Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1862-06-06
stg1ar Correspondence.
From the First Wisconsin Cavalry Regt.
STEAMBOAT j. D. PERRY,
May %, 1862.

FRIEND aIoAK:
As ! am on my way to St.
Louis with the remains of Lieut.. Phillips
of Go. A, lss Cavalry, and nothing else to
do will write q few lines referring to the
akirmish in which be met his death. After
capturing Col. PhiIan and 100 men at
Bloomfield some 500 of the regiment went
on to Chalk Bluffs, Arkansas, 400 going
one road and 100 men another. The lat
ter division came to the St. Francis river
first. They found the ferry boat on the
opposite side, in the hands.of rebels. At
ter attempting the giraffe on shem to get
them to bring the boat over, vainly, our
boys opened fire, upon which they retired.
Two of our boys then swan the river and
brought the boat over, when some twelve
men crossed, among them the Captain and
two Lieutenants of Co. A, Lieut.. Merrill,
of Co. D, with some of the boys They
Immediately followed up the rebels, shoot
ing one of their horses, proceeding along
nearly 3 miles when they discovered some
norsemen Of the enemy, who deeoyed them
into the woods, where they found them
selves in an ambuscade Of 50 men. Lieut.
Merrill opened the ball. which was followed
by pretty warm work for ten or fifteen
minutes, when Maj. LaGrange, suspecting
flank movement of the enemy, for the
purpose Of surrounding our boys, ordered
them to fall back. Commencing to dc so,
and meeting reinforcements coming from
the boat, they made stand, but found on
reconnaissance, the enemy in full retreat
As we had no horses, and expecting a feint
to draw US farther into ambush, no pursuit
was made. We lost three men and FIVE
wounded. Lieut.. Phillips was shot in the
upper part of the breast, the ball wound
ing one Of the large veins. lie died from
hemorrhage the Sd day after. Lieut.. Mer-
rill received five balls and rode seven miles
afterwards to bring up the main body
The boys stood up to the rack and fought
like old soldiers. One of the secesh lead.
ers was heard to say, Give it to them
boys, they are green and won't stand
fire - but they did stand, and would new
er have fallen back had they not been CIR
dered to do SO. The enemy We're in trees
and behind trees, and in fact Lad every
thing thier own way. Phillips death shot
came from tree top. Some 20 of the
enemy were killed on the spot, besides a
number wounded, Our boys had been SO
long chasing them up that they were de-
termined to give them turn this time
The LIST Wis. is cleaning out rebeldom in
that section and there is hardly a secesh
to be found this side of the river who
openly processes a sympathy with the
south. In many places the inhabitants
had never seen the Union flag, didn't know
what it locked like ''they never got to 60
nowhere to see nothing - wanted to know
if PIttsburg was a rebel state g had sis
ter IN Tennessee, some 80 miles above St.
Louis, but never got to 60 ard see her; y
wanted to know "what state Wisconsin
was in." When the band struck up Dix
lie they were in ecstacies Such music
they had never heard before, never had
seen band. just make note of these
incidents as they are suggestive, They
show what material evil designing men
have to work on to stir up rebellion
against the greatest government in the
world. Everywhere the inhabitants are
focking in to take the oath of allegiance,
and the lst Wisconsin is hailed with graf
itude and welcome everywhere they 90 as
the first troops that have done any actu-
al good IN restoring peace and safety to
the southwestern part of the state. Col.
Daniels is laying by laurels for himself,
and bis excellent judgment and superior
management is gaining over thousands
here to frmer and more devoted love for
the stars and stripes, But l must close
as the ladies aboard have gathered around
the piano and are discoursing very sweet
music, and am always on hand where
anything of that kind is going CD. More
anon. PELEG.
ELL1oTT's IMPROVED 'PEARLn SEWING