On November 30, 1864, Federal commanders formed a defensive line anchored by artillery at the Carter Farm. About noon, Gen. Jacob Cox ordered Capt. Lyman Bridges, Chief of Artillery, to begin placing the guns. West of Columbia Pike, four batteries were put into position, including the 29th Ohio Light Artillery's four 12-pounder Napoleons west of the Carter smokehouse and four more 12-pounder Napoleons of Battery B, Pennsylvania Light Artillery, about 1,900 feet northwest, just behind the Federal line where it crossed Carter's Creek Pike and angled to cover approaching Confederate troops. Bridges kept Battery A, 1st Ohio Light Artillery, and his own Illinois Light Artillery battery in reserve behind the Carter House, then at 3 p.m. deployed one section west of the house to support the main and reserve infantry lines and to create a crossfire with the Pennsylvania guns; during the battle he moved the other section alongside it. Over four hours, those guns and Capt. Jacob Ziegler’s Pennsylvania Battery fired almost 1,000 rounds of solid shot, spherical case, fused shell, percussion shell, case shot, and canister, causing heavy losses among the attacking Confederates. The 20th Ohio guns fired 169 rounds and also inflicted significant losses, while the 1st Ohio cannons fired only a few rounds. Federal artillery helped cripple the Confederate assault and turn the tide of the battle.