Quickly assessing the local geography, Buford identifies the hills around a cemetery as "good ground" to be held at all costs. He knows if this ground is captured, many Union soldiers will die a bloody death, and the battle will be lost.
Buford sends scouts to collect information on what Confederate units are there, how many men, and who else is en route. He then sends messages to Meade and Reynolds asking for immediate help, though he is cynical that the help will come in time, if ever.
He places his men on the ridges west of town and makes his headquarters in a seminary nearby. This plan will allow the Union cavalry to stall any Rebel advance and buy time for the Union infantry to arrive and keep the good ground. If they arrive.
