Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-10-06
A GENUI,E ROMANCE.
A Mother, Separated from her Child for
Nine Years, Sues for Possession
An Incident Of the War.

We copy the following from the ST.
( Louis Dispatch: The following in
tensely interesting case will soon be
brought before the Supreme Court of
1 Missouri. The substance Of the outline
/ is taken from affidavits now on file in
/ the court, and is only one Of a million
I proofs that truth is much stranger than
| fiction: On the twenty-third of Sep
tember, 1868, the steamboat Robert J.
Campbell, bound down to New Orleans,
was attacked by guerillas at Miliken's
Bend, some twenty miles above NickS-
burg, and burned about daylight in the
morning. There was a long list Of pas
sengers on board, some forty or fifty of
whom unhappily perished in the flames
or in the no less dark flowing river.
Among the passengers was a Mrs. ;. J.
Cooley, a widow, with her two beauti-
full, intelligent children-a boy aged
eight and a girl aged six years. They
had all become fayOrites with those on
board, and when the firing commenced
from the Bend, it was remarked that
none on board exhibited greater heroism
than the woman, even when the con-
sternation was at its hight. At day
break the r. J. Campbell caught fire,
and IN a few minutes was enveloped
in consuming flames. Mrs. Cooley,
with great presence of mind, rushed
from the cabin deck down with
her children to the fOrecastle, and
from that superior point Of safety re-
fused to move. At length the steam
pipe exploded, and she either jumped
into the river or was forced ia by the
explosion or the rush Of people, Wild with
excitement, seeking any means Of es-
A haa .
the time by the capstan were a number
Of old bOatmen, including Captain Rear
don. a well-knOwn river man, who found
himself in the river swimming for life,
and near to him little Jennie Cooley,
who had been released or torn from the
grasp of her mother IN the fearful strug-
gle Of the preceding moment. Captain
Reardon seized the child and boldly
struck out for shore. A lady, the wife
Of a Federal officer from Alton, Illinois,
at this moment threw herself on Captain
Reardon, who soon began to realize the
danger to all. In this emergency brave
mate named James o. O'Brien, seeing the
Captains danger, swan up, crying out,
give me the child, and save the wo-
man, II YOU can" Captain Reardon at
once surrendered the child 10 O'Brien,
who, after drifting for mile aud a half
succeeded IN making the shore on the
Mississippi side, with his charge. Here
he resigned the child TO Major Robinson,
Of the Federal army, reporting that he
saw the mother and the other child 90
down. He took passage on the General
Anderson, bound up the river, and from
that time until September IS, 1872
O'Brien has not been heard Of. Mrs.
Cooley was saved, but the boy forced
from her in the dreadful struggle for life
was drowned. She remained in the Vi
cinity Of the wreck for three days, hop
ing, watching for some tiding Of her lost
ones, but none came. and she went 10
Vicksburg, where, by the kindness of
the Young Mems Christian Association,
she was supplied with suitable clothing
and provided with a passage TO New Or
leans. Major Robinson retained the
child in camp several weeks, and then,
ON leave Of absence, took Jennie with
him to his home in Ohio, where he
placed her under the care Of his mother.
On the Majors return 10 his regiment,
Rev. j. B. Finley, a Presbyterian min
lister, visited the RObinson's in Ohio,
and, becoming interested in the child,
at length asked permission b adopt her |
The appeal was granted, and Mr.. Fin |
lev took little Jennie Cooley with him /
to his house in Palmyra, in this State, |
and in every way treated her with the /
love Of an own child, which has been as /
fondly returned by Jennie az to pa |
rent. In the meantime, MIS-. Cooley 4
mourned for her children, but /
in the course of year from /
that dreadful night she married DR.. Ter
~, one Of tbs most prominent physicians /
in New Orleans, IN which city she has 4
ever since lived. In last September I
James O'Bren met Mrs. Terry in New 1
Orleans, and recognizing her from that 4
night, spoke 70 her Of her child. /
OBrien had ascertained the name and I
residence Of Major Robinson when he |
the child. This information 4
he gave TO Mrs. Terry, and the clue |
taken, Mrs. Terry went to Ohio, saw the 1
and from thence 70 Brook /
field. where the Rev. Mr.. Finley now is,
and where she met her child after nine 1
years Of separation. The child now a ,
girl OF seventeen years, did not recognize 4
the mother, but remembered the circum-
stances OF their separation in the water
and Described them with painful |
Mns. Cooley demanded /
the child, whom Mr.. Finley refused to
give up. Finding it Impossible, under
the circumstances, TO reclaim her
Mrs. Cooley at once returned
% st. Louis with her sister, Mn. Turner.
Of this city, and Mrs. Caspaf Link. OF
Paris, Illinois, who had attended her for
the purpose OF more thoroughly ideDti-
tying the child. The case was placed in
the hands Of Mr.. J. Il. Claiborne. and a
petition Tor a writ Of habeds corpus. ae-
by the necessary afidavits.
viii be filed to-day by him IN the office
Df the clerk Of the Supreme Court, re-
Lurnable IN the coming week, when all
Lhe witnesses viii be present aud the
ease determined.