Doc.
212. affair at Whippoorwill Bridge, Ky. December 4, 1861.
The Louisville-Nashville
Courier, of the 9th of December, gives the following details of the bridge-burning affair at
Whippoorwill:
A detachment of fifteen had been stationed at the bridge to guard it, of whom two were absent at the time of the attack.
The Federals, fifty or sixty in number, under command of a Dutch Jew peddler named
Netter, and among whom were several who had been raised in the neighborhood, made their appearance about daybreak Thursday morning. Four of the guard, who were on duty, and who were standing by a plank cabin, fired upon them, whereupon they received a volley of over one hundred rounds from
Sharp's revolving rifles, killing two instantly and wounding another.
Most of the shots were fired into the cabin, on the supposition that the rest of the guard were asleep in it, but fortunately they were in a cabin a little distance off. They were aroused by the firing, but by the time they were up, the
Federals were at the cabin, and they had to surrender.
They put the prisoners under guard, tore down the cabins, put the planks on the bridge, which they sprinkled with turpentine, and then fired it. Our informant was set about gathering up the baggage of the guard, but, finding an opportunity, he made his escape and came to
Russellville.
Willis Campbell, of
Logan County, a member of
Captain King's company, and
Hatch Jupin, of
Bardstown, a member of
Captain Wickliffe's company, were killed, and
Joseph Wilson, of
Bardstown, also in
Captain Wickliffe's company, was severely but not dangerously wounded in the thigh.
While loading his gun for the second fire, his right forefinger was shot off. Joseph Hall,
James Watshall, and
John Jernigon, of
Captain Mitchell's company;
Isaac Duckwall and
Joseph Johnson, of Boshe's Portland Rangers;
Thomas Lilly and
Messrs. Dougherty and
Fox, of
Captain Wickliffe's company, and
Paul Burgett, of
Captain King's company, were taken prisoners.
Four of the
Federals were wounded — not killed, as we understood yesterday.
They got a wagon in the neighborhood, in which their wounded were placed, and a little boy who saw them an hour or two after the fight said that one was dead.
