Some of the higher officers were little better than the privates.

They galloped about from one cluster of men to another and at every halt delivered a short eulogy upon the Union cause and the achievements of the command.
All this time the troops we had been engaged with for four hours, lay crouched under cover of the river bank, ready to come up and surrender if summoned to do so; but finding that they were not pursued, they worked their way up the river and came up on the bank between us and our transports.

I saw at the same time two steamers coming from the Columbus side towards the west shore, above us, black--or gray--with soldiers from boiler-deck to roof.

Some of my men were engaged in firing from captured guns at empty steamers down the river, out of range, cheering at every shot.

I tried to get them to turn their guns upon the loaded steamers above and not so far away.