That is one of the theories. His command apparently found out that day, in Oxford, from a newspaper, that Chambersberg Pa. had been burned. The more probable cause is, that while in Oxford, Smith found out Forrest had eluded him and slipped around behind him into Memphis. Smith had also burned parts of Ripley one month before in almost the exaxt same manner. I personally think he intended to burn Oxford before he ever left Memphis. Forrest, on and off, had used Oxford for the better part of a year, for one of his headquarters. We have to speculate on all this because Smith either wrote no report on this expedition, or at least none hase ever been found. My personal opinion is that most criminals do not write down incriminating evidence about themselves.