Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-06-26
A Romantic StOry-The Other Side
of the HiIderhrand Case.

| From the st. Louis hepuDlican, une lo'J
In our account of the doings OF the
somewhat noted character, Sam. Hilder- :
brand, and his desperate resistance while
an attempt was being made to capture
him by the sheriff of Washington county,
and a large posse of men, in which one
man was killed and the sheriff and sew
eral others were wounded, we, of course,
took the statement of those who went
down from here to assist in his capture
With regard to the details of the affair,
as given to us, they are doubtless sub
stantially true; but regarding the his
tory of Hilderbrand, and the motives
which urged him to take the course he
has, we felt sure there must be another
side to the story. The facts, as related
by those cognizant with his history, show
that he was driven to desperation by the
injuries received from those claiming to
be Union men, and that he has, in a
measure, taken redress into his own
hands, with a determination of avenging
his wrongs.
At the outbreak of the war, in 1861,
Sam. Hildebrand and his brother, Frank
Hildebraud, it seems, we're accused OF
stealing from some Of the citizens of st.
Francois county. A band of men were
organized, who captured Frank Hide
brand, took him out and hung him. They
covered up the body in rsvine. Sam
Hildebrana suspected Firman Mcllvaine,
mere youth, and son of Mr.. Orvllle
McIlvaine, now of this city, to have been
the leader of the band who hung his
brother. He determined to avenge his
brothers death, and, discovering young
McIlvaine at work in the harvest field,
grading wheat he shot him dead. This
occurred the same year that his brother
was hung. Hildebrand then abandoned
his home, and became desperate leader
on the Confederate side. His operations
extended from the Arkansas line to st
Francois county, and many persons were
killed by him during the war. After his
name became famous as partisan leader,
Gov. Fletcher offered a reward for his
capture, on the charge of the murder OF
McIlvaine, and rewards were also offered
by the citizens of st. Francois and Wash
ington counties. A number OF Hide
brands partisans united in offering the
reward to save themselves from being
distrusted by the Union men. But he
eyaded capture. He boasted that with
twenty feet the start in the bush he would
bid defiance to regiment of men in pur-
suit.
About this time a German company,
supposed to belong to Col. Mueller's
regiment, posted at Cadet station, fol-
lowed in pursuit of Hilderbrand, but the
latter eluded them. They went to the
residence of his mother, an old woman,
located on Big river, eight miles from
Blackwell station, and asked Tor Sam.
Hilderbrand, and, not finding him, they
ordered the old woman and her daughter
to leave the premises. They then set fire
to the house, and shot younger brother
of Hilderbrsnd, fourteen years OF age,
named Henry, who was ordered by his
mother to stay behind and save what he
could from destruction. The men then
took what plunder they wanted, let down
the fences, and drove the stock away
with them. Hilder5rand has since the
war made one of the citizens deliver up
to him some of the cattle taken on that
occasion. The party then went to the
La Grave lead mines and captured Wash
inqton Hilderbrand and a man named
Landusky, and, taking them ont into q
lane about one hundred yards from the
shaft where they had been at work, shot
them. Washington fell Of the hrst fire,
but LanduskY vas Cred ct nine times
before he fell. This occurred on FRIDAY.
and Landusky was to have been married
to a sister Of HiIderbrand (the same
who was driven from the house with her
moiher) on the following Sunday.
These circumstances embittersd the