Williamson, Capt – [to the editor of the Dem.] …arriving at Cane Hill Jan. 31st, finding Major Wright (federals) encamped at Boonsboro, with about 400 Creek and Cherokee Indians and at Rheas Mill three or four hundred other federals encamped and federal scouts scouring the country. We disbanded on the night of Feb 1st, 1864, all returning home to see our friends and some for the last time in life, after spending a few days we met at a place appointed glad to meet again. Capt. B. taking 4 men to accompany him to Benton county and Southwest Missouri, I being one of the four, we left our camp north of Boonsboro about the 7th of February following the mountain west of Rheas Mill, passing near Uncle Gray Billie Crawford’s farm, getting supper and breakfast with friends and returning to the mountains to wait until night to travel. About 10 o’clock that day a scout of about 32 Indians struck us, killing Hugh Crawford, as brave a boy as ever lived, we were scattered for several days, meeting again at our old camp north of Boonsboro and prepared ourselves for the Sunny South by borrowing some of Major Wright’s (federal) best horses and returned to our camp on the 21st of Feb. Lieut. Scraper (federal) struck our camp while we were asleep killing Capt. Buchanan, James Buchanan, and Wm. Buchanan, Guinnie Wilson escaped on Major Wright’s horse. Wm. Rinehart on his own horse and I made our escape on foot and were persued about a quarter of a mile. I followed the mountain round near the road and hid myself in a ravine until night, then returned to our old camp only to find the blood of my captain and his two brothers. That was a bad day to me which I will never forget. Ex-Confederate, Dutch Mills, Arkansas, February 26, ’88. (Fay Dem 3/9/88)