The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-09-05
Private Purdie's Murder.

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1t will probably be impossible, says the
Joliet RcpuJltc,Sun, to get the name Of the
man who killed poor Purdie, but if he
could be found he ought to be punished.
At all events the cavalry ought to be made
to wear ball and chain till they repented
of their wicked conduct that day.
The Joliet Ne,cs thinks "it looks as if
the state would have to take care of the de-
pendent family in some sort of damage
suit"
The Times, of Streator, wants the cavalry
abolished and sham battles prohibited. 1t
says: "There are two things which should
be abolished. The First Regiment of Hi
nois Cavalry should be the first to take a
walk, but not until it has been made to feel
guilty of manslaughter. Then sham bat
ties should be forever prohibited. They
are very dangerous to life and limb, and
afford men too many opportunities to vent
their personal spite. Abolish them both"
Coroner Clendenin, Of La Sale, has the
following in regard to the inquest held by
him recently: "The special in regard to
the Purdie inquest sent from La Sale to
last Saturdays Chicago Daily Meas by one
A. L. Hennessey does very great injus-
tice to myself and a jury of six of our
leading citizens. The jury was carefully
selected by myself, and was composed of
careful, wellinformed, honorable gentle
men, and is as follows: Forman, j. r. Cor
bus, NJ. d., expostmaster of La Sale; p,
M. Burke M. d., Secretary of the United
States pension examining board of this dis
trict; III. j. Barker, Esq, wholesale and re-
tail groceries and fruits Geo. A. Wilson,
Esq, boots and shoes and leather; M. Vol,
mer, Esq, furniture and undertaking; u
w. Bornheim, Esq, groceries and proyis-
ions. While making up the jury the
above. mentioned correspondent (IIenhes-
sey) came to me and asked to be put on
the jury, which l, for good and sufficient
reasons, declined to do. Hence his pique
and false report to the Daiiy Ne'cs and
other Chicago papers"
The ps-Herald, of Peru, says that ev-
cry possible effort will be made to identify
and arrest the bastard who caused his death.
The following letter is defense of the
cavalry by one of its members
CHICAGO, Aug GIVE regret very much
to hear of the death of Il A. Purdie, of the
Fourth Regiment Wethink, though, by
closer investigation, it will be found that
Purdie was shot by men in his own com
pany while escaping, after having been a
prisoner in the cavalry. There are two
witnesses who can prove one man of Co.
was shot that way Another man was shot
in the face when he stumbled over a barb
wire fence.
If our Lieutenant Williams, who was
stabbed through the head with 4 bayonet,
should have died from lock jaw we would
not have charged the infantry with the
lock jaw, but simply with bayonet thrust,
given when they had orders not to use bay
onets. We suppose it is the best policy to
say as little as possible about these matters,
but it is mystery to us that nobody has
taken our defense against the unjust re-
maks in the press all this time.
1t was ridiculous TO read all the miSrep-
reservations in the papers the day after the
sham fight. We can prove that one out of
ten of our boys did not know which regi-
ment they We're fighting with when they
turned the Fourth Regiment on us; so the
theory of grudge is out of the question.
The members of our command can take
an oath that they had no grudge against
any of the infantry regiments. They tried
to do with us what we trie1 to do with
them, and we both succeeded about equally
well. Why did not The two infantry com
panies in ambush attack the Fourth or
Third Regiment while they were crossing
the BRIDGE No, the companies in am
bush waited for the cavalry. One com
pany of cavalry and few men from an
other company drove them back over the
bridge--nOt two cavalry companies-as
formerly stated,
The infantry on the bridge gave us the
first volley at about II yards distance
Where We're the 80 yards: Then the cav
airy charged and drove them back, and
they retreated shoulder to shoulder, like
soldiers ought to.
| suppose that young men who enlist in
the cavalry have more or less military spirit
Ill Iltll, VI elSt tutN NplIili lbl bt litlt
There are very few men to he found in that
organization who have enlisted in order to
show off in fine uniform or to mash the
girls in a parade. Place such men in the
position we were in at Camp Weller: At
tackled from all sides, few in number,
powder burned and heated in 80 degrees
above zero, in double.time for two hours
or more, and they will necessarily become
excited; and if the programme was that
they should win, two brigades could not
have made such men retreat alive. OF
grudges there We're none, and are none.
The day after camp Welter was pitched
the press came ont with remarks that the
citizens of Illinois would like TO see the
militia "go to camp the same way as the
heroes of 'G2, without chinaware, dishes,
cook stoves or flooring in their tents" No
remarks we're made about the cavalry.
What about our bare ground beds, with Il
little straw and tin-cups and camp fires and
volunteer cooks? Our boys would feel
sorely disappointed if our camp discipline
was not strict enough To suit any regular
army commander.
At all events, we are on friendly terms
with the whole brigade and when state or
country calls upon us We will try to do our
duty.
We would recommend that a subscrip-
ton be started in the whole two brigadeS