One of Major Dearing's battery commanders, Captain Robert Mackey Stribling, describes the incident in Confederate Veteran magazine, volume 9, no. 5 (May 1901), pp. 215-216, thus: "During the cannonade, Dearing, followed by his staff and courier, waving the battalion flag, rode from right to left of the battalion, backward and forward, the most conspicuous figure ... the courier's horse was killed and that ended the flag waving, much to the delight of the men, who did not desire any more special attention than they were then receiving from the enemy's guns."