Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-04-16
An Incident OF the War.

About twenty years ago, or in the year
1854, planter living near Houston, In
Texas, was inspired for adventure by the
current stories of wonderful gold-findings
at Pixies Peak, and importuned from his
wife her consent to his departure. While
ostensibly thrifty, the plantation was
really incumbered by debt and some new
financial departure seemed necessary for
its redemption. Perhaps this was the
final reason inducing Mrs. Du Bosses as
sent. At any rate the planter started for
the distant mining country, after taxing
the family means severely for his outfit,
with the hope of finding enough OF the
precious ore to return in year or two as
rich man. Nearly always a desperate
game of chance, gold-digging is partlc-
ularly perilous hazard for the adventurer
of mature years wno stakes the very home
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 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 denials 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 muchinter
rupted correspondence, back and forth,
until the memorable tumult and disrup
| tions of war in 1851 cut off all postal
| communication whatever between the
| warning sections of the uation. 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 I;
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 day
Col. Vance, of the Forty seventh Indiana,
whose quarters he had infested for nearly
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 good
home, but did reveal his orphanape, he
was taken straightway to the Hoosier
officers kind heart as a waif worth saw
| ing. In short, the Colonel's imperfect I'M
Outstanding of his circumstances, and his
! own juvenile eagerness to 20 with the
soldiers, resulted in his summary adop-
tion as son Of the regiment. Almost
Immediately thereafter the gallant In.
dianians were ordered northward and
took their Dr0tege with them; and from
thenceforth to the end of the war the little
Southron rode black pony beside his
Colonel's charger and had thorough
baptism OF fire.
With that same ending of the war
came back 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 son 8
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 wite'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-namcs, etc,
were found wanting. Disguised at these
attempted impositions, as well rs dis
heartened otherwise, Mr.. Du Bose at last
disappeared again--going back 10 Cali
fornia 1t was supposed-and the search
rested.
In the meantime the lost heir, upon the
resumption of peace, went home with his
Colonel to the iattcr'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 told the student thereof. But the
paper could not be found; the details
we're very indistinctly recalled, and only
lately has young Du Bose, now 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 9 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 fine fortune.