▁left ▁Com merce ▁with ▁his ▁army ▁of ▁ 1 2 , 0 0 0 , ▁arriv ing ▁in ▁S ik eston ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 . ▁ ▁US ▁Colonel ▁William ▁Pitt ▁Kel log g , ▁future ▁governor ▁of ▁Louisiana , ▁command ing ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁Illinois ▁caval ry , ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁encounter ▁the ▁re bel ▁sab ot age ▁of ▁recently ▁burn ed ▁brid ges ▁and ▁other ▁ob stru ctions . ▁The ▁feder als ▁were ▁attacked ▁just ▁south ▁of ▁S ik eston ▁by ▁a ▁small ▁group ▁of ▁reb els ▁led ▁by ▁General ▁Thompson ▁( he ▁was ▁called ▁the ▁Sw amp ▁Fox , ▁a ▁nick name ▁after ▁the ▁Revolution ary ▁War ▁Brig ad ier ▁General ▁Francis ▁Mar ion ). ▁Thompson ▁commanded ▁a ▁det achment ▁of ▁ 8 5 ▁hors emen ▁and ▁four ▁to ▁six ▁experimental ▁can n ons ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁manufact ured ▁in ▁M emph is . ▁See ing ▁that ▁Colonel ▁James ▁Morgan ' s ▁Illinois ▁troops ▁were ▁rein for ced ▁by ▁Brig ad ier ▁General ▁Sch uy ler ▁Hamilton ' s ▁ 2 nd ▁Division , ▁Thompson ▁fled . ▁ ▁Enter ing ▁the ▁area ▁from ▁Bird ' s ▁Point , ▁Brig ad ier ▁General ▁Ele az or ▁Arthur ▁Pa ine , ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁Division ▁of ▁Army ▁of ▁the ▁Mississippi , ▁rep a ired ▁the ▁rail road ▁and ▁te legraph ▁lines ▁and ▁used ▁troops ▁from ▁Illinois ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁g arrison ▁for ▁S ik eston , ▁Ber tr and , ▁and ▁Char l eston . ▁ ▁War