, 1864-03-15
ATTACK ON THE STEAMER
fAIdxLnlAN.
From our Special Correspondent

From our Special Correspondent
6TEAEER Hu1MAN, March 11th, 1864.
You have doubtless heard by telegraph of
the attack upon the steamer Hlllman, Capt.
Cayton, by BolIn's gang Of gncrillas, on
the Missouri shore opposite Island No. Is,
on "Wednesday, the 9th, bnt may not have
learned the particulars certainly nat those
Of my own experience in the affair; for your
correspondent was passenger on the Hill
man, and for two days and nights was among
the smissing.n
About noon the boat stopped ut Island No.
Is, took on quantity Of wood, and stood
over to the Missouri shore for more, about
o'clock \. N. As soon as the boat touched
the landing stepped ashore and walked a
few yards along the road leading up the river
along the bank, leaving road leading dI.
rect1y ont from the bow Of the boat into the
woods. In the angle between the two roads
an Ohio soldier stepped into the thin under
growth few yards from nc. In 4 few min
utes I heard yeu from dozen or more
men In the direction Of tue road leading ont
from The river, and Immediately saw men
emerging from behind tlickct Of cotton
wood In double-quick, and firing with pistols
at the men at the wood pile, one giving a
side shot at the soldier near me, the ball en-
tcsing the hand and coming ont near the ell
bow. In moment the whole gang, about
20, werc at the wood pile, firing around the
end OF the pile, and falling behind 1t to re-
load.
At this moment I was partly concealed By
me. started with the llope of reaching the
boat by running along under the bank, close
to the waters edge; but I discovered that
the bank was too PERCEPTIONS to render that
possible, anu if It Ind nor been, they could
give me dozen balls before could cross the
stage p1ank into the boat. Being then on
open ground, in full view, and almost within
time for deliberat1on; nor did it require much
to see that my retreat was hopelesslY cut of,
and my only chance Of escape Was In takinS
to the bush. I did not dare to run, lest I
should attract attention In that way; 80
walked of as deliberately as though had
ing up the road about forty rods, I discovered
mounted man, close upon the river bank,
inten1y watching the progress Of the attack
quietly retreatcd few yards, and turned
into dense thfcket Of cottonwo ood, and se-
cretcd myself between the three prongs of a
urge lallcu Ute, HACIE was SECURE uom
observation by any one in the road, though /
was but fifteen yards from 1t. 4 few mo-
ments after, and willie the firing continued, 1
discovered the suspicious hofseman in tbs
road, directly. abreast Of me. He turned
back, and in few moments returned on a
full ga11op towards the boat, and thought
this time discovered arms tapping at his
side.
As soon rs the firing ceased, I heard sounds
which seemed to conc from The breaking open
Of boxes md barrels, which led me to conclude
tue boat had been surrounded and the rascn1s
were plundcrlng 1t and would probably burn
It when they got through These noises con-
duced, as lave since learned, by workmen
on building beyond the boat. After sunset
saw man and woman pass up the road
from the landing talking about the af1air, and
from the few words caught, concluded
they knew The gueIillas and were pIiry to
steam waa still ignofant Of the fate Of the
boat and those on board, and after dark I lsft
ms concea1ment, marking the spot bv a tall
tree, and made through the thick underbrnsh
and thicker darkness to the river bank and
discovered that the boat had left I returned
! to my lair and lay down upon wet, rotten
| wood and bark for the night, feeling that
| solitude and darkness, under the cifcumstau-
ces, were quite welcome.
During the whole night horscrnen were
| passing and repassing In the road near which
] I LAY, while was Eliminating upon the f1x +
! Of escape- To t7ust myself In the hands OF
the dwel1ers along the bank dared not, for
I strongly suspected they were the very
guerillas themselves, or their accomplices.
How could hail boat without being dis.
covered and captured was aproblem not ea5-
would make its appearance In the course Of
the events Of war, and probably before
would famish from hunger or the night chills,
was all had TO fall back upon with any con-
fldence.
As dag approached the hustle Of the night
hood was profoundly sti!l, and heard nothing
hut the putting Of 3 boat coming up the riv
Ct. took position under the bank and
waited its approach only to feel . bitter dis.
appointment when heard It putting around
the other side Of the island. That there was
another channel through which the boat
could pass, WINS q new complication Of my
| pcrplexfties which had not thought of, and
| retired to my lair to consult with my wits
again
The day before, as soon rs I Was fairly en-
sconced iu my little den, not knowing what
guerillae, ] took my money and some papers
which would not do me any good ia such
] an erent, am org which Wns my letter Of ere.
! denec as your correspondent, and bnriea
them in the ground by my side. concluded
! ii the guerillas we're from the back country,
they were otfby that time, and By making q
dctour through the sTamps might avoid
the inhabitants and come ont at the lower
end Of the Island, where might be able to
hail boat So I dug up my money. md
managed to secrete $50 In the tuck hole of
an old fashioned spring stock wore about
my neck, and leaving ny suspicious papers,
struck out into the swamp. The morning
n3a r ne11f7
reckoning, but soon the SKY. was overcast,
and utter travelling mile or two further, I
found it impossible to proceed. Near
night the sun shoDe ont again, and ! pro-
cceded eastward for the river, and by
dusk reached the road, and haltfng TIL quite
the ieland. Following the road half q mile, /
came to house and pile Of steamboat wood
and passed unobscrred, and proceeded half q
mile further, and halted to consider. had
had no food tor two days; was badly chilled
the night before; the wind had chnnged from
$; to n: ", and It was growing cold; I was
must walk Ill night and diminish my capac-
ity for holding out without food or lie down
and perhaps chill to death before morning.
The man had passed was engaged in fur
nishing steamboat wood, Which could not
accord with tie guerilla business, and re-
solved to turn back and cast myself upon his
hospitality. Entering the house, / looked
suspicioueIy at the man and he at me, but a
little conversation established mutual conf
dence and removed my suspicious from the
whole ncighbnrhood From him learned
that was ut the very spot where the boat
was attacked, and that instead Of coming ont
a mile or two below there, rs had intended.
had struck the road half mile above, He
informed me that the gueritlas Ind their haunt
about Little River Swamp and Grand Pr1irie,
s5 miles In the interior, and were command
cd By Powell and one Of the Bo1ins, there being
several brothers Of the latter name. one Of
whom was hung by the Union men some time
ago; TINT they we're the terror Of the peiehbor-
hood, having robbed many Of the clti-
zens, end On this occasion had captured a
physician and run him off; that they had left,
and I was perfectly safe anywhere in the
neighborhood. He also informed me that
they captured and took with them. one pas
scngcr from the bont, and that the Ohio SOL
dief, wounded on shore, was carried to q
house BY two Of his neighbors, aud the next
morning taken to the head Of the Island
whtn they hailed boat and put him on
board.
I was kindly cared for by my host and his
family, and this morning, {haying secured
nv papers) while consulting about the best
mcnins Of getting a boat, the gun-boat No. Z,
New Era Commander James Marshall, Was
seen steaniiug up the Chute. When Mr. James
and his wife saw the gnnboat they were much
alarmed, expecting the whole settlement
would be held responsible for the Outrage,
and be destroyed without mercy. tried to
al1ay their fears by telling them that would
giye my opinion that they we're innocent.
tas1rd fln x,.vtnn% md IN n fnTy Ynnmen{S WAS