Though both Jackson and Commodore Patterson reported that the retreating forces had spiked their cannon, leaving no guns to turn on the Americans' main defense line, Major Mitchell's diary makes it clear this was not so, as he states he had "Commenced cleaning enemy's guns to form a battery to enfilade their lines on the left bank".
Selv om både Jackson og Commodore Patterson rapporterede, at de retirerende tropper havde naglet alle kanoner, så ingen kunne anvendes mod den amerikanske hovedforsvarslinje, modsiges dette af major Mitchell's dagbog, som gør det klart at dette ikke var tilfældet, da han skriver han havde "begyndt at rense fjendens kanoner for at etablere et batteri, som kunne beskyde deres linjer på venstre bred".