The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-03-29
The Bull Run Battle Field..RecOvery OF
the Body Of Col. Cameron.


To Major A. Elliott, U. s. A., and Mr. John
Kane, Orderly to the late Col. Cameron, was
assigned, by the Secretary of War, the honor
able, though melancholy duty of searching for
his body, which the Confederate military au-
thorities at Richmond had stated, in answer to
a communication as to its disposal, was buried
in a manner Incoming his rank, and the grave
properly marked for future Identification, and,
if necessary, exhumation. How far this state
ment is consistent with the much Wanted ideas
of Southern chivalry" and "high toned gen.
tlemen,'' will be best shown by the following
statement:
On arriving at the battle field of Bull Run,
the party Immediately instituted enquiries, the
result at first being very unsatisfactory. No
thing daunted, however, they continued them
with redoubled ardor and interest, which ter,
minated in bringing out the fact that his body
had been taken, in the course Of the pursuit
from the Federal ambulance in which it had
been placed, by the Black Horse Cavalry, and
thrown like dead dog few yards in front of
a small house which at the time was, we UNDER
stand, being used as temporary hospital. 1t
had lain but few minutes, when it was de-
prived of coat shoes aud stockings; and like
ness of Mrs. Col. Cameron was found in the
breast pocket Of his coat. This latter article
was sent to Mrs. JEFF, Davis. For several days
the body. along with five Federal soldiers, re-
manned unbured and UNDECIDED, until the effiu.
via from it and them became so offensive, that
a woman who had taken possession Of the
house, after it had no longer been used for
hospital, requested some slaves to remove and
bury them. This they refused to do, owing to
the very decOmposed state of the bodies -
Finding them determinedin their refusal, she
applied to a farmer of the name of Duggit OF
-
bury the bodies They at once proceeded to
obey his instructions by selecting as suitable
resting place rs they could find, but on their
commencing operations he stopped them and
ordered them to bury them in line within a
gulley, and saying with an F. F. v. impreca.
ton, that any place twas good enough for
these Id numbering Yankees" They were
accordingly placed two feet below the surface,
the soldiers ut the bottom and the Colonel on
the top. 1t appears that the running water
frequently washed the gravel from of the top
of the grave, or rather hole, exposing the feet
of the Colonel, but thanks to some kind hand
it was as often replaced.
The Major and party having got scent of the
whereabouts of one of the slaves who had been
employed in the sham burial. they started i'm
mediately for the plantation on which he was
employed. They found him quite communica-
i've anu promptly OHered 10 accompany them
and point out the gallant Coloners grave He
soon did SO, and after q protracted digging
rendered not only laborious and painfully and
solemnly exciting, but horribly offensive from
the pestifereus odor proceeding from the bodies
and the constant sinking of their feet in the
fatty and other matters of poor humanity, they
found the body in almost fleshess state, the
riscerd alone remaining.
Orderly Kane recognized the body at once
from the clothes, they having been purchased
by him for Col. c., few days before. the bat
tie. Apart altogether from that, however, the
truss which he (Col. CO. was in the habit of
wearing was found on his person. Great care
was requisite in its removal to the ambulance
provided for the purpose of bringing him to
Washington, but this was successfully done
FRENcH IRoN-CLAD WAR yEssELs.-The edi.
tor Of the Philadelphia Inquirer has seen Dor
ton of letter from Marscilles, France, dated
Nay ed, 1881, from Gen. Henry N. Nsglee, of
the United States Army of the Potomac. The
extract runs thus:
went yesterday and passed the day at Tou.
lon; Was delighted; it is an immense depot,
where not less than forty-f hundred men are
at work, constructing someof the most extraor-