The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1873-08-21
THRILLING IF TRUE.
Of an Overturned Oak

Revelations Of an Overturned Oak.
In the hurricane passing over the
Ohio River aud down the Miami VAL
ley on the night Of the 4th Of July, a
splendid grove Of oaks on the old AN
derson farm" of u Mr.. Rogers In the
latter locality was almost wholly pros
trated, aud here Is al amazing story
derived therefrom and graveIy conmu-
nicated by the Miami county Demo
crat by one J. F. C!urk
Upon the morning subsequent to
the storm Saturday Mr.. Rogers in
company with hired man. proceeded
to inquire into the extent Of the DANA
ges inflicted upon his premises, aud
the first objective point was the ruin
ed grove. The center tree of that plat
was noble oak, the king over his fel-
lows, and tree which bad stood the
ravages Of time seemingly nnscath ed
for several centuries. The tree had
been snapped and felled by the storm.
Upon examining the fallen giant for
the purpose Of ascertaining its worth
as raiitirnber, Mr.. Rogers made q start
ling discovery. This was nothing less
than the fact that the tree is falling
had diseorged q skeleton! The bones
were disconnected, yellow as gold
with age, and scattered promiscuously
over several square feet of pasture.
The skull was almost intact all the
teeth save two-molars-we still in
their places, and there was a scare on
the left parietal bone which looked
like the memento OF some fierce caval-
ry charge. The humerus Of the right
arm was shattered, and save the three
defects just mentioned the skeleton,
when put together, was without ble-
mish. The tree in falling, l should
have mentioned, was rent asunder-
. task not difficult of accomplishment
when | refer to the fact that an exam
ination found that at some remote day
the very heart Of the oak had been
cleft by lightning. From aspot twen-
ty feet from the ground upwards to
the first great fork-s distance Of ten
feet-a hollow extended, and from
this cavity the skeleton had been
hurled. II we but knew who he was,
thought my informant. Mr.. Rogers,
and, strange to say, few minutes af-
terward the twain discovered that the
tree had also disgorged thrilling his
tory. An old fashioned learthern
pocket or memorandum book lay in .
remark able state Of preservation,
which no doubt had been dropped into
the rent made by the lightning, and
had been preserved while its master
decayed. A few brass buttons Of old
and unique pattern were found near
the memorandum, but it is with the
latter we have to deal. The old leath-
er purse, entirely moDeyiess, con-
tained sundry papers covered with
rude penciliug quite difficult to trace,
as they were written on the backs OF
army passes and military consign-
ments which dated as far back as l776.
Mr.. Rogers conveyed the bones to his
house, and set about to read the mem.
orandum of the captive Of the tree.
But owing to his falling eyesight he
could decipher but little, and this lit
tie conglomerate mass o! disconnec-
tions. But still he read enough to
learn that the eyes that once shone In
the now orbless sockets often looked
upon Washington in the heat of battle
and amid the SHOWS Of Valley Forge !;
that the skeleton arm. when covered
with flesh and muscle, had struck
many stalwart blows for our country.
The mans name, as gathered from
the papers, was Roger Esnderberg,
native of Lancaster, Pa,," and Cap
tain in the Revolutionary Army. He
was an aid to Washington during the
retreat across the Jerseys, and served
q time In Arnold's headquarters at
West Point. In 1891 he marched with
st. Clair against the Indians, and In
the famous outbreak Of that General
on the Wabash, November 8. of the
year just written, he was wounded
and captured. Blu. while being con-
veyed to the Indian town at Upper
Piqua-an historical place well known
to your readers-he effected his escape,
but found himself harl pressed by his
savage foes. He saw the hollow In
the oak, and despite the maDgled
firm, aud with the aid ofa beach that
grew beside the giant then, he gained
the haven and dropped therein.
Then came . fearful discovery. He
had miscalculated the depth Of the
hollow, and there was no escape. o,
the story told by the diary Of the oak g
despairing prisoner! How rather
than surrender to the torture OF the
stake he chose death by starvation ;