The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-10-28
ARoMANCB OF THE WAR.
HISTORY OF THE HICKENLOOKER.


OoRINTH, REUNITED AFTER MANY YEARS
VERIFY TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FIC-
TON.
The Cincinnati Enquirer says: An even
ing paper gives publicity to sensational
story to the effect that an adopted son of
Gen. Hickenlooker, who took the stray
child in charge at the evacuation of Corinth,
last week discovered his brother in the per-
son OF a comedian at one of our theaters, and
through that brother was restored
to his family, long lamenting him
as dead. The story. is prettily put
and has doubtless some foundation in fact.
The boy was adopted, and did find his
brother, perhaps in the dramatic manner
related But as Corinth was not burned,
only a few houses being RACED after the cap
ture, to get them out OF the range and
view OF gunners, such passages as this must
have their origin in tie fertile brain OF the
writer.
THE TOWN WAS IN FLAMES,
the alarm bells were ringing, and the peo-
pie in hot haste hurrying to and fro, the
maidens with disheveled hair and stream
ing ewes hurrying faster and faster as the
muskets OF the advancing foe ratified, and
the cannon could be heard in the distance.
Mothers, with their children caught up in
their arms, flying with the rout, Fastening
they knew not where. The great mass,
spurred by instinct more than reason, took
the only safe road from the ruins,
fleeing along the railroad track lead
ing from the southern part of the city, taking
refuge in the hills and WOODS along the
route. In less time than it takes to tell the
story the town was deserted, and out of the
thousands who but few moments before
had .thronged its streets but one soul
remained, and that little child, a boy, who
had been left in the hurry and confusion of
the flight. The flames of the burning build
ings cracked and roared about his ears.
Well the name of that child who went
through such
IMAGINARY SCENES OF TERROR
and dismsy was Foster, and we give the
portion of the story which has probable
foundation in fact. The general out of pity
adopted the boy, and in August, 1862, sent
him in charge of Sergeant John Bruner to
Cincinnati. where he was taken charge of by
the generals father and mother. Shortly
alter he was started to school, entering as
scholar at the old eleventh district public
school, or what is more commonly known
as the fexzs school house. Here be plodded
along much in the same manner as other
boys, and finally grew to be man, serving an
apprenticeship in the surveyors Office. IN
der his patron, the general, with whom he
finally became a first class civil engineer.
During all these twelve or thirteen years he
never ceased, when an opportunity offered,
of making diligent inquiry with regard TO
his parents ana family, but in vain; all
he remembered was his fathers and motto
er's name; and, with only this and nothing
more to guide him, 1t seemed a hopeless
task. he wrote repeatedly to his old home,
but the letters were all returned, no one
having called for them. He inserted
monthly and yearly advertisements in the
Memphis and other Southern papers, but
they brought no respo nse; and, from the
day that he was first brought to the Union
camp. nearly fourteen years ago,
WRAPPED IN AN OLD ARMY BLOUSE
that reached to his ankles, until Saturday
of last week did he ever hear one syllable
with regard to father, mother or friends.
One evening in March, year ago, in COM
pany with some friends, young Foster
visited the theater in this city and chattted
and iOked with the party, as is the custom
of other folks, when suddenly the leading
comedian of the company appeared upon
the stage, according to the programme, to
sidg one of his popular songs. The rest of
the party laughed and applauded the merito-
rious performance, but Foster never moved
a muscle and when questioned as to his
silence, only.said: "That man looks so much
like my mother that it starts me to think
ing" The party not being familiar
With his history, laughed at the
thinking nothing more about the
matter, he especially, as the stage was the
last place in the world where he expected to
see any of his relations. Again the matter
passed from his mind, and the hope that
for brief space had been rekindled as
quickly died away. But one night of last
week he again with his friends, visited the
same theater, and, to the establishment of
sll, this same comedian made his appear
ance. This time it made such an impress
sion upon Fosters mind that he could not
sleep. The name on the programme was
the same as his own. and he determined
that this opportunity should not pass. Yet
be feared lest, as upon all former occasions,
he should be disappointed, and the sad
reality be fully established that he was in
deed alone in the world and without a sim
gle relative in existence. He remembered,
as we have said before, only his fathers and
mothers names. With these facts only in
their possession
TWO FRIENDS VISITED THE THEATER
on Saturday morning oflast week and found
the comedian above alluded to at rehear-
sal. They questioned him closely; the
names of both father and mother corre-
sponded exactly, but he had no brother.
His only brother, Frank, was lost, he said
when a child on the battlefield OF Corintb,
and all search for thirteen years had proved
unavailing, and ne had finally been given
up for dead. His mother, now a poor old
he rt-broken woman, saying, "He's dead,
poor child, he must be dead, or he never
would have forgotten his poor old mother"
The history OF the family was then related
in detail as to how after the siege and burn
ing of the town they had returned to the
old town, in Dunkirk, New York, finally
moving to Cleveland, where they
have remained ever since; the faith
9r's death; the struggles of the
only surviving son to earn a liv.
ing for his mother and sisters, and his final
debut and success on the stage; the unavail-
ing search for the lost brother; the adver-
tisements In the Boston Pilot and other
papers ia Eastern and Southern cities; the
journeys many of them on foot TO distant
places; of the distracted mother, still search
ing for her cbild-missing is a terrible word