Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 5.
Frank Moore, Ed.

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[577] the Stars and Stripes upon the roof of the house to show his men at camp that he was holding out to the last. In doing this the gallant young man was shot, and died a few hours after. He sent up another man, who succeeded in elevating the flag and concealing himself. About this time a white flag was displayed from the camp, then withdrawn, displayed again, and again withdrawn. The firing had ceased in the direction of the jail and the provost s office.

Captain Breckinridge was in command of the camp, being senior captain. At the beginning of the fight he detailed a squad of fifteen or twenty men to proceed to the intersection of the streets in front of Mr. U. Turner's, and prevent access from that quarter. The men did not stop in front of Mr. Turner's, but pushed on from point to point, taking shelter wherever they could, and firing wherever they saw a foe, until they at last took shelter in the large brick house of Mr. William McCoy. From here they kept up a brisk fire upon such confederates as strayed that way, but finally made good their escape to parts unknown.

During this time the camp was evacuated, the soldiers being pressed back into Woodson's pasture, and had formed back of the rock fence. In this retreat the losses on both sides were pretty serious — here General Hughes fell, while leading his men to a desperate charge. By this time the Colonel's headquarters were surrounded on all sides, the building completely riddled with balls, every pane of glass demolished, the walls and floors covered with bullets — and an adjoining building set on fire in order to communicate flames to the house.

Looking toward the camp, the Colonel saw it evacuated — from other points where resistance to the enemy might have been expected, no sound of musketry was heard — and as the only alternative to save the lives of his men and the property of the citizens, he consented to hang out a white flag and surrender the post. So soon as this was done the confederates ceased firing, messengers under flags of truce were sent to and fro, and the post surrendered.

The surrender was to the Southern Confederacy--not to bushwhackers — and the prisoners were most kindly treated as prisoners of war and paroled.

In the hour of victory a moderation and magnanimity were exercised that was far from what was expected. No private house entered, no private property taken, except wagons for transportation, and no Union family molested.

The confederates returned to their camp in the country, taking with them all the arms, munitions of war, cavalry-horses, etc. Camp equipage, and such articles as were not needed, were piled up and burned. Many horses were killed during the engagement, and others so crippled that they had to be shot to put them out of their misery.

At last accounts from the confederate encampment they had been reinforced, and now number some twelve hundred.

At present we have no promise of any new Federal force immediately. News from points leads us to believe there has been a simultaneous uprising of rebeldom throughout the State.