Much of the military activity in western Kentucky during 1861-62 consisted of "guerilla-style" operations in which small Confederate raiding parties assaulted Unionists and the union army. These activities were a constant annoyance and created uneasiness among the Union troops occupying the region. The raids also caused friction between an increasingly frustrated Union army and local citizens many of whom were Southern sympathizers. For instance, on Christmas Eve 1861 Confederates attacked a Union camp at Moscow in Hickman County. During the skirmish, the Federals retreated and the Confederates burned railroad trestles in the area.

This site has local significance because of its association with military activities and events that achieved or affected important local objectives of the Vicksburg campaign.