Joe,
That is pretty close to what I have read on what happened. I might add that Roswell was not the only place that this happened. I am not remembering where else it did, but it did.
Seems that Garrard crossed the river near the mill and there was a French flag flying over it with out having a US flag flying above it as was the formal custom. Stopping to investigate why this was so, he discovered that the actual mill owner had "sold" the mill to the French fellow just two days before. Garrard reported this to Sherman who left it up to Garrard to decide whether to destroy it or not, and if he decided to destroy it, Sherman preapproved the destruction and told him to march the women to Marrieta (about ten miles) to board trians north. They were put on board with nine days rations and sent to Chicago and other points north. Some went by boat up north.
Frank