Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-05-23
A SOLDIERS PASSING.
Death Of Squire Louis BIedsoe,
the Rock Island Boy, at
Camp Alger.
TO BE GIVEN A MILITARY FUNERAL

Body to Lie I'm State at the Rodman
Rifles Armory and Services to be Held
at the First Methodist Church Burial
In the National Cemetery at the Gov
ernment Arsenal.
Squire Louis Bledsoe, the Rock Isl.
and volunteer who passed away al
Camp Alger. Falls Church. Va. Sat.
urday. mention of which was briefly
made in The ARGUS of that evening
was the oldest son of Mr.. and Mrs. j
P. Bledsoe. 422 Twentv-second street
He 'would have been 10 years of age
the 18th of July.
The dead soldiers parents are in
very poor circumstances. Louis was
a good boy. Wey were proud of him.
He gave me this. - said Mrs. Bledsoe
this morning, as she glanced at the
photograph of her boy. '.before he
went away. 1t is hard enough to
lose him. but that he should be a..
lowed to die for want of proper shell.
ter is cruel
The remains are expected from
Washington today. The funeral,
which will he military one. will oc-
cur Wednesday afternoon at O'Clock
from the Armory. where the remains
will lie in state. to the First Method
list church, where services will be
conducted by Rev. c. o. McCulloch.
A public meeting of citizens was
held at the city council chamber last
evening to arrange for the funeral.
the soldiers parents being unable to
give him the burial that he is en-
titled to. Capt. W. j. Ransom was
chairman of the meeting. which was
called to order by S. r. Wright. Don
Shaw officiating as secretary. Don
Shaw. S. r. Wright. Charles Spencer,
Charles Stoddard and j. W. Quinlan
were appointed a committee on ar
rangements and will employ band
to head the funeral procession, in
which all military organizations OF
the county will be asked to partici-
pate. The committee will 90 among
the people and solicit funds to pay
the expenses of the funeral.
A committee composed of H. A. J.
Mcdonald. f. Nj. Wilcox and b. F..
Ellis, appointed by the meeting, called
on Capt. Blunt and asked permission
to bury the remains in the national
cemetery at Rock Island arsenal. The
captain, after applying to the war de-
partment, granted the request, and
in letter to Gen. Wilcox stated that
all military honors would be paid. in
Guiding the meeting of the remains at
the main gate and the firing of ST,
lutte.
Parting Tribute of Comrades.
Bledsoe and another private of the
regiment were taken sick with typhoid
fever before leaving Camp Tanner, as
"A direct result, so the soldiers claim, o.
Gov. Tanners desire to win reputation
by rushing the troops into camp with
out making preparations to care fol-
them. The other man, William Fry. o.
this city. was sent to the hospital al
Springfield, but it was thought thai
Bledsoe was well enough to travel
He marched to camp from the railway
station Friday afternoon, but wa.
taken very i'll Immediately, and never
became better. A brief military service
was held over his remains Saturcav af
ternoon. the chaplain of the Sth Ohio
officiating in the absence of the chap.
lin of the 9th Illinois. The Sth Ohio
band also played hymns just befor,
the services began.
The buglers of the 9th regiment
were in attendance, and played taps
as the chaplain finished. and the mem
bers of the regiment passed bare-headet
beside the coffin and looked for the
last time on the face of their comrade
Then. accompanied by a guard o.
honor, the pallbearers took up tn,
casket and bore it to the hearse thai