On January 21, 1864 Union scouts with Brig. Gen. James Spears reported that Confederate forces advancing from Blain’s Crossroads had crossed the Holston River near Strawberry Plains and formed a mile-long skirmish line. Also see “Dandridge.”
Blountville
Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside, commander of the Department of the Ohio, undertook an expedition into East Tennessee to clear the