The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-02
AN INTERESTING STORY OF THE
WAR. 3lH
FACTS THAT ARE STRANGER THAN FICTION

FACTS THAT ARE STRANGER THAN FICTION
| There is now living in this city, a FAM
| lily, the history OF which forms some
| thing so romantic, as to constitute a most
interesting story:
In the summer OF 1850, Charles Ge-
| roux became graduate of college in
| the southern part of this State. He was
the descendant of an aristocratic family,
who lived in Louisiana, and to BIO brief,
| he was then the full embodiment of the
| "chivalry," Just having entered his ma.
jority. While attending college. he had
| formed the acquaintance Of Clara q -.
| who attended college for young ladies
| in this city, which acquaintance ripened
| into attachment and love, and, Just be.
fore the breaking out of the rebellion,
| they were married, and removed South
Miss c. was an orphan, possessed OF
considerable property, which was held
| In trust by her uncle, Southern minis.
ter, who had raised her from infancy,
and personally superntended her educa-
| ton. In addition To the eDdowments of
| q collegiate education, she was possessed
of n strong character, bordering almost
on the masculine, but tempered with
sweetness and mildness not often COM
bined in the same person. She was at
once handsome and womanly.
Within years after their marriage and
settlement IN the South, came the fierce,
wild blasts Of war from Sumter's para
pet, and there was none more ready to
enter the deadly fray than Charles Ge-
roux. His political tutors were practical
secessonists, and he entered upon the
war with a fervor and zeal to command
| the admiration of his friends, and which
secured him majors commission. His
wife opposed his mad scheme with all
| the powers of a woman's elOquence, but
to no avail. She openly espoused the
| cause of the Union, and steadfastly re-
| fused to cooperate with her new friends
and neighbors. Notwithstanding her
love for the old flag, and open Unionism
her husband loved her, and while her
husband was mt home the neighbors re-
| spected her. Geroux invested all of his
ready property which included his wife's
fortune, in Confederate bonds, placed
| them in her hands, gave her kiss for a
short farewell. assuring her that the war
1 would soon be over, and, marching at
the head of victorious column of his
q, ountry,s defenders, she would be proud
tn >velcome him. After his departure,
her n. aatment by his relatives and neigh
hora bec, ame almost intolerable, because
of her hat red of secession.
Altar two Gears of service in the Con-
federate army. he was captured q prisoner
by the victorious sherman, in his march
to Atlanta, and sen. to Camp Douglas.
This was good news to his wife, who
could no longer endure t. ne prosecutions
she received at the South, and she re-
solved to make her way Nor, ana re-
join him in his prison home, an, IL sne
could not secure his pardon, to a, ieast
stay near him. Her Confederate DO. nus
were worthless, and she was pennies. =.
She made her way to the Mississippi
river, and took passage on the Inflated
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 advice Of the captain of the
Sultana she remained there to secu re
medical aid for the child. a. Within
tweuty-four hours thereafter the boiler
Of the SultaDa exploded, and twelve
hundred lives were lost.
Geroux Jared Ill at ease in Camp
Douglas, and made many stratagems to
escape. He finally succeeded I'm bribipg
a raw sentinel to let him pass, aud 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,
aud gave his name as Major Charles
Geroux, Sd Louisiana Regiment C.. 8.
A" e'The next morning tine body was
taken away and buried, and the rank,
name, regiment and place of burial were
duly recorded in the register of Camp
Douglas dead, by G. III. Jordan, the un-
dertaker for the Government, M Chi
cago. That night Geroux ESCAPED. His
absence created no inquiry as, he was
reported dead. For the purpose of
avoiding public roads and cooveyances.
he took horse from n pasture near
Camp Douglas, belonging to j. l.. Han
cock, formerly President Of the Board of
Trade of Chicago, and by avoiding pub
lie roads as much as possible, reached
Momence the next day. Ills actions
excited suspicion, and he w as arrested
on suspicion of having stolen the horse.
and was lodged in the Kankakee Jail.
He was taken out on writ of haJeas
corpus, aud no proof being found to hold
him, he was discharged. wcE y
Coming thence to this city, he obtain
ed a situation In a wholesale grocery
house. sGaiese3as ~
After the usual delays In passing let
tiers through the lines, he learned that
his two brothers had been killed in the
battle OF the Wilderness, that HE fathers
estate had been confiscated to the United
States Government, and his father had
voluntarily exiled himself to McKee,
or his wife and child, the only informa-
ton was that they had sought TO get
North, and took passage on the SuIta1a
since which they had not been heard Of
and no doubt remained that they had
perished. His true position had been
studiously concealed, and he avoided
his former acquaintance. Shortly after