National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-08-04
THRILLING-IF TRUE.
Revelations OF an Overthrow Oak.

/ htNefuttoua Of an ONerthrowu YAK.
In hurricane passing over the Ohio river
and down the Miami valley on the night of
the Ith OF July, q splendid grove of oaks on
the "old Anderson farm" of a Mr.. Rogers, In
the latter locality, was almost wholly pros
trated, and here Ia an amazing story derived
therefrom and graycly communicated to the
Miami county Democrat by one J. F. Clark
Upon the morning subsequent to the storm
Saturday Mr.. Rogers, in company with q
hired man, proceeded to inquire into the ex-
tent Of the damage inflicted upon his prem
ises, and the first objective point was the
ruined grove. The centre tree Of the plat
was a noble oak, the king over his fellows,
and a tree which had stood the ravages OF
time seemingly unscathed for several centu-
ries. This tree had been snapped and felled
by the storm. Upon examining the fallen
giant for the purpose Of ascertaining Its
worth as rail timber Mr.. Rogers made start
ling discovery: This was nothing less than
the fact that the tree In falling had dlsgorged
a skeleton! The bones were disconnected,
yellow as gold with aye, and scattered pro-
mlscuously over several square feet of pastur-
age. The skull was almost intact; all the
teeth save two-molars-were still In their
places, and there was scar oil the left pa
rietal bone which looked like the memento Of
some fierce cavalry charge. The humerus
Of the right arm was shattered, and save the
three defects just mentioned the skeleton,
when put together, was without blemish.
The tree In falling, should have mentioned,
was rent asunder-a task not difficult of ac-
complishment when ! refer to the fact that
an examination found that at some remote
date the very heart Of the oak had been cleft
by lightning. From spot twenty feet from
the ground upwards to the first great fork--a
distance Of ten feet-a hollow extended, and
10 In ala1a hal kaA
II we but knew who he was, thought my in
formant, Mr.. Rogers, and, strange to say, q
few minutes later the twain discovered that
the tree had also dlsgorged thrilling history.
An od-fashioned leathern pocket or memo
randum-book lay In remarkable state OF
preservation, which no doubt had been
dropped into the rent made by the lightning,
and thus been preserved while Its master de-
cayed. 4 few brass buttons OF old and UNIQUE
pattern were found near tho memorandum,
but II Ia with the latter that we have to deal
This old leather purse, entirely moneyless,
contained several papers covered with rude
pencillngs-quite difficult to trace, ~
they were written on the backs of
army passes and military consignments,
which dated as far back as l77B. Mr.. Rogers
conveyed the bones to his house, aud
set about to read the memorandum OF the
captive OF the tree. But owing to his failing
eyeslght he could decipher but little and
tons. 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; aud the skeleton arm when covered
with flesh and muscle had struck many stall
wart blows for our country. The mans
name, as gathered from the papers, was
Roger Nanderberg, native OF Lancaster,
Pa, and captain In the Revolutionary army
lie was an aid TO Washington during the re-
treat across the Jerseys, and served time in
Arnold'S headquarters at West Point. In
| 1871 he marched with st. Clair against the
| Northwestern Indians, and In the famous
| outbreak Of that General on the Wabash,
November OF the year just written, he was
wounded and captured. But while being
conveyed to the Indian town ut Upper Piqua
IA historical place well known to your read
ers-he effected his escape, but found himself
hard pressed by his savage foes. He saw the
hollow In the oak, and despite the mangled
arm. and with the aid OF beech that grew
beside the giant then, he gained the haven,
aud dropped therein. Then came fearful
discovery. He had miscalculated the depth
OF the b ,llow, and there was no escape. o,
the story told by tho diary OF the oaks de-
spalrlng prisoner How rather than surren-
der to the torture OF the stan he chose death
by starvation; how he wrote his diary In the
uncertain light and the snows Here Is one
entry In the diary
November l0-Fiye days without food!
When sleep dream OF luscious fruits and
Vo'oD'g streams. The stars laugh at my mis-.
ery' II Is showing now. l freeze while l
starye God pity mel
, The italicised words were supplied by Mr.,
Rogers, as the trembling hand oft-times re-
FUSED 70 indite plainly Never was such q
RECORD Of suffering traced by human hapd