By September 1864, the Confederate army was getting hungry. Supplies of everything were running low. Lee's army was feeling the effects of Grant's scorched earth policy in the Shenandoah Valley. On September 5 Lee learned that the Union Army had about 3,000 cattle being kept at Coggins Point, Virginia. This was only from Grant's headquarters. The herd was being lightly guarded by 250 men of the 1st D.C. Cavalry. There was also a detachment of about 150 men of the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry. This entire area of the Union rear was picketed by one understrength cavalry division. Lee had been pressuring his cavalry commander, Major General Wade Hampton, to attack the Union rear area. Hampton saw this as a chance to both attack behind enemy lines and get cattle to feed the hungry Confederate soldiers at Petersburg. Lee approved but told Hampton he had one concern: “The only difficulty of importance I see to your project is your return.”