Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-10-15
Discovery Of the Wife Of Captain Aza
A. Lee, Of Alba.

After Fifteen Years DcsertiOn her uuS.
bands Property is Restored 90 Her-VaI
ue of n Newspaper Paragraph,
Our readers will remember that we pub
hshed on the 18th Of July last the notice
of Josiah Dow, public administrator upon
the estate of Aza A. Lee, deceased, and
| accompanied it with an editorial para
graph stating the facts of Captain Lees
death in battle during the siege of Knox
vile, his long residence and respectable
position IN this county, the mysterious re-
| serve that he had always maintained here
with reference to his former life and con-
nections, and the dilemma respecting the
disposition Of his real property under the
laws OF Illinois consequent upon the alb
sence of any known heirs to the estate.
Among the papers that we send to the
East is one to the father of Mr.. Patton of
this village, who lives at Gambia, N. II.
He saw the paragraph, and happening to
know q man whose sisters husband, named
Lee, had mysteriously disappeared many
years previously, he called the gentleman's
attention to it. The man correspondent
exactly. Investigation followed. Mr.. Dow,
the administrator, was written to, and from
what they thus learned the parties at the
East were satisfied that the deceased Cap
tain Lee was the long-lost husband.
Mrs. Ices brother, whose name is Ma
thaniel 3. Hall, then came to this county
and put in a claim in behalf of his sister
as heir to the estate. He exhibited da-
guerreotype of Captain Lee, which Judge
Hindman readily recognized though eVi-
IDENTIFY taken when he was several years
younger than he appeared here. Among
the other proofs was evidence of the facts
of the marriage of Aza A. Lee and Miss
Hall, III the State of Maine, then subse-
quent removal to the State of New York,
and his dcS"rtion Of his wife and disap-
pearanco from there because of business
embarrassmcnts-since which not the
slightest clue to his whereabouts had ever
been gained by his family, who mourned
him as dead, the general supposition hav-
ing been that he had drowned himself
His Disappearance there was in 1855, and
he must have made his way directly to IL
linois, as he appeared here about that
time. He lived in Anawan and Alba town
ships, in this county, both of which be re-
presented in the Board of Supervisors, re-
ceiving several reflections. He acquired
some property, and was esteemed, we are
told, for Intelligence and probity-always
somewhat qualified, however, by the mys-
terry hanging over his former life. When
the One hundred and Twelfth regiment of
Illinois volunteers was organized he went
with 1t as nrSt lieutenant In Captain DOWs
company, and on the promotion Of Captain
Dow to major, Lieutenant Lee rose to the
rank of captain, and was killed, as related,
during the siege Of Knoxville.
The deserted wife. left without means,
had made her way back to New England,
where she had latterly maintained herself
by working in the Manchester cotton mills.
Now, however, by our fortunate publica-
ton of the facts in relation to his life mere,
she finds herself suddenly restored to
property that she ought of right to have
shared through all these years-the county
court here having accepted the proofs of
identity as satisfactory. Tho estate, after
administration, consists of forty acres of
land in Alba and $500 to $4OO of personal
property. Besides, there is due her from
the Government, il back p@Y and pen
sions, over 81 500, and the pension due
captains widow during her widowhood.