Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 13.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

All of our troops and wagon trains were brought safely across the river without any loss and without material annoyance from the enemy; though, before the bridge was burned, some of his skirmishers came up along the river bank and made it a trifle too hot for comfort to those crossing last. Thus the Federal reconnoisance proved a fiasco, but if the detachment had fought properly, and had been ably seconded by supports, the affair might have had a very different result. It is strange that Kilpatrick should have been so remiss, when energetic bold pressure might have been troublesome. Indeed, to say the least, he did not ‘hanker after’ a fight during the remainder of this campaign. Perhaps he remembered too well that dark cloudy morning, a few days before, when, awakened by the reveille of clattering hoofs, he sprang on a bare-back horse in shirt and drawers (quite undress parade), and thus very informally left behind a certain ‘frail,’ if not ‘fair,’ damsel, deserted his men, and flew for safety to the infantry.