The Shasta courier., 1866-05-12
SHASTA COURIER.
A STORY OF THE WAR.

the history of which forms something 50 ro-
story. We extract the following from the
St. Louis Democrat:
In the summer of 1859, Charles Geroux
became graduate of a college in the south
ern part of this State. He was the descend
ant of an aristocratic family who lived in
Louisiana. and, to be brief, he was then
full embodiment of the chivalry," having
just entered his majority. While attending
college he had formed the acquaintance oi
Clara c., who attended college for young
ladies in this city, which acquaintance ri
uened into attachment and love, and usi
before the breaking out of the rebellion they
we're married and removed South. Miss c.
was an orphan, possessed of considerable
property, which was held in trust by he
uncle, Southern minister, who had raise
her from infancy, and personally superin
tended her education. In addition to the
endowments of collegiate education, sh
was possessed of strong character, border
ing almost on the masculine, but tempered
with a sweetness and mildness notoften com
bined in the same person. She Was at ono.
handsome and womanly.
Within year after their marriage anu
settlement in the South came the fierce, wild
blasts of war from Sumter's parapets, and
there was none more ready to enter the dead
ly fray than Charles Geroux. His political
tutors were practical secessionists. and h.
entered upon the war with fervor and zeai
To command the admiration of his friends, anu
which secured him a Majors commlssion.-
His wife opposed his mad scheme with ali
the power of woman's eloquence, but to n"
avail. She openly espoused the cause OF the
Union, and steadfastly refused to co-ope ate
with her new friends and neighbors Not
withstandDg her love for the old flag ana
ler open Unionism. her husband loved her.
and while her husband was at home the
neghbors respected her. Geroux invested al
ready property, which included his wife
fortune, in Confederate bonds, placed them
in her hands, gave her kiss for short fare
well, assuring her that the war would soon
be over, and, marching at the head OF a VIC
torous column of his countrys defenders.
she would be proud to welcome him. Atrer
his departure, her treatment by his relatIve>
and neighbors became almost intolerable
because of her hatred OF secession.
After two years OF service In the Conteder-
ate army, he was captured prisoner 10y the
victorious Shesman 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 receiv
ed at the South, and she resolved to make her
way North and rejon him in his prison
home. and If she could not secure his pardon,
to at least stay near him. Her Confederate
bonds were worthless, and she was pennies.
She made her way to the Mississippi river,
and took passage on the i'll fated Sutana for
the North. She sold some iewelry for mo
ney sufficient to carry her to Chicago Ar
irving at Memphis, her child was taken very
i'll. and by the advice of the captain OF the
Sultana she remained there to secure medIcai
aid for the child. Within twenty four hours
thereafter the boiler of the Sultana exploded,
and twelve hundred lives were lost.
Geroux Jared i'll at ease in Camp Douglas,
and made many strategems to escape tie
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
uniform and conveyed him to the dead house.
and gave his name as Major Chas. Geroux,
81 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 duly entered in the reg
the undertaken for the Government at
Chicago. That night Geroux escaped. His
absence created nc inquiry, as he was report
ed dead. For the purpose of avoiding the
public roads and conveyances, he took horse
from pasture near Camp Douglas. belonging
to j. L. Hancock, formerly President of the
Board of Trade of Chicago, 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 beng
found to hold him, he was discharged.
Coming thence to this city, he obtained a
4 situation in wholesale grocery house.
After the usual delays in passing letters
through the lines, he learned that his two
brothers we're killed in the battle of the Viii
derness, that his fathers estate had been
coniseated to the United States Government,
and his father had voluntarily exiei himself
to Mexico. OF his wife and child the only
information was that they had sought to get
North. and had taken passage on the Sui
tana, since which time 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 acqnaintances. Shortly after he
received this intelligence from the South.
Sherman started on his grand march from
Atlanta. and Grant marshaled his grand
army before Petersburg, and the Confederate
States army vanished as a vision. During
the past summer Geroux returned To the
South, and was fully confirmed in the infor
nation he had received about his family, and
that his real estate had also been confiscated.
He gave his wife and child up as lost and
returned to Cincinnati.
After his wife and child had remained in
Memphis, and escaped the disaster OF the
Sultaua, she started for Chicago and reached
Camp Douglas. Impatient at any delay. she
hastened there with expectations high to
meet him who was dearer 10 her than life
The reader can picture to himself the agony
Of this SD wife-a stranger, destitute OF
money, carrying in her arms weakly child
not yet recovered from a severe illuess. and
she herself worn out with fatigue and anxietv
when she learned that her husband was
dead. There was no doubt of his death the
register at Camp Douglas showed it. and the
grave was pointed out to her. which bore
this Inscription en- a pine board:
MAJOR CHARLES GERoUx,
Third Louisiana Infantry"
The same grave this day is neatly sodded
ever and at its head grows a rosebu>h.
Broken hearted and bowed down with
grief she wended her way on foot to the great
city of Chicago, not knowing why she went
II stranger among strangers, with no one tn