The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-03-31
An Interesting Story of the War-Facts that
are Stranger than Fiction.

There is now living in Cincinnati Il family,
the history of which forms something so ro'
mantle as 10 constitute q most interesting
story:
Ini,be summer of 1s19, Charles GerouX be-
came grauuutc OF Il college i'll the southern
an aristocratic family who lived in Louisiana,
and, TO be brief, he was then full embod-
ment of the "chivalry." just having entered
his majority. While attending college he had
formed the acquaintance of Clara c., who
attended 4 college for young ladies in this city,
which acquaintance ripcned into attachment
and love, and, Just before the breaking out of
the rebellion, they were married, and removed
South. Miss c. was an orphan, possessed
of considerable property, which was held III
trust by her uncle q Southern minister, who
had raised her from Infancy, and personally
superintended her education In addition to
the endowmentS of Il collegiate education, she
was possessed of a strong character, border
ing almost on The masculine, but tempered
with sweetness and mildneSs not often com
bined in the same person. She WAS 1T once
handsome and womanly.
Within year after their marriage and set
Element in the South, came the fierce, wild
blasts of war from Sumter's parapet, and
there was none more ready TO enter the deadly
fray than Charles Geroux. His political tn.
tors We're practical secessionists, and he enter
ed upon the war with a fervor and zeal TO
command the admiration OF his friends, ana
which secured him majors commission. His
wife opposed his mad scheme with all the
power Ola woman's eloquence, but tono avail.
She openly spoused the cause of the Union,
and : duIastly refused TO cooperate with her
= new friends and neighbors. Notwithstanding
her love for the old flag, and open unionism,
her husband loved her, and whileIher hus band
was at home the neighbors respected her
GerouX invested all his ready property, which
included his wife's fortune, iii Confederate
bonds, placed them in her hands, gave her
kiss for Il short farewell, assuring her that the
war would soon be over, and, marching 1T the
nf vic M =
defenders, she would be proud TO welcome
him. After his departure, her treatment by
his relatives and ncighbors became almost in
tolerable because of her hatred of secession.
After two years of service in the Confede
rate army, he was captured 4 prisoner by the
victorious sherman, i'll 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 resolved TO make her
way North and rejoin him i'll his prison home,
least stay near him. Her Confederate bonds
were worthless, and she was penniless; she
made her way to the Mississippi river, and took
passage on the l-fated steamer Sultana for
the North she sold some lewelry for money
sufficient to carry her 10 Chicago. Arriving at
Memphis, her child was taken very i'll, and by
the advice of the captain of the Sultana, she
remained there TO secure medical aid Tor the
child. Within twenty four hours thereafter
the boilerof the Sultana exploded, and twelve
hundred lives were lost.
terOux 1dreQ III AT ease III camp douglas,
and made many stratagems TO escape. He
finally succeeded in bribing raw sentinel 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 uni
form, and conveyed him TO the dead house,
and gave his name as Major Charles Geroux,
Third Louisiana regiment, Confederate States
army" The next morning the body was taken
away and buried, and the rank, name, regi
ment, and place Of burial, were duly recorded
In the register of Camp Douglas dead by &.
H. Jordan, the undertaken for the Govern
ment at Chicago. That night Geroux es-
capped. His absence created no inquiry as he
was reported dead. For the purpose of avoid
ing public roads and conveyances, he took
horse from pasture near Camp Douglas, be-
longing TOT. L. Hancock, formerly President
OF the Board of Trade of Chicago, and by
avoiding public roads as much us possible,
reached Momence the next day. His actions
excited suspicion, and he was arrested on sus-
pieion OF having stolen the horse, and was
lodged in the kankakee Jail lie was taken
:. SnS on writ OF haIeas corpus and no proof
coming thence TO this city, he obtained
situation In O wholesale grocery house
Aier the usual delays in passing letters
through the lines, he learned that his two
brothers were killed In the battle of the vii
derness, that bis fathers estate had been CON.
h n:s 70 Inc United States Government aud
Mexico. Of his wife aud child tho naI' a. "
nation was that they had sought To ret Merit
and took passage on the Sultann, since which
they had not been heard of, and no donh,
remained that they had persisted His true
position bad been studiously concealed, and he
avoided his former acquaintance. Shortly
ai1r ne received this intelligence from the
coun, sherman had started on his grand
MhIen from Atlanta and Grant marshaied his
grand army before Petersburg, and the Con-
federate States armyr vanished almost rs a
vision. During this past summer, Geroux
retained 10 the South, and was fully confirmed
Ia the information he had received about his
family, and that his real tate had also been
cOnascatsd. He gave Ais wits and child up as
losJs tnd returned 70 Cincinnxti.