Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 5.
Frank Moore, Ed.

This morning I sent out a train of thirty-six wagons, for the purpose of getting corn and bacon at the Waddell farm, near Village Creek, Jackson County, Ark. I sent as an escort, parts of four companies of the Ninth regiment of Illinois cavalry, under Major Humphreys. The farm is about five miles from Jacksonport, and when the train was within about half a mile of it my men were suddenly attacked by a large force of the enemy. [191] Major Humphreys, seeing his command was too weak to cope with the rebels, sent word to me to join him as soon as possible with reenforcements.

I started with two companies of Bowen's battalion, with two small howitzers. I found the train halted in the road about half a mile from the farm, and the enemy in strong force in front and shooting at my men, and occasionally exchanging shots. I removed the fence on the right and unlimbered the howitzers in the road. I then formed companies A, M, K, and C, Ninth Illinois cavalry, under Captains Burgh, Knight, Cameron and Blakemore, on the right in a cottonfield, with orders to charge the enemy as soon as Lieut. Madison, of Bowen's battalion, should fire the howitzers, which were supported and defended by Capt. Williams and Lieutenant Ballou, of Bowen's cavalry battalion. I fired two shots directly into the enemy, when the four companies of the Ninth Illinois cavalry rode forward with drawn sabers, and made the finest charge I ever witnessed. The enemy was scattered in every direction, being completely routed and broken up. I continued to fire several rounds into Waddell's building, and then advanced upon it with Capt. Blakemore's company.

I then filled my thirty-six wagons with corn and bacon, and returned to this place, arriving after dark.

Capt. Cameron behaved with the greatest gallantry, as did his company K, Ninth regiment Illinois cavalry.

I must particularly recommend to your notice the conduct of Major Humphrey, Captains Cameron, Cowan, Blakemore and Perkins; Lieuts. Benton, Hillier, Shear, Conn, Butler and Smith, and First Sergeant Clark, of the Ninth Illinois cavalry, and Capt. Williams, Lieuts. Madison and Ballou, and First Sergeant Miller, of Bowen's cavalry battalion.

My thanks are due to Surgeon Jas. A. Brackett, for his care of the wounded, and to Battalion-Adjutant Blackburne, Quartermaster Price, and Sergeant-Major George A. Price, Ninth Illinois cavalry.

The enemy lost twenty-eight in killed, wounded and prisoners. Private Futrell, of Hooker's company, one of the prisoners, is mortally wounded. Capt. Shuttleworth, in command of Hooker's, is also wounded.

My loss was one taken prisoner by the enemy and twelve wounded, all of them of company K, Ninth Illinois cavalry.

I am, very respectfully, etc.,

In the morning a train of thirty-six wagons was sent out by Col. Brackett, for the purpose of getting corn and bacon at the Waddell farm, near Village Creek, with an escort of parts of four companies (K, M, D and C,) of the Ninth Illinois cavalry, under Major Humphrey. The farm is about five miles distant from Jacksonport, and when the train was within about one half mile from it, the advance-guard (company K, Capt. Cameron) were suddenly attacked by a large force of the enemy. This attack on the part of the enemy was gallantly resisted by Capt. Cameron and his command, who made, in his retreat before greatly superior numbers, several stands, firing upon and wounding and killing several of the enemy, until he had fallen back to the main body, where there seemed, by common consent, to be a cessation of fighting for some considerable time--Major Humphrey deeming his command insufficient to charge upon the enemy successfully, without sacrificing the lives of his men, which could be easily avoided by waiting a little while for reinforcements from Camp Tucker, sent for at the firing of the first volley by the enemy.

Two hours after the attack upon the train advance-guard, Col. Brackett was at the Waddell farm, having crossed Black River by ferry with two companies of Bowen's battalion, Missouri volunteers, and two small howitzers. He found the forage train in the road halted, and the enemy in force in front, shouting and jeering at our men with that profuseness of obscenity and blasphemous profanity for which the chivalrous, hightoned confederate troops are distinguished. The rest of the fight, outside of their braggadocio, was of very few moments' duration. Two shots from the howitzers, and a brilliant charge of four companies, A, M, K and C, of the Ninth Illinois cavalry, upon the enemy, and he was seen plying both spur and whip to his fleet animals, seeking a safe refuge from the glittering sabres and determined hearts and heads, and strong arms, that were in hot pursuit.

The result of the skirmishes throughout, was to the enemy, in killed, wounded and prisoners in our hands, twenty-eight, so far as we can learn, though Capt. Cameron's men think the figure too low.

On our side, we have a loss of one taken prisoner by the enemy and twelve wounded, two of them seriously. The following is a list of those wounded and missing on our side:

wounded.--Corporal Joseph O. H. Spinney, Corporal Judson H. Waldo; privates, William Luce, badly, Joseph Chamberlain, Thomas A. Foster, James Sherlock, Oscar D. Herrick, John R. Wilder, Hiram D. Sturm, William Farnsworth, James Kelley, Frank Doyle, all of company K.

missing.--Private Harvey Strong, company K, Ninth Illinois cavalry, a prisoner in the hands of the enemy.

Thirty-six wagons went out--thirty-eight returned, laden with corn, bacon, flour, vinegar, etc.

Col. Brackett speaks in the highest terms of the conduct of Major Humphrey of the Ninth Illinois cavalry, Capt. Williams, and Lieuts. Madison [192] and Ballou, and First Sergeant Miller, of Bowen's Missouri cavalry battalion; as also of Capts. Burgh, Knight, Cowen, Blakemore and Perkins, and Lieuts. Benton, Hillier, Shear, Conn, Butler and Smith; Battalion-Adjutant Blackburn, and Sergeant-Major George A. Price; and especially of First Sergeant Clark, of company K, Ninth Illinois cavalry.

Dr. James A. Brackett, Surgeon of the Ninth, was promptly on the ground with all the proper appliances for the comfort of the wounded, and Quartermaster Price, of the same regiment, (always ready for duty,) was “on hand” looking after the material interests of Uncle Sam.

It has been said by some military men, that cavalry are ineffective in the field. We would have been pleased to have had a few spectators of that mind at the scene of action yesterday. The men were ordered by Col. Brackett to put up their revolvers and take their sabres. It was in every respect a cavalry charge.

The four companies were drawn up in line of battle, in a cotton-field, and when the order for the charge was given, away went the men of the gallant Ninth, with sabres raised, at top of speed, but preserving perfect lines, and with such shouts as only troopers give. The “bandits” were dismayed, and without even firing a shot fled in every direction, scattered like chaff before the wind.

Company D, Ninth Illinois cavalry, Capt. Cowen, were placed in charge of the train during the fight, and are entitled to great credit for the faithful performance of that kind of duty — when all were eager and anxious to be in the fray.