The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-11-02
From the Jackson (Mich.l Citizen, Oct. ISL
Years captivity Among
the Indians.


Thirty years ago, when Jackson was
little hamlet Of two or three hundred per-
sons. young woman might have been seen,
one sultry day in August accompanied by
littlC boy iive years old, vending her way
toward a grove in the neighboring town of
Blackmap, for the purpose Of engaging in
the ihon common pastiine Of picking berries.
The young woman, after toiling for awhile,
became annoyed with the oeaseless importu.
mites OF the child, aud sent him home. She
thought nothing more Of the matter till, upon
her return in tho evening, she Yves sur.
prised to find that the boy had not returned.
In reply to tho queries of tho anxious pa.
rents the girl related the circumstances mar.
rated above, aud added that she knew moth.
ing Of the whereabouts of the child. Day
after day passed, and still the missing mem
her Of that distracted family did not return,
nor could any tidings of him be heard by
his cgonized parents. Finally, after every
searching party who went out to hnd the
missing one had returned and reported their
mission fruiiless, and after all hope of evor
seeiug their darling boy again had vanished
from the minds OF the afflicted parents,
suspicion hogan to fNsten upon the young
woman, who was u servant in the family.
She again assorted her innocenc, and stated
that she knew nothing of tho missing boy
from the time she had sent him homewarJ.
In slite of her protestations, however, she
was arrested for the murder of the boy, and
incarcerated in the rude lookup which had
been erected by the ea,ly settlers. Here
she was kept for time till itbecame appa.
rent that no evidence against her could be
obtained, when she was discharged from
custody, still asserting her innocence to
the parents of the child, who longed for
some tidngs that would dispel the uncer.
tainty which hung over them Ike cloud.
Their hopes were doomed to disappointing mt,
however, as nothing could bo heard OF the
missing one, and he was finally numbered
with the dead, the parents giving mp all
hopes of ever hearing of thoir lost boy
again.
Years passed, and the little hamlet became
largo and ilourshing city. The solitude
which formerly reigned on the bank Of the
Graud River was broken 10y tho mechanic
and the artisan, aud the air resonndod with
the busy hum of industry Nearly all tho
old settlers had passed away, aud another
generation succeeded them. Among the
many now comcrs was u som.in law of the
afflicted family, Mr. J. z Ballard. our fellow
townsman, who was greatly surprised, q
few days since, to learn that the boy who
had long been numbered with the dead had
arrived in the southern part of this State
and was making inquiries after his family.
| The boy had grown to be a stalwart man OF
thirty.hve. His countenance had become
br0nzed by continued exposure 10 the ele
ments, and his sinewy frame hardened by
repeated adventures in the Western wilds.
He states that he had but dim recollection
of his former home, but vividly remembered
the time when two stawart forms with rec
visages crossed his path, snatched him uI
in their arms, and carried him off amids
his piteous cries for his loving mother
Since that time he has been constantly with
the Indians, joined them in their hunting
expeditions, and 70 lowed their trail as they
journeyed toward the setting sun II,
learned to speak the language Of the Potto
watomes--for that was tho name of thu
tribe with whom the greater portion of hit
life had been spent-and in answer to hi'
repeated inquiries, his captors told him the,
had stolen him from Jackson county, ant
that his name was Wiley. The lndian
!, confOunded the name with Filly, which i
the real name of his father. Mr.. Ballar,
went in quest of the missing one, and, upo
arriving at the place where he had bee
making inquiries, was told that he had gon
; away, but would return in u few days, whe
he will proceed to the homo of his ogoI
parents, to make glad the hearts of an oI
flicted father and mother.