We now realized as never before the futility of direct assault upon intrenched lines, well prepared and well manned. The attack failed . . . . the line (of the Confederates against which the 86th charged) was stronger than was the Union's Cemetery Ridge line at Gettysburg.
Company "D" of the 108th Regiment, commanded by Capt. David R. McCutcheon of Panola, (probably no relation to the cartoonist, John T. McCutcheon)1 was more of a local company than was "A" of the 86th. Although it took part in many other campaigns, it became noted for its extreme bad luck in the early phase of the Vicksburg operations. Fourteen of our soldiers died of disease in the marshes around Milliken’s Bend and Young's Point in 1863. This company contained ten men from Greene, twenty-eight from Panola, four from El Paso and six from Palestine Townships, forty-eight local men in all. Not one of them was killed in action, but the list of those who died of disease around Vicksburg should make us appreciative of the better medical facilities today. The 1863 casualty list is as follows: Lot Hanna, John Bowman, Andrew Betz, Lewis Hanna and Francis J. McCord, all from Greene; John M. Maxwell, William B. Ray, Simeon P. Betz, Charles Kingdon, George Hoover, Thomas Moss and John Siller, all of Panola Township; in addition there was William H. Cooper of El Paso and Isaac J. Leabo of Secor, all dead of disease in one campaign and all of one company. The third in command in this hard luck outfit was 2nd Lt. Gabriel S. Woods, storekeeper of Gabetown, for whom that town was named.
Capt. Wingfield M. Bullock's Company "E" of the same regiment fared but little better. He had fourteen Palestine Township men in his unit and three of them died: Ancil Bunting, James H. Causey and Alexander Miller. Men later well known around El Paso who served under Capt. Bullock were George W. Horner, James A. Williamson, Allen Bilbrey and Marcus Robeson. Joel D. Powell of Secor served in the same regiment in another company. Capt. Bullock was shot through the leg in his final battle of importance, the attack on Spanish Fort guarding Mobile Bay. The captain had a decided limp until he died, long after the turn of the century. He moved from Eureka to the Bullock farm northwest of El Paso after the war and resided there until he retired, when he moved into his town residence, now the remodeled Vincent Funeral Home.
Another local unit was Troop "G" of the 4th Illinois Cavalry, formed by Col. T. Lyle Dickey of Ottawa. Harry D. Cook of Kappa organized Troop "G", called a company in Civil War days. When he was promoted to Major, the former first sergeant, Elijah H. Baker of El Paso was promoted from second lieutenant to captain and given command. No less than forty-five men from our five township areas served in "G" company, and some twenty-five others from Gridley, Hudson, Eureka and nearby towns were also in the unit. Prominent El Pasoans included 1st Lt. John T. Harper, local lawyer, Sgt. William R. Bigham, local carriage manufacturer, William H. Campbell, John Carver and Marshall Montgomery, son of pioneer George Montgomery.
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