The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-03-28
a Romantic Series Of Facts.
A LOUISIANA FAMILY AND THE WAR.

Lou1sIAyA FAMILY AND THE WAR.
In the summer of 1859 Charles Geroux
became graduate ola college in South
ern Ohio. He was the defendant of an
aristocratic family who lived in Louisiana
and, to be brief, he was then full embed
led OF the "chivalry." just having entered
his majority. While attending college he
had formed the acquaintance of Clara &
49,, who attended the college for young
ladies in the same place, which acquaintance
ripened into attachment and love. and Just
before the breaking out Of the rebellion
they were married and removed to the
South. Miss G--was an orphan,
possessed of considerable property, which
was held in trust for her by an uncle, a
Southern minister, who had raised her
from infancy, and personally superintendent
her education. In addition to the endow-
ments ola collegiate education. she was
possessed Of strong character bordering al
most to the masculine. but tempered with
o sweetness and mildness not often COM
bined in tho same person. She was at
once handsome and womanly.
Within year after their marriage and
settlement in the South, came the fierce,
chill blasts of war from Sumter's parapet,
and there was none more ready to enter
the deadly fray than Charles Geroux. His
political tutors were practical secession
lists, and he entered upon the war with a
fervor and zeal to command the admiration
of his friends, and which secured him ma
jor's commission. His wife opposed his
mad scheme with all the power ola woman's
eloqunce, but to no avail. She openly es-
poused the cause Of the Union, and stead
lastly refused to cooperate with her new
friends and neighbors Notwithstanding
her love for the old flag, and open Union
ism, her husband loved her, and while her
husband was at home the neighbors respect
ed her. Geroux invested all his ready proper
ty, which included his wife's fortune, in
Confederate bonds, placed them in her
hands, gave her kiss for short farewell
assuring her that the war would soon be
over, and, marching at the head Of victor
ious column of his country's defenders she
would be proud to welcome him, After
his departure her treatment by his relatives
and neighbors became almost intolerable
because of her hatred ofsecession.
After two years of service in the Con-
federate army, he was captured prisoner,
by the victorious Sherman in his march to
Atlanta, and sent to Camp Douglas.
This was good news to his wife, who
could no longer endure the prosecutions
she received at the South, and she resol-
we'd to make her way North and reioin him
in his prison home, and if she could not Sc
cure his pardon, to at least stay near him.
Her Confederate bonds were worthless,
and she made her way to the Mississippi
river, and took passage on the ill-fated
steamer Sultana for the North. She sold
some jewelry for money sufficient to carry
her to Chicago. Arriving at Memphis,
her child was taken very i'll, and by the ad-
vice of the Captain Of the sultana, she re-
NAMED there to secure medical aid for the
child. Within twenty-four hours there
after the boilers of the Sultana exploded
aud 200 lives were lost.
Geroux Jared ill ct ease in Camp Doug
las, and made many stratagems to escape.
He finally succeeded in bribing raw SEN
tinel to let him pass, and to avoid pursuit
a resort to deception became necessary.
A comrade of his was on the point of death.
His mess dressed the dead soldier in the
Majors's uniform and conveyed him to the
dead-house, and gave his name as "Major
Chas. GerOux, Third Louisiana regiment,
G. s. A." The next morning the body
was taken away and buried, and the rank,
name, regiment and place of burial were du.
ly recorded in the register of Camp Doug
las dead, by G. FL Jordan, the undertaken
for the Government, at Chicago. That
night Geroux escaped His absence crea-
ted no inquiry, as he was reported dead.
For the purpose Of avoiding public roads
and conveyances, he took horse from
pasture near Camp Douglas belonging to
j. 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 suspic-
ion, and he was arrested on suspicion, of
having stolen the horse, and was lodged in
the Kankakee Jail. He was taken out on
q writ Of habeas corpus, and no proof being
found to hold him, he was discharged. His
attorney, however, held the horse, and re-
turned him to the owner. Geroux found
a difficulty in getting through the lines, and
was almost out of funds; and partly for the
purpose of visiting 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
assistance Of a professor in the college, to
whom he told part of his history, he OBJ
tanned a situation in wholesale house in
Cincinnati From there he communicated
with his 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 Wilderness, that
his fathers estate bad been confiscated to
the United States Government, and his
father had voluntarily exiled himself to
Mexico. 9th wife and child, the only
was that they had sought to
get North and took passage on the Sultana
since which she had not been heard of, and
10 doubt remained that she had persisted.
His true position had been studiously con-
cealed, and he avoided his former acquain-
tances. Shortly after he received this in
teligence from the South, Sherman started
on his grand march from Atlanta, and Grant
his grand army before Peters
burg, and the Confederate States army van
ished almost as vision. During the past
rummor Eorouy rofurnnd RI Tho South ond