Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-02-23


Qnite fortunately for himself, he came
FIRST into our camp, for among the Of
ficers of the military command he would
not have been SO readily assisted. AS it
was, however, he gave an account of his
adventurous escape from persecution,
which moved the boys to do anything in
their power to aid him. They were far
west men, most of them, and had little
love for the Mormon sect.
DeStael was compelled to tarry through
the remainder of that day and the COM
ing night, in order to increase his stock
Of provision, and allow his horse to re-
cruit his strength. He was kept out Of
sight, secreted in one of our small tents,
and his wants we're well supplied. But
the arrival of the two meH had been OBJ
served by some of the soldiers in camp,
and about eight o'clock in the evening
Colonel Cole sent down an adjutsnt to
question them concerning the indications
Of Indians along the line to westward.
DeStael was alarmed. He was de-
termined to avoid the military 1om-
mander, if possible, knowing that, ! all
probability, he would be detained, in case
his situation was suspected. But be was
equal to the emergency, and succeeded
in so working on the mind of the Lieu
tenant that the latter was induced to sec
ond the plan by which DeStael hoped to
escape obseryation. e4 s0n E1ElIffgl
Bill Topley, the hunter, was prevailed
upon, by the offer of liberal reward, to
mount his pony and ride on that same
night to Brice's Rancho, thirteen miles
below. The Adjutant, no doubt moved
by the same inducements, returned to the
quarters of the commander and reported
that the two trappers, as he styled them,
had set out for Fort Laramie several
hours earlier ia the evening.
At about the same time pursuing
party of Mormors, accompanied by four
Arapahoe Indians, arrived at the Fort.
Finding themselves so close upon the
heels of the fugitive, they had pressed
forward with all possible speed, in ad.
vance of the main party, hoping to over
take him at the Fort.
Finding themselves disappointed in
this expectation, however, they camped
there for the night, and before the light
of day appeared, were once more on the
road toward Brice's Rancho. The Adju-
tant managed to communicate to DeStasl
intelligence Of these events, and thus put
him on his guard.
1t seemed now like escape was impos-
sible. The young man dared not renew
his journey, and to remain there was
scarcely less perilous. But money in
this instance, as in many another, proved
all powerful. DeStael remained in our
little tent until the following night when
be was removed to the safer establish
ment of the brigade sutler, where he
tarried in security for four days. At the
expiration of that time, under cover of
darkness and accompanied by an ex-
perienced guide, he once more set out for
the States, and in dne time arrived in
safety at Omaha, having successfully
evaded the vigilant pursuit OF the sveng-
ing "Ssints"
But the saddest part of our story re-
mains to be told. DeStael, while living !
in the Mormon capital, had won the |
affections of beautiful and accomplished |
young lsdy-Miss Arment-whose house
was in Fillmore City. To her he repre-
sented himself as being unmarried, and
gave her the happy assurance that
she should be his only wife, regardless of
the peculiar institution of polygamy.
When the intelligence of DeStaers
defalcation reached the ear of this young |
lady, she, true to the love SO solemnly |
plighted, and knowing also, too well, the
persistence and severity Of Mormon per-
secution, believed in the honesty and |
good faith Of her lover, aud had no doubt |
that be had unhappily incurred the dis
pleasure Of the Elders of the Church;
and that the story OF his crime had been |
coined to stimulate the revengeful |
"Saiuts" to more determined pursuit 4
of the object of their hatred.
The line Of her duty seemed clearly I
defined. As soon as the family had re-
tired at night, she hastily collected to.
gether few necessary articles, and
stealing softly out of the house, took one :
Of her fathers horses aud set out for |
Fort Bridger, on her way to the States,
to Join her banished lover.
Poor girl She had no idea of the !
perils that awaited her on the long, |
weary, and almost painless route that lay |
before her. What physical suffering she
endured what mental agony, none ever
knew, nor indeed much else of her brief
adventurous career.
The father Of the rash girl assembled a
small company of his friends, and has
tened in pursuit of his daughter, swear
ing vengeance on DeStael, whom he be-
lieved to have eniiced her away from her
home. At Fort Bridger he discovered
the frst trace Of her-a single trace, that
wss all.
He continued his course through the
passes Of the great mountains, and out
on the bouudless plains toward the east
But the pursuit and search, though con-
tinued even down to the junction of the
two Plates, was wholly unsuccessful,
and the sorrowing parent was compelled
to return to his home with no intelligence
Of his child.
Several weeks later It was ascertained,
through some adventurous hunters on
the plains, that Miss Arment had been
captured by band Of Cheyenne Indians
at CoiRnwood Springs, after having
safely tfdvsrsed more than five hundred
miles Of her long, weary journey. From