Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-03-17


escape He finally succeeded in bribing
a raw sentinel to let him pass, and to
avoid pursuit resort to deception be-
came necessary. A comrade Of his was
on the point Of death. His mess dressed
the dead soldier in the Majors uniform,
and conveyed him to the dead.house, and
gave his name as Major Charles Ge-
roux, Sd Louisiana Regiment, c. s. A"
The next morning the body was taken
away and buried, and the rank, name,
regiment and place of burial were duly
recorded in the register Of Camp Doug
las dead, by c. Fl. Jordan, the under
taker for the Government, at Chicago.
That night Geroux escaped. His absence
created no inquiry, as he was reported
dead. For the purpose Of avoiding pub
lie roads and conveyances, he took q
horse from pasture near Camp Douglas,
belonging to John L. Hancock. formerly
President Of the Board Of Trade, and,
by avoiding public roads as much as
possible, reached Momence the next day
His actions excited suspicion, and he
was arrested on suspicion Of having
stolen the horse, and was lodged in the
Kankakee Jail He was taken out on a
writ of habeas corpus, and no proof be-
ing found to hold him he was discharged.
His attorney, however, held the horse,
and returned it to the owner. Geroux
found difficulty in getting through
the lines, and was almost out Of funds,
and partly for the purpose of visit.
ing the scenes of his college days, and
partly to wait until something should
turn up, whereby he could get South, he
went from here to Ohio Here he spent
the last of his money He was not easily
to be discouraged. Through the assist
ance of Professor in the college, to
whom he told part of bis history, he OBJ
tanned situation in wholesale house
in Cincinnati. From there he communi-
Gated with bis friends in the South. After
the usual delays in passing letters through
the lines, he learned that his two brothers
were killed in the battle of the Wilder
ness, and his fathers estate had been
confscated to the United States Govern
ment, and his father had voluntarily ex-
lied himself. OF his wife and child, the
only information was, they had sought to
get North and took passage on the Sui
tina, since which she had not been heard
of, and no doubt remained that she had
perished His true position had been
studiously concealed, and he avoided his
former acquaintances. Shortly after he
received this information from the South,
Sherman started on his grand march
from Atlanta, and Grant marshalled his
grand army before Petersburg, and the
Confederate States army vanished almost
as vision. During the past summer
Geroux returned to the South, and was
fully confirmed in the information be
had received about his family, and that
his real estate had also been con6scated.
He gave his wife and child up as lost,
and returned to Cincinnati. t.......-
After his wife and child had remained
in Memphis and escaped the disaster Of
the Sultana, she started for Chicago ard
reached Camp Douglas. Impatient at
any delay, she hastened there, with ex-
pectations high, to meet him who was
dearer to her than life. The reader can
picture to himself the agony of this sad
wife. A stranger, destitute of money,
carrying in her arms a weakly child,
not yet recovered from a severe illness,
and she herself worn out with fatigue
and anxiety, when she learned that her
husband was dead. There was no doubt
Of his death; the registry kept at Camp
Douglas showed it, and the grave was
pointed out to her, which bore this in
scription on pine board t
MAJOR CHARLES GEROUX,
3D LOUISIANA CAVALRY"
The same grave this day is neatly sod
ded over, and at its head is rose bush.
Broken hearted and bowed down with
grief, she wended her way on foot to the
great city of Chicago-not knowing why
she went A stranger among strangers,
with no one to aid or pity her, save the
good God, whom, in her inmost heart,
she believed, had forsaken her.
She was taken in and cared for by the
Sisters of Charity until she could hear
from her friends in Ohio, from whom she
had received no intelligence for the past
four years. A letter was received, that
Immediately after the war her uncle had
died, and that soon after his widow had
removed to IroqGo;s county, Illinois, 70
live with her married son. Mrs Geroux
was supplied with money TO enable her
to find her friends in lroquois county,
where she has since resided.
Geroux returned to his situation at
Cincinnati, and was sent by his firm to
collect debt due them in this county.
While here he sought out the attorney
who had him discharged on the habeas
corpus, N learn the whereabouts Of the
horse that did him such good service, and
to secure his assistance in collecting his
debt. He soon made himself known, and
while they were discussing the stolen
horse, lady and child entered the same
Office. There was momentary pause,
and husband and wife were in each 9th
er arms. We shall not attempt to de-
scribe the scene which followed. The
husband found wife and child, whom
he firmly believed dead-and the wife
found husband, over whose grave she
had shed bitter tears of woe
Mrs. Geroux was visiting the same at
torney, TO find out about her husbands
con6scated property, and to apply to the
Governmental have his property restored
to her.
Explanations followed, about how each
supposed the other dead They returned
to iroquois county, few miles south Of
our county line, the same day, and have
since removed to Cincinnati, which city
be will make his permanent home.