Grant, besides sending McPherson to Rosecrans' support, had directed Hurlburt at Bolivar to march with his division on the enemy's rear. Hurlburt started on the 4th by way of Middletown and Pocahontas. At the former place he encountered the enemy's cavalry and forced them by night to and across the Big Muddy, where the division encamped, one brigade having taken and crossed the bridge to the east side. Hurlburt's orders from Grant were to reach Rosecrans at all hazards.(12) The situation for Hurlburt was critical. He had in front of his single division both Van Dorn and Price. But the situation was in a high degree desperate for the retreating army. If its retreat were arrested long enough for Rosecrans' column to assail it in the rear it must be lost or dispersed. It was this that Grant confidently calculated on. On the morning of the 5th Hurlburt pushed vigorously forward to Davis' Bridge over the Hatchie. General Ord arrived about 8 A.M. and took command of Hurlburt's forces. The movement had hardly commenced when strong resistance was met with. Ord pushed the enemy back for about three miles with General Veatch's brigade, taking a ridge--Metamora--about one mile from the Hatchie. Here a severe battle ensued, the enemy was driven from the field across the bridge, and a portion of Ord's command gained a position just east of the river, though not without much loss. Ord was himself wounded at the bridge, and the command again devolved on Hurlburt. The latter soon thereafter secured a permanent lodgement on the east of the Hatchie, thus effectively stopping the retreat of Van Dorn by that route and forcing him to fall back and find another less desirable one. Under cover of night Van Dorn retreated upon another road to the southward, and crossed the Hatchie at Crum's Mill, six miles farther up the river.(13) The success of Ord and Hurlburt was so complete that Grant believed Van Dorn's army should have been destroyed.(14)