On Sunday, the 17th, an express came from the DuPage settlements, which had left there the preceding evening at 9 o’clock, bringing information of the killing of Private William Brown of Captain Payne’s company by a party of Sacs on the 16th. On the 16th the Second Brigade, consisting of three regiments, a spy battalion and a detachment, was organized, the officers of which were: Brigadier-General, Milton K. Alexander of Edgar County; Aid, William B. Archer; Brigade Inspector, Stephen B. Shelledy; Brigade Quartermaster, Henry G. Smith.[179] The officers of the First Regiment, so far as known, were: Colonel, James M. Blackburn; Lieutenant-Colonel, William Wyatt; Major, James S. Jones; Surgeon, J.J. Parrish; Quartermaster, Leonard B. Parker. It was composed of six companies, commanded by Captains Thomas B. Ross of Coles County, Royal A. Nott of Clark County and Samuel Brimberry, Isaac Sandford, Robert Griffin and Jonathan Mayo of Edgar County. The officers of the Second Regiment, so far as known, were: Colonel, Samuel Adams; Lieutenant-Colonel, J.W. Barlow; Major, George Bowers; Adjutant, Samuel Dunlap; Quartermaster, Walter L. Mayo. It was composed of the companies of Captains John Barnes (only one-half thereof, the other half being sent to Isaac Parmenter’s detachment with the Third Regiment), Alexander M. Houston and part of William Highsmith’s of Crawford County and John Arnold and Elias Jordan of Wabash County. The officers of the Third Regiment, so far as known, were: Colonel, Hosea Pearce; Lieutenant-Colonel, C. Jones; Major, William Eubanks; Adjutant, Isaac Parmenter; Quartermaster, John T. Hunter; Surgeon, Aaron Thrall. It was composed of five companies, commanded by Captains Solomon Hunter and Champion S. Madding from Edwards County, and John Haynes, William Thomas and Daniel Powell from White County. The officers of the Spy Battalion, so far as known, were: Major, William McHenry; Adjutant, Nineveh Shaw; Surgeon, George Flanagan. It was composed of the companies of Captains John F. Richardson from Clark County, Abner Greer from Lawrence County and John McCown from White County. Attached to the Third Regiment were fourteen small detachments commanded by Isaac Parmenter. On Monday, the 18th, the company of Capt. David Smith, Madison County, First Regiment, Third Brigade, was detached to occupy the post at Fort Johnston. On the same day an express arrived from the Henderson River which reported the murder on Bureau Creek of Elijah Phillips, one of a party of six who had been passing the night in the cabin of John L. Ament. As this murder created a great scare at the time, it may be well to relate the circumstances: