Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 4.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

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[13] invasion, and that, seeing his offensive moves suspended on account of the necessity of pursuing the hostile troopers, he found it wise to let them penetrate into the free States. Besides, he thus facilitated the task of his soldiers and rendered more probable the capture of the hostile cavalry. His lieutenants made no serious effort to prevent Morgan from penetrating into Indiana.

On the morning of July 8th a thick mist was hanging over the river. When it had dissipated the two steamboats, loaded with troopers, were ready to cast off their lines; but some Federal militiamen having shown themselves on the right bank with a piece of artillery, it was necessary that Morgan's artillery should open fire to disperse them. About eight hundred men, without their horses, had already landed on the opposite bank, when a Federal gunboat was espied coming down the river. It was a serious case, for the two steamers could not be risked within reach of her guns: the interruption of the passage during the course of the day would be sufficient to give Hobson and Judah time to overtake Morgan, while troops brought from Louisville would surround the Confederate detachment cut off on the right bank. But, although she was escorted by another vessel, the gunboat was content to exchange a few shots with the enemy's artillery. Judah did not go beyond Litchfield; Hobson reached Brandenburg only at night; and in the evening Morgan's entire division was in Indiana. If Burnside desired this consummation and wished to facilitate it, his calculation was right from a political standpoint, but it had a disastrous influence on the military events that followed. If he did not desire this consummation, then he was very badly served.

At the news of the appearance upon her soil of a Confederate military body, the importance of which was magnified by the voice of the public, the entire State of Indiana was thrown into commotion: everywhere the militia began to organize. Morgan, on his side, had just heard of the capitulation of Vicksburg and the defeat of Lee: these tidings gave a fatal blow to his designs. The point in question was no longer to cut railways, to destroy the supply of provisions belonging to the enemy's army, nor to levy a contribution on the large cities. But a display of audacity was required, and Morgan was yet able to promote his cause