, 1866-10-21

i Cruel Inspo%itIon Practiccd upon tn
Parents Of Dead Soldier x1oy.

Correspondence Of the New York Hcsald.]
1t WAS stated by the Richmond (Va.) cor
respondent Of the Herald, 10 Its issue Of AL
gust 81, that the relatives and friends Of the
through King William Cou1ty, after his re-
maskablc raid on the city Of Richmond, have
been grossly de1udc1 BY having palmcd Off
upon them fictitious body In lieu Of that
OF tho deceased Colonel. The frequency
with which cruel inlpositions Of q similar ma
have lost children aud other relatives and
friends in the army during the late War,
could not but excite astouishment, were It
known to what extent such lmpositlons hare
been carried. In addition 10 the case ab0re
referred to, several instances Of d most pain
ful character have conc 10 my knowledge,
one Of which occurred IN Springfield, ILL.,
nott, the home of the late President lincoln.
a respectable gunsmith Of that city had
three sons, all Of whom entered the army.
q battery at The battle Of Chickamauga, was,
with nearly the whole Of his command,
killed in the first engagement. At the age
Of twenty-five years, universally beloved by
NIL who knew him, he had Won the affections
Of an amlab1c and beautiful young gisls to
whom he WIS soon to have been united In
marriage. The announcement of his death
WIS Genvy blow to his parents and to her
who expected soon to have become his bride.
With the announcement Of his death came
Ills remains had been carefully Inferred, and
would, MS soon Us practicable. bc taken up
and forwarded, under proper escort, to the
home Of Ills parents for burial In Spring
field.
some time after It was announced In the
public prints that his remains were on their
way home, and arrangements were accord
| fnCly made for the funeral. The &hen rector
| Of the church where tho family attended
worship was requested to perform the burial
incloscd In handsome coffin, arrived III
| charge Of military escort, and was placed
in the Tarlos Of his fathers housc. 4 natu-
| ral feeling Of affection prompted desire on
the part Of the parents to see the remains Of
thcif child, Us Ii did the octcayed and wii-
the mauElcd form Of her betrotled. This
FOOT privilege was, however, denied them
for the reason, as was alleged, that the body
was so dlsfgu1cd that It could not be recos-
nlzcd, that It would be better to think
Of him as he appeared to them III life
ed In looking upon lis bloody and manxled
form ~ 1t came from the Held Of battle.
This reasoning 200. he'd and Ia q measure re-
conciled the parents, but not the young Ia.
not consent to the bur:al of the body With
ont her frst seeing 1t. stfll her imror. unity
failed to effect her object. Finding at Last
that she wonld not be permitted to sec the
l
could be allowed to scc the body and report
cd That he thought It best Tor her not to see
it she would try 10 be rccouciled to the ar
rancement. Whercuron the Clergyman, who
Eas present, WAS conducted alone by per.
lav in state. The lid Of tho comm was re.
moved, aud instead ri It's containing the re.
maine Of the deceased officer. at one end
: Of the coffin lay . few ,dsJ bone:
and toothle.s skull, which appeared
l -fAI -y-nA nj 7xf,f ,fef
had, doubtless. been taken tor the Cnrpos<
from some old graveyard. The coffin was
again closed aud the lid screwed down
Vi hen the clergyman returned to the apart
rnent In which he had left the sorrowiuf
relatives and friends Of the deceased be VA
asked If be had been able to recognise AMI
: Of hle features. His reply was that he has
rot, He was then asked II he thought !
advisablc or not for the parents aud ftiend+
to sec the corpse. Hts answer WIS tina
upcu the remains Unwilling, however, t,
lend himself In nny way to such cruc
impostuIc. the clergyman determined q
ooce privately to communicate the facts Q
The case to the father, and be governed b.
his advice as to whs.neT r. an 1anersl stoe eers
4 bcyopd measure as were the feelings Of tn
r father, when he learned Of the impositio
that had been prnctised, It vas dc
: te,mined. npen 81 sao9nsulIatio9, nt that -
| all Arrangements nad Qee0 made, It Won1
;. be better, in order to avoid excitement. t
= have The funeral take place. Accordingly
/: grnnd military pagcnt, one Of the most In
i posing. perhaps. eEer witnessed on q like o.
b casion IN sprincfleld, with bands Of musl
d playing at Intervals the most solemn dircc,
{ {ollcwed the coffin, which wns conveyed I
!; a hea1se prepared far the occasion, and co,
: cred With fiji Is and other trophies, from th
!. church to the same cemetry where, not Ion
d subsequently, were lnterrcd the remains
. Abraham Lincoln. or the large throng
!. person. who attended that fdncEal, man
! rom feelings Of friendship, some perhaI
!. rom idle curiosity, bnt few knew how muc
il the heart Of the father suffered, Or no