Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-04-16


of his flesh and blood upon it. Du Bose
was not successful in it. His letters from
the Peak told of continued dis
appointment and hardship, though
ever expressive of a determination
to fight the battle yet longer. During this
time his patient and devoted wife and an
infant son, born year before the amateur
miners departure, knew many den1als at
home in the exigencies ofthe embarrassed
estate, and could only respond to the dis
couraging messages OF the husband and
father with love and prayer.
Such was the story, told in much-inter-
rupted correspondence, back and forth,
until the memorable tumuIt and dlsrup-
lions of war in 1861 cut of all postal
communication whatever between the
warning sections of the nation. Before
that time Mrs Du Bose had been obliged
to sell the unlucky plantation and remove
with her little boy to the neighborhood
Of some of her relatives in New Orleans
and when hostilities began the mother and
child were guests of Mrs. Jennings, a
sister of the former, in the Crescent CITY.
Borne down by her sorrows and the
public anxieties of the time, the poor LADY,
died soon after the battle of Sumter, and
the young orphan fell to the charge of his
aunt.
And now this boy becomes the hero of
the tale. Left chiefly to his own re-
sources after his mothers death, the little
fellow passed much of his time in the
streets, and thus, when the national
forces occupied New Orleans, became a
familiar of various barracks. One dav
Col. Vance, of the Forty seventh Indiana,
l. L I'll
a week, was induced by his handsome face
and neglected appearance to question him
Of his history AS his childish replies
suggested no definite idea of a good
home, but did reveal his orphanage, he
was taken straightway to the Hoosier
officers kind heart as a waif worth say
ing. In short, the Colonel's imperfect I'M
derstanding of his circumstances, and his
own Juvenile eagerness to 90 with the
soldiers, resulted in his summary adop-
ton as il son of the regiment Almost
Immediately thereafter the gallant In
dianians were ordered northWard and
took their DrOteqe with them; and from
thenceforth to the end Of the war the little
Southron rode black pony beside his
Colonies charger, and had a thorough
baptism of fire.
With that same ending of the war
came hack the misguided miner of
Pixies Peak, who, while cast off from all
hope of Southern return or home letters
by wars wall of flame, had wandered to
California and there made the long
sought fortune. In New Orleans they
told him of his wife's death and his sons
disappearance. Whittier the lad had
gone none could say; he had left his
aunt's house one day to look at the
Yankee soldiers and never returned. AS
may be imagined this intelligence filled
the self-accusing mans cup of grief.
But he could not believe the missing boy
was dead In the New Orleans and
other newspapers he advertised large re-
wards for the return or news of his stray
ing child, and visited all his own and his
late wife's relatives and friends through
out the South for tidings or counsel.
Numerous impostOrs answered the ad.
vertisement; but when put to the test Of
question as to the family-names, ETC.,
were found wanting. Disguised at these
attempted impositiOns, as well as dis
heartened otherwise, Mr.. Du Bose at last
disappeared again-going back to Cali
fornia it was supposed-and the search
rested.
In the meantime the lost heir, upon the
resumption Of peace, went home with his
Colonel to the latter's home in Portland,
Jay County, Ind; and subsequently,
when his Western friends broke up house
keeping, betook himself to Atchison, in
Kansas. 1t was about four years ago,
while preparing himself for future self
support by studying at the Circleville
College, in Kansas, that some friend of
Col. Vance's remembered having seen
his fathers advertisement in some paper,
and tod the student thereof But the
paper could not be found; the details
were very indistinctly recalled, and only
lately has young Du Bose, now a clerk in
hotel at indianapolis, become aware of
all the circumstances of the paternal
search and failure. According to the In
dianapoliS Sentinel, which relates the
whole romance in admirable style, the
son is now as much at a loss to discover
The whereabouts of his father as the latter
formerly was to reclaim him, having
travelled all over the Southwest in vain
pursuit of some recent clew to the ex-
planters present place of abode. He has
secured ample proofs of his own identity,
however; believes that his missing sire is
somewhere in California, and doubts not
that due correspondence with California
Postmasters, and advertisements in proper
Journals, will yet restore him to the pater-
nal arms and a fine fortune.