. The Federals continued south to Coffeeville.