The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-05-09

| For tie FIRE. I,ad.r:-From letters in
my hand | am enabled TO furnish some
! facts in reference to the death of Col J. c.
Cameron. that will be read with painful
| interest by his many friends in this city
| anu surrounding country
/ At the time Of his death he was in com
mand OF a battalion of Loyal Alabamians
| A regiment OF loyal refugees was being or
yanized at Corinth They had six compa
mics organized and formed into a battal-
ion, with a fair prospect Of filling up the
Regiment He had been appointed to the
command of this battalion as Lieut. Col.
and when completed would have com
ma nded the regiment Though his men
were poorly mounted and armed for &C.
ton-ti,ey joined the expedition that lef,
Corinth on the 18th of April, for Tuscum
bia and Northern Alabama, under ,ien
! Dodge. This battalion was attached to
the 10th Missouri cavalry, under Col Cor
nyne At the Bear Creek crossing a
| few miles from Tuscumbia they fell in
with the enemy on the 18th in considera-
BILE force. and heavy skirmishins ensued.
During the fight. it appears that our men
! lost y battery. Col. Cameron with his
men was order ed to charge upon the reb-
els and re.ake the battery 1t was a
somewhat formidable Undertaking for
men so indifferently mounted and equipped
/ as his men were. lie calamity led his
/ men to the..charge, and swept the enemy
, from the field, but he fell mortally wound
ed jus: as they were selling the battery
! His brother Alex. was leading on one OF
/ the companies, and vas but little way
from him wien he fell; but was so alb
/ sorbed with the work on hand that he
did not see him fall.
.ssion OF the field. and his rother turned
his attention to the killed and wounded
! The first salutation that fell upon his ear
was, James is killed. lie FASTENED TO the
| place where he last saw him, and found
him lying on the ground seriously wound
ed but in full possession of his mind, and
perfectly calm and composed. Though
satisfied that lis wound was . fatal one,
he had the surgeon examine it inmcdi.
ately. he pronounced his case hopeless at
once.
They were preparing to remove him
from the field, whea she rebels came up
on them in greater force. James told
them. by all means to leave him and not
fall INTO the rebels hands. Putting him
in charge of a young man, a citizen, they
left him, hoping the enemy would allow
him to remain with him. In few mo.
ments his brother with few brave men
swept back over the field, and had him
again in their hands The rebels took
the youn. man, who was taking care Of
him with them when compelled to- aban-
don the ground
| This time his brother had the privilege
of remaining with him for more than an
hour.
Though suffering dreadfully from his
wound, with the hernism of a true soldier
he bore i, with unfaltering fortitude man.
| ifesting more concern for his comrades
and more feeling for his friends than for
! himself Mr. Calvin Goodelough. wealthy
citizen living near, had sent bed for the
purpose of removing him to his house
Ills brother had secured the services of
| a physician, who had promised to stay
with him as long rs he lived. Before
they removed him the rebels attacked
. them again. This was not more than ten
minutes before the young hero closed his
eyes in death. His brother begged the
privilege Of remaining with him.
lie had already put his saber, pistols
! and watch in his hands. and now grasping
him more firmly w tie hand, with a eaes.