James D. Porter, Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 7.1, Tennessee
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

‘ [243] given any command as to what should be done by our troops.’ Fear of Forrest and his troopers was dominant with Washburn and his forces. Colonel Thurston added that two days later ‘the whole town was stampeded at about 10 a. m. by a report that Forrest had returned in force and was again in town. It was the most disgraceful affair I have ever seen.’ At that date Forrest was 100 miles distant. General Washburn had under his command at Memphis over 5,000 troops, besides the garrison at Fort Pickering. He admitted a loss of 15 killed, 65 wounded, 112 captured. The Confederates sustained a loss of 70 killed and wounded.

Smarting under criticism of his own mismanagement, and reiterating his censure of Gen. A. J. Smith in a dispatch to General Sherman, Washburn communicated the fact that he had ordered General Smith back to Memphis and his division to Georgia. Forrest never failed to destroy the military reputation of the Federal commanders encountered by him, and he now had his revenge on Washburn and Smith for the disaster at Harrisburg.

In a few days Forrest entered upon a campaign through north Alabama and middle Tennessee, the incidents of which show great celerity of movement and how resourceful he was in the face of an enemy greatly superior in numbers and strongly fortified at all points.

With the purpose of operating in north Alabama and Tennessee, Forrest crossed the Tennessee river on the 21st of September, with Bell's and Lyon's brigades of Buford's division, Rucker's brigade, commanded by Col. D. C. Kelley, and Roddey's troops, commanded by Col. W. A. Johnson. On the 20th, the Fourth Tennessee, Col. W. S. McLemore, and Col. Geo. H. Nixon's regiment, Col. J. B. Biffle, Nineteenth Tennessee, commanding brigade, were ordered to report to General Forrest. About 400 men were dismounted.

During the night of the 23d the command reached the town of Athens, Ala., and completely invested it, and