On June 6, 1862, Union General Jeremiah Sullivan was ordered to Jackson to secure the region for the North and establish a base of operations to support Union forces in a southward advance. After marching his troops into the city, General Sullivan's first priority was to establish a supply depot and start securing strategic locations in the region. He dispatched small units of soldiers south of the city to guard the bridges and rail lines and to notify him of any Confederate movement that might threaten Jackson.