Cooke, who had four brigades totaling about 1,200 men, had been ordered by Heth to protect the supply trains already parked at Sutherland's Station. Heth left Cooke in command before the battle started to report to Lee's headquarters. Cooke's men threw up a slender line of earthworks about long along Cox Road parallel to the railroad with an open field about with a slight slope in front. Heth had placed Cooke's men on favorable ground between Sutherland Tavern and Ocran Methodist Church with a refused left flank and sharpshooters deployed in front as skirmishers. The entire Confederate force at Sutherland's Station was estimated by a staff officer at about 4,000 men.