Early Saturday morning, July 11, General Morgan and his raiders followed the roads northward from Lexington toward Vernon. At Vernon, Morgan demanded the surrender of the town, but was rebuffed. The Home Guard commander responded that the town was swarming with troops, and that it was Morgan who should capitulate. No agreement was reached and a message was sent to Morgan asking for a two-hour delay, time needed for the women and children to be removed. During the lull, additional Federal troops arrived in North Vernon, raising the total to approximately 2,000. Morgan, already aware of the pursuing Union cavalry, learned of the reinforcements to the north and realized he was in a precarious situation. As darkness fell, Morgan retreated toward Dupont, to the southeast. General Lew Wallace and 1,300 men arrived in North Vernon at 9 p.m. Wallace set up headquarters in a red brick house, still standing, at the southwest corner of Vernon Square. The incident at Vernon represented the only time Morgan was stopped and turned back in Indiana. As Morgan fell back toward Dupont, an incident occurred in Vernon that became known as the "Battle of Finney's Ford." In the dark of the night, nervous northern defenders lined the Muscatatuck River, then heard loud splashing noises. Assuming the clatter was created by Morgan's Raiders, the defenders bolted to action, only to lose their way and fall over the bluffs. Several were injured before it was learned the noise resulted from a local farmer herding his animals across the shallow river.