Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-02-02


rem had been sent, soon after their mother
| had lost sight of them, to the house of Gen.
| c., now 10 the service of Sultan, in Syr-
ia, to be kept with his own three children,
hopics thGt the, would thus be screened
from those who sought after them. The
eldest, named Louis, after this flther. was
seven years of age; and all were told that, if
they acknowledged they were the children
of the Governor, they would be imprisoned
| by the Austrians, and never see their parents
again. So that when an Austrian officer
traced them to the house of Gen. c., he
was at a loss to know which of the children
were those of Gen. C., and which those
of M. Kossuth; and approaching the eldest
of the latter, he said: $50, my little man,
you are the son of the Governor, are you
not z"
To which the youth replied-"I am not,
SIR"
His frmness surprised and vexed the Of
fcer, who was certain, from the statement
of their betrayer, than those before him
were the lost treasures of his ambitious
search. He now endeavored to frighten the
children, and drawing pistol, directed it to
the breast Of the boy, and said that if he did
not at once acknowledge that he was the son
Of Kossuth, he would put ball through his
heart. Young Louis-who, it is said, shows
himself much Of the character of his father
replied. in tone of equal irmness-
81 tell you, sir, am not the son of Kos
suth."
The officer bafled by the child's simplicity
of manner and apparent sincerity, was dives
ted of his convictions, and led 10 believe that
he had been imposed upon.
But before Madame L. could get near
them, other agents of the Austrian govern
mant had been more successful, and the
three children had been carried off in secret
to Pesth, near the clutches of the butcher
Haynau. The mother and sister of M. Kos
suth had also been captured, and placed in
strict confinement. Itmay be here mention
ed, in this little narrative of the sufferings
and deliyerance of the relatives of Louis Kos
suth, that Madame L., on finding where
and how the children were situated. found
out her own servant, and SO succeeded as to
have her engaged at Pesth as their nurse
This person never left them until the mo-
ment of their final deliveranee from the Aus
trian jailors was received. After thus having
provided for the welfare of the children of M.
Kossutl, Madame L. renewed her
search for their destitute and suffering moth
or.
Finding no trace of her, Madame L.,
determined to follow the fugitives, and if she
reached Widdin, to ascertain from M. Kos
suth himself, where his poor wife had gone,
and then return in search of her. Continu-
ing in the disguise of beggar, sometimes on
foot, at others in farmers cart, this heroic
woman reached the frontiers of Hungary.
and, crossing them entered the fortified and
walled town of Widdin, where the late Gov
erlor of Hungary and his brave unfortunate
companions were enjoying the protection and
hospitality of the Sultan of Turkey.
Madame l. applied to M. Kossnth, but
not being known personally, and the Austrian
General having set so high price on the cap
ture of his wife, he at first regarded her in
the light Of an Austrian spy. Having, how
ever, soon found her son, who had followed
the Governor into Turkey, he readily con-
vinced M. Kossuth of the identity of his
mother. All the information which he, NJ.
Kossuth, could give her was, that there was a
lady in Hungary in whose house he believed
his wife would seek refuge; and if she was
not still there, this lady would most probably
know where she was.
The Governor now furnished Madame
L. with letter to this lady, and another
with his own signet ring for his wife, which
would be evidence of her fidelity. 1t is not
here necessary to follow Madame L. on
her toilsome journey. Devoted to the phi
lanthropic work which she had undertaken,
she wandered over the sandy steppes of Hun
gary, until she succeeded in reaching the
little town in which the lady resided, and de-
livered to her M. Kossuth's letter. This she
read, and Immediately burned If, not daring
even to allow it to exist in her possession
The lady informed Madame L that the
wife sf- Governor -Kassuth had left her resi-
dence in the guise of mendicant, and inten-
ded assuming the name of Maria F-n;
| that she was to feign herself to be the widow
! of soldier who had failed in battle, and that
| if possible, she would go to the very center
of Hungary, in those vast pasture lands
where she hoped no one would seek after
| her.
With this information, Madame l.
again resumed her journey. She feigned to
be an aged grandmother, whose grandson was
missing and that she was in search of him.
She made many narrow escapes while pass
ing guards, soldiers and spies; at length she
reached the plains before mentioned. She
went from house to house, as if in search OF
her grandson, but in reality to find one who
would answer the description given of her
Door Maria F-n. At length. in cabin
she heard that name mentioned, and on in
quiry who and what that person was, learned
l