The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-05-29
LOST FOR A LIFETIME.

LOSl TUX n
Some thirty years ago John Ouinc,
Adams attracted considerable attention
IN Congress by a strong speech in favo,
OF bill introduced by b. A BidIack OF
Pennsylvania, which provided that one
mile square of the land then occupied
by the Miami Indians, embracing the
mouse and improvements of Frances
Slocum, should be granted in fee TO he,
and her heirs forever. The bill became
law. and she occupied this special re,
1S47. "
The history of this woman was re.
variable. She was the dan liter OF a
Quaker. who lived in the Wyoming val
ley during the revolution. Several
months after the massacre of ITS she
was caught up by party of marauding
Delaware Indians who got off before
any attempt could be made to rescue
her. She was Eve years old at this time.
About month later her father was
shot dead by the Indians while at work
IN field near his honee. Knowing that
he was gone to his eternal rest, the
widow, in time. b ,came reconciled to
her loss. but she could never forget her
child, the last sight of which was when
she WAS N the arms of a brawny Indian,
struggling and calling piteously upon
her parent to come to her help.
The sons of Mrs. Slocurn became
prosperous business men, and after the
close of the revolution they used every
effort to recover their lost sister. In
I7S4 two ofsthem visited Niagara, where
alar0e number of Indians were gathered,
made diligent inquiries, and offered
liberal rewards for anv information of
her. They prosecuted the search for
several weeks, and returned home with
the impression that she was dead.
The mother, however, could not be
persuaded that such was the case, and
four years later the Slocums spent sew
eral months in the west among the In
dian AGENTS aud traders, publicly offer
ing $500 to any one who would give
any authentic information of the death
of their sister, but their success was no
better than before. A similar expedi-
ton was undertaken is 1877 by four of
the brothers, with the same result. As
IN the Ross case, the search brought
numbers of stolen children to light.
but none was the one particularly
waited.
Mrs. Slocum never lost faith in her
daughters existence. She believed she
was somewhere waiting to be clasped in
her arms, and she continued the search
with scarcely any intermission until
!oOI, when she died, her children prom
1slng her to use every effort to learn
what had become of the little one alb
Quoted nearly thirty years before.
They faithfully carried out this pledge,
and IN 1895 made long and expensive
Journey to Upper Sandusky to gee a
woman who, there was no reason to
hope, was the one for whom they were
searching. Disappointed again, they
finally came to the conclusion that
Frances was dead. aud search ended.
In the month of January, 1895, Col.
George w. Ewing. q gentleman con-
nected with the public service among
the Indians, and able to speak several
OF their languages. was benighted near
an Indian town known as the Deaf
Mans Village, on a branch of the
Wabash. He applied for lodging, and
was Hospitality received at respe ctable
dwelling. He was fatigued and un-
well, and after eating lay down upon
some skins in the corner. The house
hold consisted of q venerable woman
aud a number of children, all of whom
treated her with the greatest defer
ence, and whe departed to their own
rooms.
As Col. Ewing lay npon his pallet he
watched the old lady moving about,
and noticed particularly the color of her
skin and hair. The result of the scru-
tiny convinced him that she was a white
woman, and he opened a conversation
with her. She admitted that his sus-
picions were correct. She s,id that she
was stolen by the Indians when a very
small child, and she had carefully CON
ceaied that fact from those of her own
race whom che met for fear that her
relatives would come and take her away.
She was nov 30 old that she felt she
could not live much longer. and if any
OF her friends were living she would be
glad to zee them. In short, she was
Frances Slocuni, and she remembered
distinctly the name of her father,
though her own given name was for
gotten.
Col Ewing was so impressed with
her narrative that he addressed long
letter, giving the particulars, to the
postmaster at Lancaster, Pa. He had
never heard of the Slocums, but he
judged from certain answers made by
the old lady that her home was some
where in that state.
The letter reached its destination.
but when the postmaster came to read
1t he concluded it a hoax and flung il
aside, among some waste papers, where
1T lay for two years. At the end of that
time the postmaster died, and his wild.
ow, in overbauling his effects. came
upon Col Ewing's letter. She had
never heard the name of S'ocum, but
thinking there was something in it, she
sent the missive to the Lancaster Intel
hgenc r, copy of which, containing
the letter, fell into the hands of Rev
Samuel Bowman, who was intimately
acquainted with the SIocum family, anc
he mailed a paper to her brother, who
lived in Wilkesbarre.
The reception of the letter threw the
whole community into excitement, there
being not particle of doubt as to the
identity of Frances. As two years had
passed since the letter was written, anc
as 1T stated that the old lady at thai
time was under premonition of death
an inquiry was addressed to Col. Ewing
by John j. Slccum, the nephew o
Frances. A prompt reply, dated at Lo
gansrort, came TO hand saying that tn.
old lady was still alive, and would b,
glad TO see them. The letter contained
minute directions az to the course the,
were to take to reach her, Arrange
ments were at once made to do so. Mr.
Isaac Slocum and Mrs. Mary Town
OF sister of Frances, reside
in Ohio, but not in the same neighbor
hood. Joseph Slocum. of Wilkesbarre
another brother, started in his carriage
taking his sister, while Isaac went i
advance, it being agreed that the
should meet at Deaf Mans Village
Isaac reached the place ahead of Tia
others, and accompanied by an intel
prefer, made call upon the lady, VIII
received them PLEASANTLY, but evidentl
with suspicion. The brother found he
to all appearances perfect Indian, br
he had fixed in his mind an unerrin
test of her identity. Previous to bein
carried away. fifty-nine years befor,
her brother Ebenezer had crushed th
foreinger of her left hand with han
mer. Taking hold of her hand an
raiaino IL ha aar tho diaGnnrannan