Marching west from Barber's Plantation at 6:00 a.m., Union forces expected to defeat Confederates 32 miles away in Lake City and then cut off railroad communications between east and west Florida by destroying the railroad bridge over the Suwannee River, but they never got that far. By early afternoon, Union cavalry had driven Confederate cavalry westward for several miles, yet as the Union neared the railroad station at Olustee, Confederate resistance grew stronger and a bloody four-hour battle began. In a letter published in the Athens Southern Banner on March 9, 1864, H.W.B. recalled that at 8 a'clock in the morning on the 20th instant they were informed that the Yankees were advancing, part of the brigade was immediately ordered to hastily constructed rifle pits nearby while the remainder formed a line of battle in an open field, and after waiting an hour their general decided to meet the foe halfway.