The 42 men of the 2nd Platoon , B Company , 23rd Infantry held outpost positions on seven hills covering a 2 @,@ 600 yards ( 2 @,@ 400 m ) front along the east bank of the Naktong north of Pugong @-@ ni . Across the river in the rice paddies they could see , in the afternoon of August 31 , two large groups of North Korean soldiers . Occasionally artillery fire dispersed them . Just before dark , the platoon saw a column of North Koreans come out of the hills and proceed toward the river . They immediately reported to the battalion command post . The artillery forward observer , who estimated the column at 2 @,@ 000 people , thought they were refugees . Freeman immediately ordered the artillery to fire on the column , reducing its number . However the North Koreans continued their advance .