Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1913-08-01
THE
N "a asz3X
NM aAES@
SD ILLINOIS FIRST FIGHT
Attacked by General jeff Thompson,
the Noted Guerrilla, and m
WHOLE Company Captured.

In September, 1861, the T%hirty-third
Illinois left Camp Butler, near Spring
field, Ill, for the front. On arriving at
Pilot Knob, Mo-, where Colonel Thayer
of the First Nebraska was in COM
mand three companies of the Thirty
third Illinois were stationed on h
Iron Mountain railroad: Company X
Captain ~Lippincott), with 80 men, at
Lawson's Station; Company e Cap
tain Elliott), at Big River bridge,
about ten miles north of Lawson's Sta
ton, and Company B at Victoria. 80
miles from st. Louis.
In addition to the regular govern
ment %rations, abundance of fresh
milk, butter, egg chickens. etc, were
obtained from the country folk. and
the boys got fat, writes William HI.
Edgar of Chicago, in the National
Tribune.
Late in October, one morning, while
the company was at breakfast, two
soldiers came running into amp and
reported to Captain Lippincott that
Company n, at Big River bridge, had
been attacked by Gen. Jeff Thompson.
the noted guerrilla, with 700 men, and
needed immediate help. The captain
called for SO volunteers to go to the
relief OF Captain Elliott. AS we pro-
ceeded w the track occasional shots
were heard in the timber from Thomp-
sons pickets, and soon after, following
a big curve in the track, we came in
sight Of B%lackwell's Station. about
half a mile distant, with a straight
track In front, a cornfield on the right
full of corn shocks and a deep rocky
cut extending the whole distance On
the left Of the track. A switch, with
some cars, were standing on 1t, and
some %woodpiles about the station,
which afforded shelter. The company
proceeded cautiously, when suddenly
a fierce yolley came from the corn
field, and it was apparent at once
hat the Johnnies had captured Com
pany Z, and were moving down on
Company X, and were massed behind
the cars, station and woodpiles. and
were well secreted in the corn shocks
on the right. The company at once
deployed along the cornfield fence, a
few feet distant from the track, and
directed its fire upon the corn shocks,
which seemed alive with Johnnies.
And there for 20 minutes the boys
with the old Fremont muskets in their
hands learned about hot shot" all
they cared to know.
When the captain saw that the
enemy was surrounding us he ordered
a retreat. A number, including the
first Lieutenant OF the company, were
taken prisoners, while those not taken
began a hasty retreat down the track,
encouraged greatly by the bullets OF
the pursuing Johnnies.
About a dozen of the boys o
refuge in a cave. Several squads of
Johnnies passed and repassed the
place, until finally the first lieutenant
of the company, with several men
who had been parolled, came along,
and he ordered the men to come out.
This they did, and were passed into
camp as prisoners of war. The John
MES fearing reinforcements from the
south did not pursue the company
very far. and on arriving at camp
tents were struck. and the company
marched to Mineral Point, ten miles
to the south. where 1000 Union sol.
diers were encamped.
Captain Elliot's entire command was
captured and at once paroled. On
the day following the writer, in charge
of a squad, proceeded on a hand car
to the cave, and secured the guns and
equipments he had left there. 1t was
a pleasure later for this company to
participate in the battle at Freder-
ickstown, which put JEFF Thompson
and his raiders to fight, and drove
them out of the state.