The Placer herald., 1873-08-09

arm was shattered, and save the three de-
fects just mentioned the skeleton was put to-
getber without blemish.
The tree in falling, should have men,
toned, was rent asunder-a task not difficult
of accomplishment when refer to, the fac,
that an examination found that at some re-
mote date the very heart of the oak had
been cleft by lightning. From spot twen-
ty feet from the ground upward to the first
great fork-a distance of ten feet-a hollow
extended, and from this cavity the skeleton
had been hurled. eff we but knew who he
was," thought my informant, Mr.. R., and
strange to say, few minutes later the twain
discovered that the tree had also disgorged
a thrilling history
An old-fashoned leather pocket or memo
randum book lay in remarkable state of pre-
servation-which no doubt had been dropped
into the rent made by the lightning, and
thus been preserved while its master decayed.
A few brass buttons OF old and unique pat
tern were found near the memorandum, but
it is with the latter that we have to deal.
This old leather purse entirely moneyess-
contained sundry papers covered with rude
pencilings, quite difficult to trace, as they
were written on the backs of army passes
and military consignments which dated as
far back as 1776,
Mr. Rogers conveyed the bones to his
house, and set about to read the memoran-
dun of the captive of the tree. But owing
to his failing eyesight, he could decypher
but little, and this little II conglomerate mass
of disconnections. But still he read enough
to learn that the eyes that once shone in the
now orbless sockets often looked upon Wash
ington in the heat of battle, and amid the
SHOWS of Valley Forge, and the skeleton arm
when covered with flesh and muscle, had
struck many stalwart blows for our country.
The mans name, as gathered from the pa
pers, was Roger Vanderberg, a native of
Lancaster, Pa, and a Captain in the Revo-
lutionary army. lie was an aid to Wash
ington during his retreat across the Jerseys,
and served time in Arnold's headquarters
at West Point. In 1791 he marched with
ST. Clair against the northwestern Indians,
and in the famous outbreak of that General
on the Wabash, Nov Sd, of the year just
written, be was wounded and captured.
But while being conveyed to the Indian town
at Upper Piqua-an historical place well
known to your readers-he effected his es-
cape, but found himself hard pressed by his
savage foes.
He saw the hollow in the oak, and des-
pi;e the mangled arm, and with the aid Of a
beech that grew beside the giant then, he
gained the haven and dropped therein. Then
came fearful discovery. He had miscal-
culated the depth of tie hollow and there
was no esc9pe. Oh, the story told by the
diary of the oaks despairing prisoner! How,
rather than surrender to the torture of the
stake, he chose death by starvation; how he
wrote his diary in the uncertain light of the
SHOWS
Here is one entry in the diary:
"Nov. 10Th. Five days without food !
When | sleep dream of luscious fruits and
flowing streams. The stars laugh at my
misery. 1t is showing now. freeze while
starve. God pity mel
A few words were supplied by Mr. Rog-
ers, as the trembling hand oftiInes refused
to indicate plainly.
Never was such a record of suffering trac-
ed by human hand before. The entries coy
er the period Of eleven days, and in dejoint-
ed sentences is told the story of ST. Glars
defeat. The diary is to be placed in my
hands, and with your permission will trans
cribe it for your columns
Mr.. Rogers has written to Lancaster to
ascertain if any descendants of the ill-fated
Captain live; if so, they shall have his bones.
Such, Mr.. Editor, is one of the freaks of
the late storm, perpetrated in our own coun-
ty. How little dreamed we that so near us
has been imprisoned for eighty-tw years
one of the soldiers of the Revolution. Often
the starvling heard his red faced foes at the
foot of his prison, but he would not hail them,
and perished at last with prayer heard only
by Him to whom it was directed.
If the descendants of Captain Vanderberg
cannot be discovered, hope there will be
enough patriotism found in Miami county to
erect monument over his remains. The
story of the diary will chill the hearts of all
who read it, and steep the eye in sympathy
for the noble sold es of his country.
And now, Mr.. Editor, thanking you for
allowing me to trespass on your generosity,
remain yours respectfully,
L il CIARKr