218 The Dead Drummer: a Legend of Salisbury Plain. 



dington, and now of St. Neots, Huntingdonshire, for subsistence and recruiting 

 money, to be paid to the boy's father who was the enlisting sergeant: and between 

 Bugden and Alconbury with Weston, in the said county, he the said boy was 

 found murdered by the side of the road leading to York, on a Sunday morning; 

 and it was thought that the offender made off towards York. The boy's throat 

 was cut, and a pocket-knife found a little way from the body; and, as well as 

 I recollect, the money was about that sum. The spot where the body was found 

 was about four miles from Huntingdon: I cannot here recollect the name the 

 offender went by; he might have been a sailor by the name of Matcham, and 

 enlisted by another name in Major Reynold's corps. I cannot in this haste of 

 writing recollect the time : — I think it was in August ; — nor the year ; but it 

 was at a time when the Huntingdonshire Militia* were encamped in Essex, be- 

 cause the person who would have taken the inquisition instead of me was gone 

 thither. The man was advertised and sought after very much, and a full 

 description given of him ; and I recollect that a tooth was wanting in his mouth 

 before, but whether upper or under I cannot say. This may be of some use till 

 I hear further, as I think a person will be sent over, perhaps the sergeant (if 

 living) or his wife, whoever can swear to the person of the man. I shall leave 

 this part to-morrow and go to my own residence at Huntingdon, and will then 

 look into the inquisition, and give you a further account, if necessaiy; or most 

 probably such person as I mentioned before will be sent over on purpose. You 

 will please to excuse any omissions and incorrect matters which you may find 

 in this hasty epistle, from, Sir, Your most obedient, humble servant, 



" Owen Fann. 



"London, Wednesday, 21 June 1786. 



"P.S. If there be a tooth wanting in the fore part of his mouth, that must, 

 with the other circumstances, be conviction enough for detainer at present. If 

 not, he may be an innocent person disordered in his mind ; and having heard of 

 the murder or having conversed with the murderer, may have improperly told 

 the tale as of himself." 



On the receipt of this letter at Salisbury, Matcham's mouth was 

 examined, and a lost front tooth corroborated Mr. Fann's letter. 

 He admitted likewise that he did enlist under the false name of 

 Jarvis, to avoid discovery, having previously deserted from on 

 board a vessel. Justice therefore was allowed to take her course. 



The Ingoldsby legend entitled " The Dead Drummer," founded 

 on the foregoing narrative, differs slightly in some of its minor 

 features: but as it would be vain to attempt to adjust the discre- 

 pancies of the two accounts, we may be satisfied that, in the present 

 instance, poetic licence has not carried the scene entirely beyond 

 the sympathetic range of the dwellers on Salisbuiy Plain. 



