Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-03-22
The Late Col. Cameron.

To Mai A. Elliott United States army, and
Mr.. Jno. Kane, orderly TO the late Col Cam
eron, was assigned by the secretary of war,
the honorable though melancholy duty OF
searching for his body. which the confederate
military authorities at Richmond had stated
in answer TO a communication as to lis dis
posa, was buried in Il manner becoming his
rank, and the grave properly marked for
future Identification, and, if necessary, exhu-
nation. How far this statement is consistent
with the much Wanted ideas of "suuthern
chivalry" and "high toned gentlemen" will
be hest shown by the following statement:
On arriving at the battle field of Bull Run,
the party -irtrt,tediately7 instituted enquiries,
the result at first being very unsatisfactory
Nothing daunted, however, they continued
them with redOubled ardor and interest, which
terminated in bringing ont the fact that lis
body had been taken, in the course of the pur-
suit, 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 small house which at the time was,
we understand being used as a temporary
hospital. 1t had lain but a few minutes, when
it was deprived of coat shoes and stockings /;
and likeness of Mrs. Colonel Cameron was
found in the breast pocket of his coat The
latter article was sent to Mrs. JEFF. Davis.
For several days, the body, along with five
federal soldiers, remained unburied and un
Needed until the efluvia from it and them be-
came 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 ami bury them This
they refused to do, owing to the very decom
posed state of the bodies. Finding them de.
termined in their refusual she applied to
farmer of the name of Duggit or Dug
ged. He Immediately ordered them to bury
the bodies. They at once proceeded TO
obey his instructions by selecting as suitable
a resting place as they could find, but ON their
commencing operations he stopped them and
ordered them to bury them in a line with a
guley, and saying with an f. L. V. impreea
tion that any place twas good enough for
these ID numbering Yankees" They
were accordingly placed two feet below the
surface, the soldiers at the bottom and the
colonel on the top. 1t appears that the run
ming water frequently washed the gravel from
off the top of the grave, or rather hole, eX-
posing 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 employee in The sham burial, they start
ed Immediately for the plantation OH which
he was employed, They found him quite
communicative, and he promptly offered to
accompany them and point out the gallant
colonei's grave. He soon did so, and after a
protracted digging, rendered not only laborious
and painfully aud soemnly exciting, but h0r-
ribly offensive. from the pestiferous odor pro
ceeding 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 fieshless state, the oiScera alone re.
manning.
Orderly Kane recognized the body at once
from the clothes, they having been purchased
by him for Col Cameron a few days before
the battle. Apart altogether, from that, how.
ever, the truss which he (Col C.) was in the
habit OF wearing was found upon his person.
Great care was requisite in its removal to the
ambulance provided for the purpose OF bring.
ing him TO Washington, but this was success.
fully done. Thanks are certainly due TO all
parties concerned.
No two individuals more fitted to the sad
duty than the major and Orderly Kane, bound
as they are to everything that pertains to the
memory of the deceased and the gallant stand
OF the seventy ninth Highlanders at Bull Run,
could have been selected. They have perform
ed it we'll Washington Republican.