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

On the 4th of March the enemy made a demonstration in force on McCown's lines and was driven back by Hollins' fleet and our land batteries. On the 6th, Pope occupied Point Pleasant, twelve miles below, with infantry and artillery, fortified the place, and established a blockade of the river against transports. General McCown reported, under date of March 31st, that on the same day the enemy with ‘a white flag induced Capt. J. W. Dunnington (of Tennessee), commanding the gunboat Ponchartrain, to near the shore, when she was fired into by musketry, killing and wounding several.’ Skirmishing continued from day to day until the 13th, the enemy having made gradual approaches and planted batteries of heavy guns commanding Fort Thompson and the river. When convinced that the gunboats could not maintain a contest with land batteries, General McCown ordered the evacuation of New Madrid. A heavy rainstorm continued during the night and made the evacuation disorderly, and caused the abandonment of the heavy guns and a considerable quantity of quartermaster and commissary stores.

General Beauregard made demand for an explanation of the causes leading to the evacuation, and when the reports were submitted they were referred to Major Brent for examination, who reported on the 15th of April: ‘1, that the works at New Madrid could have held out longer, the enemy up to the date of the evacuation having been several times signally repulsed; 2, that disorder and confusion prevailed at Fort Thompson on the night of the 13th, the men were disinclined to obey orders, and orders were given apparently without authority; that sufficient means for transportation were not furnished; that part of the abandoned guns could have been saved.’ But nothing came of the investigation except to demonstrate the unfitness of the commander at Fort Thompson. The force under McCown was inadequate for the defense of New Madrid; and though General Beauregard considered