February 19.—A fight took place at Waugh’s Farm, twelve miles north-east of Batesville, Ark. About a hundred men, composed of company I, Eleventh Missouri cavalry, and Fourth Arkansas infantry, under command of Captain William Castle, of the Eleventh Missouri, out on a foraging expedition, with a large train of wagons in charge, were attacked by three hundred men under Rutherford. They were taken by surprise, but fought desperately against greatly superior numbers.
The rebels retreated across White River, having lost six killed and ten wounded. Of the Nationals, Captain Castle and private Alfred Wilgus, of company I, Eleventh Missouri cavalry, and a man of the Fourth Arkansas infantry, were killed. Wounded—Sergeant F. M. Donaldson, severely in the thigh and abdomen ; William Ball, severely in the foot; John II. Brandon, in both hands and breast, slightly; all of company I, Eleventh Missouri.
The Nationals lost forty prisoners, mostly teamsters, about thirty horses, and sixty wagons were burnt, and the teams, six mules to each, carried off.—Sergeant Spencer’s Account.
—The Twenty-first, Forty-seventh, and One Hundred and Eighteenth regiments of Indiana volunteers, returned to Indianapolis, and met with an enthusiastic welcome.
