The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-08-19
Remarkable Adventures.

Remarkable Adventures.
One of our semi-occasional reporters,
led by business to Omaha yesterday, met
with strange and singular; experience,
which, though not beyond the range of
probabilities, has certain fascination on
account of its novelty. Passing up Doug
lass street he met man about thirty-fve
years of age ON crutches, and dressed in
the army blue of the United States serv-
ice. At a glance the reporter imagined he
recognized the party, but, was however, I'M
certain about it, and he looked back until
the invalid, whoever he was, turned the
corner. Still haunted with the face, he
retraced his steps, turned the corner and
quickened his pace, and saw the stranger
some distance ahead Of him. No time
was lost in overtaking him, when he laid
his hand on his shoulder and requested
him to stop moment. The stranger did
as requested, and half faced to the person
addressing him. This gave our reporter
nearly full view and he at once recOg-
nlzed IN his face the features of a brother
who had been missing since the battle of
Antietam, in September, 1862, nearly
thirteen years ago. The effect of such a
meeting in such a place and under such
circumstances, after so long separation,
can be imagined more easily than it can be
proved to be, and his brother adj
journed to an adjoining restaurant,
where he rehearsed his wander
ngs and mishaps in the interim.
We give the combined story and vouch
for its truthtulness. Andrew. as we will
call him, was at the outbreak of the war a
we'll TODD tenant farmer, and upon the
organization of the Pennsylvania Reserves,
under Gen. Mccall, became member of
the First Pennsylvania Rifles, under Col
Thomas L. Kane, after whom the
original town q Council Bluffs was
whole of the early bloody cam.
paigns of that gallant corps without
scratch, and just before the battle of Ante-
tam his brother, our reporter, became II
member of the same company. The two
went into action together, and while on
the turnpike which runs by the little
bunker Church on that memorable battle
field a Georgia brigade drove them from
their position, and in falling back Andrew
fell by the side of his brother with shot
Just below the pit of his stomach. The
last heard was an exclamation: My God,
my wife" The retreat was then has
tened and SO dead did he seem to be that
he was counted among those who had
given up their lives for the cause. Several
days Andrew lay on the neutral ground
between the hostile lines, and being
only wounded was entirely missed
by those afterward in search Of the
dead and wounded, he having hid him.
self among some bushes, where he was
found afterward by an old farmer, to
whose house he was removed, near Sharps-
burg. Here he remained for quite Il
while, and was beginning to convalescc
when j. E. B. Stuart's cavalry made its
famous raid into Chambersburg, in the
fall of 1862. In their retreat within the
Confederate lines detachment of Stuart's
cavalry captured him and took him south
OF the Potomac River, and thence he was
sent to Libby, and from Libby to Macon,
Ga. AT the latter place he made his es
cape, after having been twice shot in the
arm by the guard and when on his way
to the Federal lines under the guidance of
negroes he was recaptured by militia
Losing courage and hope he took the oath
of allegiance to the Confederate Govern
ment, was sent south to Texas under Dick
Taylor, in whose command he remained,
ever seeking an opportunity to escape by
desertlon: Being Southern man by
birth he had no difficulty in feigning as
similatiOn with the troops of the Confcd-
eracy, but still in that remote region the
prospect of escape was feeble The pOr-
ton of Taylor's command to which he
belonged was driven across the Rio
Gr.nde into Mexico, and in short
time he fell under the power of
the republican barbarian, Cortina, who
raided upon friend and foe alike. Some
border Indian tribes had possession of
some OfCOrtina's most valuable allXiliaries
TO ransom these large number of cattle
were required in addition to stipulation
for an exchange of captives. Andrew was
selected as a victim of this nefarious bar
gain, and was compelled on foot to ac-
company the well-mounted savages in the
gloomy retreats in the dismal and almost
impenetrable Businesses of the Cordillcras.
Nothing can fully and adequately picture
the horrors and anguish of that trip.
Once hidden away in the canons that
formed the hiding-place of his new and
savage masters all hope died within him,
and for weeks he was the victim of Il
brain fever which came very near being
his last. When the savages in whose
power he was left on one OF their raids
they left sufficient strength to insure the
safety of their village and guard against
surprise. Every attempt at evasion of this
vigilance failed and only added to the hor-
rors OF his captivity. For years he was
forced to the most disagrecablc mental
services, and once took revenge bloody,
fearful and swift upon savage COM
panion when beyond the reach of the
sounds of the village, by hurting him from
a rock into canon through which
dashed an angry river The Indians gun
went to the bottom along with the body of
his victim, but he was encoiled by vigi-
lance too swift to permit him to profit by
his daring. Three months ago he made IA
final attempt to escape and got again to
the open country, where he almost per-
ished of want and not without receiving
other wounds from the arrows of his pur-
suers. He again fell into the clutches of
Cortina's band, who in turn were cap
tured, as the newspapers have already an
nounced, by the Mexican authorities.
Andrews was at once released, his Indian
garb exchanged for new suit of army
blue, and furnished with transportation
North. He was about to start East yes
terday when he met his brother The
two, however, concluded to remain until
today, when they will 60 to the old home.
Andrews wife died of grief and his two
children followed soon after their mother.
Hardship, privations and suffering have
made him prematurely old man, and his
hair is as white as that Of one of sixty years
of age. An affectionatc old mother awaits
his return, and the lost is again found
Council Bluffs (Io,oa) Nonpareiz
A Joke at Long Range.