In December 1861, after moving his base of operations from Mill Springs to Beech Grove, General Felix Zollicoffer ordered his men to build a line of fortifications one mile north of the Cumberland River, stretching from the river to White Oak Creek. The westernmost of three redoubts stood along that line, with its original edges later marked by logs after the redoubt was destroyed following the battle. Finished in late December, the fortifications extended more than a mile and enclosed 1,000 acres. The breastwork at this position was ten feet high, with a trench in front of it fifteen feet deep and ten feet wide, and trees were felled to create clear lines of fire, obstruct an enemy approach, provide firewood, and help build winter quarters for the 6,000 men encamped there. Cabin sites in front of the redoubt had been built before the redoubt itself, forcing their occupants to construct new cabins behind the lines. Some soldiers at Beech Grove worried that a defeat would trap their baggage across the river, and after the battle Union troops found those fears justified when they entered Beech Grove and discovered one thousand horses and mules running loose, along with a battery wagon, forge, small arms, large amounts of ammunition, and ten pieces of artillery with ammunition in their caissons and horses still standing in the traces.