Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-10-18
From the St. Louis Republican OF the nth.
LATEST FROM MISSOURI.
BURNING OF THE BIG B1vER BRIDGE-JRFF
THOMPSON THE INCENDTARY.

/
THOMPSON THE INcENDGARY.
AT late hour last night car and engine
| came up on the Iron Mountain Railroad,
bringing the squad of Illinois volunteers
! which constituted the guard at the Big
| River bridge previous to its destrution by o
force headed by the notorious JEFF Thomp-
son. This guard numbered only twenty eight
men, officers and privates, and belonged to
the Illinois Normal Regiment.
The attack was made about daylight yes-
terday morning. The Secessionists came
close up to the Illinosans with the design of
capturing and disarming them before resist
ance could be made. The latter, however,
seized their muskets, discharged them and
reloaded and fred with all possible rapidity,
many of the attacking party falling as they
approached Many of the soldiers, when too
closely pressed to load, made stout defense
with the bsyonet.
rebel captain was killed by bayonet
thrust, and some ofhis comrades were treated
TO ugly wounds by means of the same weapon
in the hands of the Illinoissns The defend
ers Of the bridge were finally hemmed in and
captured.
JEFF Thompson and his forces then pro-
ceeded to fire the bridge, and it was burned
thoroughly by them. He was as proud of
his victory over the handful of soldiers as if
he had performed a feat worth boasting Of
talked with the prisoners, and was quite
| IlO bhlu uC 'udu u COuNihuu
of FIVE thousand mounted men, and that they
were all in the vicinity. By burning the
bridge be would cut off communication be-
tween st. Louis and Pilot Knob, and that
the latter in due time would be taken, as
well as all the detschments of Federal troops
at intervening bridges and stations. He dis
armed the prisoners, released them on parole,
and then disappeared with his command, our
informant thinks, to burn another bridge on
the road, twenty miles distant, toward the
Iron Mountain.
The loss of the Illinoisans was one killed
and two or three wounded, one of the
wounded being Captain Elliott, who was in
command of the party. They assert that
they killed twenty Of the Secessionists, and
wounded several Others.
The remaining FIVE companies of the Wis
consin Eighth Regiment left at one o'clock
this afternoon, and will proceed down the
road to join the first battalion which left
last evening.
The Federal force at Pilot Knob consists
of three regiments of infantry, including the
Illinois Thirty third, and several companies
of cavalry-in all, about three thousand five
hundred men. They can easily defend the
place. intrenched as it is, against any hostile
force not greatly superior to JEFF Thompsons
i'll armed and half clad rabble.
From the st. Louis Democrat, October III
MATTERS And THINGS IN ARKANSAS.
A gentleman arrived here yesterday from
Jacksonport, Jackson County, Arkansas. He
went to that place from Illinois about eigh-
teen months since, and engaged in school
teaching. Being of Union proclivities, and
having been watched rather too closely for
comfort, he resol we'd to leave the State. He
left Jacksonport about four weeks since, was
taken sick on the road, crossed the Arkansas
line two weeks ago. At Batesville he heard
that Hardee was ordered to Kentucky. He
nf Harnaal5 oo11iaro of mn
Shades, who were out on furlough. They
represented that Hsrdee had shipped part of
his troops from Pitmsn's Ferry to Kentucky
down the While River. The remainder were
to follow, leaving only three or four compa-
nies, part of McCarver's regiment, at Pit
mans Ferry. These companies were to be
sent forward to join Hardee as soon as Colo
mel Desha's regiment from Independence,
were sworn in and reached that point
On the route across the border three squads
Of negroes were met, one of these-number.
. ing sixty or seventy-was ON the way to
Mississippi, having been taken from owners
eight of ten miles west of Springfield, Mo.
At Salem, Fulton County, Ark, stayed
over night with gentleman who had con-
versed with person who had travelled with
McCullochs army one hundred and fifty
miles from Camp Walker, on his retreat to
f ward Texas. The rumor prevailed also al
/ Batesyille that McCulloch was retreating TO-
| WdTQ 1e4AS.
AT Jacks Fork, in the south. east part Of
Texas Couny, No, he came across Hamilton
E Lencx, The latter had been pilfering and
pillaging the country, under the pretext OF
getting supplies for the Confederate Army.
When it was found that he appropriated the
! plunder for his private use, the Secessionists
even were down on him, and threatened to
run him out.
: My informant is we'll posted in regard to
the situation of affairs in Arkansas, and his
!. story is mostly repetition of twice.tolG
= tale. Prescription of suspected Union mer
was common, and outrages were being com
! mitted against life and property. Since thu
troubles conmenccl it was estimated tina
1 over three hundred persons had been huns
or shot in the State for the manifestation o
Union sentiments. In independence County
; alone five persons have been hung and shot
The merchants were the most ultra Seces
sionists, one of the secret springs of action
among this class being the heavy indebted
ness owing to Eastern creditors. Some meu
: OF Northern origin were the most rabid.
r Arkansas has about thirteen regiments o
: twelve months men in the Confederate ser
;, vice. All the pay the troops have received
t has been in Arkansas bonds, and a goot
i deal OF murmuring was heard among tn
p soldiers owing to the worthessness of thi
a currency, some writing home that they coult
Q not even purchase chicken with hatful @
-
o Three regiments for three.years' servict
s were called upon to rendezvous at Batesvillt
: and Clarksville. The call had been out
d month, and not a man had enlisted yet.
!. A call was made by the military authori
ties for all the arms in the possession of tn
= citizens of jackson County. About fou
t hundred and fifty guns of all shapes wer
: brought in and were cut out and recon
70 structed for the MIME ball.
Groceries were very scarce and high; col
fee was selling at SOC pound, and salt iron
a 81 10 Sc per sack. Sugar dear.
y The cotton crop was damaged considerabl
s by the wet weather during the latter part {
s August and fore part of September, causiu
/, the planters to look down spirited. Th
O corn crop was very fine.
y CAMP MoKINsTRY, NEAR SYRACUSE, /
Wednesday Night, October l6.
!, A special dispatch to the st. Louis Repul
4 Hcan says that one of General McKinstry
o. scouts arrived this evening, having left Gel
4, eral Prices camp south of the Osceola on Il
ID Usage.
le The scout passed three days in the reb
le camp, where there were about nineteen tho
E. sand fighting men, all State troops, WI
were in wretched condition, poorly cla
and with hardly any provisions. Their arm
were of varied character, but mostly sho
- guns and old fashioned rifles,
l.. pFioa wa anYinua tn Oat further SOuth