Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1873-08-23
From the Miami, lOhio) Democrat
STRANGE NARRATIVE.


DIsENToMBs a SKELEToN.-Wlthout oc-
cupving much OF your valuable space, |
beg leave to detail IN incident connect
cd with the terrible hurricane that pass
cd over the Miami Valley on the even
ing of the GLORIOUS 4lh."
On the well known "old Anderson
farm whose fertile acres extend to the
banks of the historic Miami, stands, or
rather stood, fine oak grove. "A fort
night since the majestic trees stood
erect and intact, but now two-thlrds et
them are lying on the ground, hurled
down by the relentless fury of the last
great storm. Little did the storm de-
mon think when he set out upon hls
mission of destruction that he was dcs-
tined to rob q tree of q secret which it
has scrupulously kept for eighty-two
years.
have the facts of this storm incident
from the lips of MIR. - Rogers, the pre-
sont occupant of the farm referred to-,
and man of proverbial veraclty.
Upon the morning subsequent TO the
storm Saturday Dir. Rogers, in compa-
ny with SHRED man, proceeded to IN
qllire into the extent of the damage in
ficted upon his premises, and the first
objective point was the ruined grove.
The center tree Of the plat was noble
oak, the king over hia fellows, and a
tree who had stood the ravagcs OF time
sssmnfMX ,s H. uqsfat3hsq 9g 3 J5a fer ssyeTil sP f'ntH
felled by the storm. Upon examining
the fallen giant for the purpose OF as
certaining its worth rs rail timber, Mr..
IL. made startling discovery.
This was nothing less than Tho fact
that the tree in falling. had disgorgcd a
skeleton
The bones were disconnected, yellow
as gold with age, and scattered promls-
cuously over several square feet of pas
turage. The skull was almost intact
all the teeth save two-molars-were
still in their places, and there was q
scar on the left parietal bone which
looked like the mcmentO OF some hercc
cavalry charge. The humcrus 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, l should have
mentioned, was rent asunder-a task
not difficult of accomplishment when
refer to the fact that an examination
found that at some remote date the very
heart of the oak had been cleft by light
ming. From n spot twenty feet from
the ground upward TO the first great
fork-a distance of ten feet-a hollow
extended, and from this cavity the skel
cton had been hurled. off We but knew
who he was," thought my informant
Mr.. r, and, strange to say, few MN
utes later the twain discovered that the
tree had also disgorged thrilling his
tory. An old-fashionedlcathe pocket OF
memorandum book lay in remarkable
state Of preservation-which no douD'
had boen dropped into the rent made
by the lightning, and thus been preser!
ed while its master decayed. A lew
brass buttons of old and unique pattern
were found near the memorandum, bu
il is with the latter that we have 10 deal
This old leather purse-entirely money
less-contaiued sundry papers covered
with rude pencilings, quite difficult t'
trace, as they were written on the backs
of army passes and military conslgn
ments which dated as far back as 1776
Mr.. Rogers conveyed the bones tt
his house, and set about to read th'
memorandum of the captive of the tree
But owing to his failing eyeslght, h
could decipher but little, and this little
a conglomerate mass OF disconnectlons
But still he read enough to learn tina
the ewes that once shone in the nov
orbless sockets often looked upon Wash
ipgton in the heat of battle, and ami,
the SHOWS of Valley Forge, and the skel
eton arm when covered with flesh ant
muscle had struck many stalwart blow
for our country.
The mans name as gathered from tn
papers was Roger Vanderberg, a naty'
ofLancaster, Pa, and a captain in tn
Revolutionary army. lie was an aid t.
Washington during the retreat across
the Jerseys, and served time in AT
nold's headquarters at West Point Ii
1871 he marched with st. Clair agains
the Northwestern Indians, and in tn
famous outbreak of that General on tn
Wabash. Nov. 8, of the year just writ
Ton no wa wounded and captured Bu
while being conveyedto the Indian tow, WI
at Upper Piqua-a historical place wen
known to your readers-he effected bi
escape, but found himself hard presse'
by his savage foes.
He saw the hollow in the oak, ant
despite the mangled arm, and with tn.
aid of a beach that grew beside the 81
ant then, he gained the haven and drop
ned therein. Then came Fearful dis
covery. lie had miscalculated the dept