We were all unarmed, which fact their leader, John Blackburn, knew, for he had talked with us not more than two hours before, and knew we had no arms with us. When the firing commenced five of the recruits jumped out of the wagon and ran through some high weeds to make their escape. The driver, John Roe, one recruit, John Shire and myself remained with the team and were all wounded, the driver slightly, Shire severely in the head, and I received four severe wounds. All eventually recovered. The year following a band of bushwhackers waylaid another lot of recruits going to Chillicothe, under the leadership of Joseph Conkling, at the northwestern border of the same grove and half a mile from where we were fired upon.
Many persons get the two occurrences mixed.
By the early spring of 1862 Kirk and his men had become quite notorious throughout this county and the eastern part of Daviess, and had given the Federals no little trouble. They defied all attempts at capture and frequently fired on small parties of their pursuers. A thorough familiarity with the country, and the fact that nearly every citizen was not unfriendly towards them greatly facilitated their movements and they kept the Federal forces in the country in a constant state of uneasiness and annoyance. At last a plan was matured by Lieut.-Col. A. M. Woolfolk, of the 1 st M. S. M., for their capture or dispersion.