The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-09-25
An TnterestinR Narrative,

| An Interesting Narrative.
Correspondence from the LIST Wis. Cav.
| We have been handed the following letter from
c. D. Hooker of Co. NJ, First Wisconsin Cavalry,
who was wounded and taken prisoner at the un>
fortunate affair OF lthe l. Anguille Ferry, Ark. Mr.
| Hooker is son of p. j. Hooker of Pleasant Pra
RE, and was for some time Student in our High
School, and his account of sufferings and trials
while in the hands of the secesh will be read with
painful interest by many of our subscriber.
HELENA, ARK Sept 18th 1862.
DEAR MoTHER.-You may imagine how glad
am more TO get to a place where have
chance to WRITE letter homo and | can think
too how happy you will be to hear from me. l
| have not heard from home since the fourth of
July, and don't know how you could have heard
from me any one who knows where have been
since we left Missouri. Since then have been
travelling all over the state of rkansas, for my
health, suppose.
We left the Cape on the 9Th of July andtravel-
ed south until the Cd of August suffering terribly
from exposure TO rain hunger and thirst, and found
ourselves near L'Anguille Ferry, St Francis Co,
about thirty-fve miles north of Helena. The next
morning, before sunrise ten Companies of Col.
Parsons Texan Rangers came down upon u.s.
Our men (only about LAO in number, Maj. Eggles-
ton in command) did nobly, in defence, but the
Texan Rangers were too many for us, and we
taken entirely by surprise AS nearly we could
learn they had between five and six hundred men.
Our men. of course, had to get away as best they
could. We had about Is killed and IS wounded,
Il was one of the 35l and As taken prisoners, Twas
also one of those. The wounded were all left on
the field, was wounded in my left shoulder with
buckshot not severely it is welnow After the Ran
gers had left the field l went TO house about
half mile from there, where they dressed my
wound and treated me we'll There I stayed
twelve days. The morning after the fight I was
taken sick with fever, and the chills soon came
on, and became weak 1 could hardly walk
At the end of twelve days secesh Capt and
Lieut. came there about twelve o'clock at night
andI was taken prisoner, and started, wounded
and sick as / was. to Little Rock. rode until
the next day at noon when they had to leave me
at private house, unable to get off my horse
without help. AS soon as got into the house l
had chill. There stayed that day and night
and the next day and night, the next morning the
man of the house got horse and took me on, to a
secesh camp where there were about dozen men,
nearly all sick The next dayI was taken to Des
Arc where 1 stayed two nights and one day.
then left Des Arc with citizen and rode in
wagon which IN my weak state was very much
better than saddle We were two days and
half going to Little Rock. 1 was treated well
along the road, but when got there was used
like dog. was shut up in the penitentary, in
little cell, high enough to stand up in long enough
TO lie down in, and wide enough to turn round
in. At one end was door made entirely of iron
CRATES, and on all other ends sides, top and bot>
tom, was a solid brick wall. For my meals they
would come round twice day and give me water.
pour it through the iron CRATES into little bucket,
and twice day give me piece of corn bread,
made Of the coarsest kind of meal and not sifted ;
and piece of fresh boiled beef; hand it all through
the CRATES: they would not let me have either
knife, fork, spoon, plate, or cup. was there in
close confinement nine days and nights In the
morning about three o'clock the keeper of the
| penitentiary (how would like to shoot HIM came
around and asked me my name. told him He
said "pet out of here as quick as you can" You
may be sure was not long getting out. but |
could hardly walk, very weak, and also had
almos, forgotten how. l was taken to the depot
There is one Railroad only in this State, Mem
phis and Little Rock but it only runs from Little
Rock to Balls Bltff on the White river. The Sc
cesh have pulled up the track the rest of the way
Between eight and nine we got On the cars and
went to Balls Bluff, arrived there about noon, A
| Capt and Lieut.. of our army came from the bluh
TO Little Rock for the prisoners, but got only
three. Fuller, of Co., f. Sergt. Maj. of the Sd
ILL., Cav and myself. Soon after we arrived at
the Bluff, I'D of Sept we started down the river
under flag of truce, in the steamer Rocket,
which had just brought up thirty four Secesh
prisoners, and was waiting for We went
down the White river and up the Mississippi to
Helena.
Two reckless Secesh bushwhackers fred upon
our flag of truce. 1 was till yesterday (the 6th)
getting to the Regiment and am now at home with
Company g. for our Company seems to be miss
| ing, only two of them here, one with Co G. and
and the other in the hospital, sick. OF Co.
that were in the fight only five or six escaped b g,
! ing wounded or taken prisoners. E. Young can
not be accounted for; must be killed. l am here
with Co. G with nothing in the world but the
clothes have on, have been sick ever since the
fight, and not able to do duty now.
There were u number of new recruits come in
| to-day from Waukesha Co. Wis, for our Regi
ment 1 suppose the boys are all enlisting, tina
are left in Kenosha Co. Tell them that is
right, but they may have ahard time of it. Dom
forget to give my love to all. Please send me
some stamps and few sheets of paper when you
write, and for my sake write as soon as possible
for have nearly forgotten how to read letter al
well as how to write one, you will see by this
Your Afectonate Son,
CD. HOOKER.