The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-06-17
OfRcturninS Soldiers.

Reception OfRcturninS Soldiers.
The proclamation of Coy. OGLEsBY, is.
sued at Springfield on Thursday, exhorting
tire people of Illinois to extend an appropri,
ate welcome to their returning soldiers, is an
insult to the people generally, for it implies
that they have not thus far dore this, and
that they need to be thus solemnly appealed
to to perform an obvious and grateful duty. 1t
would have been stripped of Its offensiveness
and infinitely more to the point ifGov. Ogles.
by had addressed the proclamation to the
people of Chicago, and to himself We have
beard something about the reception of the
returning soldiers in Chicago. From Tues
day of last week to Sunday last, some ten to
fifteen regiments of Illinois soldiers-veterans
o. a hundred battles-sunbrown, foot sore.
moneyless (tor they had not been paid since
leaving Atlanta in November LAST hungry
and ragged, had arrived at Chicago They
were pitched off at the depots, suffered to
lie around on the sidewalks for two, four or
five hours, then marched off through the
principal streets, past the great sanitary fair,
past the Soldiers Home" away out to
camp Fry. In some cases, at least, they
were not even allowed to march on tie side
walks, but like cattle, compelled 10 take the
middle of the streets. No word Of kindness
was spoken to them, no refreshments Offered
them, no huzzah greeted them anywhere, not
a handkerchief waved them a welcome They
had been Toasted at Philadelphia, at Harris
burg, ct Pittsburg, and everywhere else on
the route greeted with hearty cheers and
good wilI-everywhere honored as Illinois
soldiers, until they reached the Metropolis Of
Illinois itself At camp Fry no suitable
quarters awaited them, and after waiting for
hours, in some cases at least, three-quar,er
rations we're issued to them, with no fuel or
Implements to cook them with
While this outrage was being repeated two,
three tin:es day and oftener at Chicago, IN
the midst and under the very blaze Of the
Soldiers Home (save the mark y and great
Sanitary Fair, Gov. Oglesty himself was
presen. and saw it! He could not / o ice the
ragged, sunb-o~aed, dusty soldier then. f, r
was he not surrounded by hundreds of finely
be-dizzened, be-rouged and be-perfumed
young ladies, and wasn't he hourly expected
to lionize himself by appearing in Bryan
Hall, at tine Fair, at the Opera, ard other
great places in company with s=ch no'abi
ties as Gers. Grant, Sherman, Hooker, &C.?
How could Oslesby, how could anybody in
Chicago think Of aking fuss over dirty, !
ragged soldiers when men like Grart. &c, |
were around
But along towards Sunday afternoon the !
soldiers about camp Fry were heard from.
Feeling justly indignant at their treatment, by |
Chicago, when some low vender of beer and !
sausases insulted them by declaring that
Sherman and his men were no better than
Sc. of O. d copperheads, they kicked up bit
of row. Gen. Sweet sent word to them they
must be quiet or he would send thousand .
men and a battery to put them in Greer.
The soldiers sent word back, that if he would .
do them the favor to send those men, thew
would agree TO fight them with brick-Dats and
take the city besides.
Monday the soldiers began to show them
selves at the Sanitary Far, ard they weren't
particularly sweet in their expressions about
all this sham and show in view of their treat
nent. Then. for the first time, Gov. Ogleshy,
and Chicago, having no longer occasion to
exhibit their snobbery at the heels Of the big |
generals BEGAN to bethiuk themselves of The
soldiers Since then, sort Of one horse re-
ceptiou business has been organized, ard
Ogiesby has goLe home to mend matters by .
issuing his insulting proclamation.