Col. J. J. Dickison, Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 11.2, Florida
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

[96] on the Columbine explained the Federal movements. The gunboats were ordered to guard each landing, to keep a lookout for sharpshooters and to use all means to prevent Dickison from crossing the river, while the two regiments were to scour the country for his command on the east side of the river, where he had only a few days previous captured two posts.

On reporting this victory Captain Dickison was handsomely complimented by the major-general commanding, and was directed to retain for himself one of the captured swords, reserving the next best for Lieutenant Bates, of the artillery. He returned to his headquarters near Palatka, and during the month of June and part of July the command continued to perform effective service, frequently engaging in skirmishes with detachments of the enemy and capturing their pickets.

Emboldened by their numerical strength and the fact of our having so wide an extent of country to guard with greatly reduced forces, the enemy marched from their intrenchments at Yellow bluff to make an assault on Lieut.-Col. A. H. McCormick's command. The latter reported regarding this affair substantially as follows:

On the 13th of July scouts from Tucknett's point reported that six vessels had arrived at Jacksonville the day before, but owing to the distance they could not ascertain whether they were loaded or not. At daylight on the same day the enemy advanced upon our pickets on Cedar creek at the railroad, but made no further demonstration in that direction. A scout from Broward's neck reported that two of our scouts, Turner and Houston, of Second Florida cavalry, had been captured by the Tyson's (tories). We afterward found they had been brutally murdered. On the 14th it was ascertained that quite a large force of cavalry had landed at Broward's neck, and advanced as far as Neill Turner's. Lieutenant Cone, who was then at Higginbotham, with a detachment of 25 men, and who was promptly advised of their advance, reported