This no doubt added greatly to the window of opportunity that helped 59 men reach Union lines. The Richmond Enquirer of  February 11, 1864 expressed such a sentiment: "It is feared that [the fugitives] have gotten rather too much the start of the pursuers to admit anything like the recapture of them all."
This occurrence likely prolonged the window of opportunity allowing 59 men to reach Union lines. The Richmond Enquirer on February 11, 1864 expressed concern that [the fugitives] had gained an unfair advantage over their pursuers, making it improbable for all of them to be recaptured.