The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1872-12-11
Genuine Romance.
AN INCIDENT OF THE CONFEDERATE wAI

we S"py tHC sOllONiu5 "O" th0 S''
Louis Dispatch: {
T he following intensely interesting
case will soon be brought before the
Supreme Court of Missouri. The sub
stance of the outline is taken from af1i-
tavits now on file in the Court, ard is
only one Of a million proufs that truth
is stranger than fiction. On thr 23l of
1868, the Steamboat Robert
j. Campbell, bound down to New Or
leans, was attacked by suerrillas at
Milliken's Bend, some twenty miles
above VicksLurS, and burned about
daylight il the. morning. There was a
long list of passengers on board, some
forty or fifty OF whom nnhappily per-
ished in the flames or in the no less
dark flowing liver. Among the pas
sengers was Mrs. SD. Cooley, u wild
ow, with her two beautiful, intelligent
cl,il,lren-a boy aged eight and girl
aged six years. They had all become
favorites with those on board, and
when the firing commenced from the
Bend, it was remarked that n"ne Oh
board exhibited greater hernism than
the woman, even when the cOnsterna-
ton was at it's height. At day break
the Il. j. Campbell caught fire, and in
few minutes was "nvelopej in consul
ming flames. Mrs. Cooley, with great
presence of mind, rushed IRON the cab
in deck to the forecastle with her chill
dren, and from that superior point of
safety refused to move. At length the
steam pipe exploded, and she either
jumped into the river or was forced in
by the excitement, seeking any means
Of escape. Among those grouped near
her q. the time by the capstaD, were II
number of old boatmen, including Cap
tain Rcardon, a well known riverman,
who found himself in the river swim
ming for life, and near to him little
Jennie Cooley, who had been released
"r torn from the grasp of her mother
in the fearful Struggle Of the preceding
moment. Captain Rear.lOn seized the
child and boldly struck ont for shore.
A lady, the wife Of Federal officer
from Alton, H., at this moment threw
herself Oh Captain Rearl"n. who soon
began to realize the danger to all. In
this emergency brave mate PANIED
james O'Briep, seeing the Captains
. danger swam up, crying out, "give mt
> the child, and save the woman, if YOU
/, can" Captain Reartl"n at once sur
rendered the child to O'B,ieD, who. af:
? ter drifting for mile and a half, sue
ceeded in making the shore on tit
! Mississippi side, with his charge. -
: Here he resigned the child TO Maj"
' Robinson, of the Federal army, report
/, ing that he saw the mother and TIN
D other child 50 down. Hctook passage
e on the General Anderson, hound NJ
. the river, and from that time unit
t September Is, 1872, O'Brirn has n"
t been heard of. Mrs. Cooley was saved
Z but the boy forced from her in til
I. dreadful struggle for life and drowne.
She remained in the vicinity of til
wreck for snme ti,Iing Of her lost ones
y but none came, aud she went to Vicks
! hnrg, where, by the kindness Of th
h Young Mems Christian Association
a she was supplied with snitable cloth
It ing and provided with a passage t
f New Orleans. Major Robinson retain
It I'd the child in camp several week
, ard then, ON leave of absence, ton
Jennie with him to his home in Ohi'
= where he placed her under the care I
. his mother. On the Majors return
v his regiment, Rev. J. b. Finley, a Pre-
y byterian minister, visited the Robi'
'e Sous in Ohio, and, becoming interestt
'e in the child, at length asked PERM
'e sion to adopt her. The appeal WI
K granted and Mr.. Finley took little Je'
N ME Cooley with him to his lronse
ii Palmyra, in this State, and in eve
70 way treated her with the love Of ;
i. own child, which has been as fond
n, returned hy Jennie as to a parent.
:, the meantime, Mrs. Cooley monrn'
:" for her two children, but in the cour
:" of year from that dreadful night s
Il, married DR.. Terry, one of the mo
IL prominent physicians in New Orlear
ID in which city she has ever since live
it, In last Septe mber James o. B ie
pn met Mrs. Terry in New Orleans, a
no recognizing her from that night, spo
i, to her of her child. O'Brien had i
=, cer.ained the name and residence
Wv Major Robinson when he surrender
" the child. This information he gave
'"' Mrs. Terry, and, the clue taken, N
Ut Terry went to Ohio, saw the R"binso
10 and from thence to BrOokfirld, VIII
on the Rev. Mr.. Finley now is, and VIII
tie she met her child after nine years
separation. The child, now girl
seventeen years, did not recognize
er- mother, bnt remembered the circn
H. stances Of their separation in the ,