Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-01-05
A sad Page of History-.-Gov. Gaines. :.
 Two Lonely Graves.

We take the following extract from the correspondent of ttlhe the New York ,Je,,r,,17ll oi commerce as an act of simple justice to one of the most respected families in the State. It recounts thU sad fate of n once happy fainily--a portion of whom now live Tn our midst. A part of the following IS lncorrect-.it is stated that "every mem- Der of the family was swept away" There are five still living R. NJ. Gaines, ir.. of the firm of Hunger, Rap'ey and Gaines. Little Rock, one of our best and most en- terprsing citizens. Archibald and Abncr Gaines are still in Oregon, and two daughters who are now in Cbicot conntv at the home of their uncle, Gen. R. NJ. Gaines, Sr.
 The island of St. Catherine's, which lies lenSthwi>e along the coast from which the bay four miles wide separates if is 30 miles long by 10 wide in its broadest part, and contains population of about 30 GOO. The capitol Is Destero, place of some commerce ana containing population of S,eoo or I0,000. It is also endowed with newspaper, of which, with all my beg glng and teasing, was unable to obtain ieEs..-;..-.s'sp ,.se. ike sasasole eas read, and schools are an abonnation in the eyes of the Brazilians.
 We have Consul, or Consular agent at St. Catherine's, whose history is equal to hctlon. His name is Robert s. Cathcart, native of Nantucket, Mass, and once the captain of Whaler. Misfortune in carly llie drove him into exile, and here he has llved fer Mlfty-ttree gears, without once seeing home or one of his early friends, nor does he ever intend to see them. Here he married q Brazilian woman and has raised up large family, and acquired very considerable wealth. On the whole. though dehclent In early education, as well as con demned to live for so long 6 time in the most ignorant and degraded society, he ap- pears to be endowed with good iudament and strong sense, with what is better still, sound principles and correct morals. Soon alter cur arrival he happened to mention to some of the officers an occurrence which awakened a sad interest, and which I will relate, believing every reader of the j ouinal ot Commerce will share in the same feeling. and thus most romantic spot, as well as sal. become as to others has been the tomb ot Panl and Virginia. And they were fic. tons, having no existence but in fine brain of the novelist, while here is nothing but reality--painful reality.
 General Gaines, citizen of Kentucky. had distinguished himself in the Mexican war, and upon the accession of Gen. Taylor to the Presidency, was appointed bv him Governor of Oregon. l lenrn from Mr. Cathcart, our consular agent, who was in innate with the General while he was so nnharpily detained here, that he stated in conversation with him. that he was in doubt about accepting the office, as he was in good circumstances and pleasantly situated, and fesltated till tine agency oi General laylor le him finally to accept the office He sold hlS estate, converting all into money, intending to make Oregon his future home. and brought with him S75 600 in silvercu eur rency. He had q family of wifi. son and two daughters, all of whom he tool, with him Tn the store ship "Supply" as he proceeded to his destination in the wear 1850. On their passage, yellow fever broke out ln the ship, and among others. his two daughters, interesting young ladies, well 1 educated, accomplished and handsome, were attacked, for which reason the vessel put intoNtstss fFt4t, lsis se.s;ii sstiIeiscs first appearing off this coast, and not far distant from this place. One of the young ladies soon died on board the ship, and the other was taken ashore, but without any benefit, 1 and not many days after followed her sister to her last home i'll q land of strangers. Gen. Gaines was deeply afflicted, and seemed to sink into state of deep depression, en- countering such blow before reaching the scene of his future labors and life lnend- ing to remove tbo remains of his daughters, either to Oregon or to the home he had left he erected no monument or even surround ett the spot So dear and sacred to his heart by an enclosure. For some reason, the remains have never been removed. Mr. Cathcart says that, as he learnt afIliction succeeded 10 atairtion, in this unfortunate family, taf Gt length egery D'em5ey agoS sueBt a'cdy. Tine son died some time after of consumption; the mother had q fall from n horse in Oregon which occasioncd an iniurv resulting in death; and at last Gen. Gaines himself, crushed by blow after blow. and beret of all he held dear, sunk to the crave Tn what was almost as much land of strangers to him, as this to his lovely daughters.
 Such is the sad tale, which when heard both interested and sadlened all the officers of our ship, and especially when they were told that there was neither monument at I.1
 the graves or a railing around the sacred spot. It was found, however, upon sub, sequent examination, that two small stones had been placed at the head and foot of each grave, but without name upon it, and q plain slat fence once surrounded them, both probably the work of the afflicted for those erected nothing more substantial or orna- mental, from the intention of removing the sacred dust before long to some more be6t. tng resting place, which subsequent adver- sites, coming with crushing power and in rapid succession, prevented. In the mean while i;.e fence had decayed and fallen. and its materials had been scattered or had rot ted, and grass and bushes sprnnp m so thick and tall over and around the graves. that without q guide it was difficult if not impossible to find them. A year since. AIS we learnt, the U. s. steamer 1Retaconaet, on her way to Paraguay, or back from thence, called at this place, whose officers hearing the same sad story we had heard, ordered a wooden tablet to be erected. to perpetuatc the memory of this solitary and sacred spot but (lld not erect any permanent monument, or clear away the bushes, orput up fence, probably from the want of materials or tlme There was no stone cutter on board or on shore; there were no marble slabs to be had, or even hewn or split blocks of