The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-09-19
PRUDENCE STRONG'S SECRET.

A True Story of Revolutionary Days.
The old War Office in Lebanon, Conn.,,
of Gov. Trumbull- Washington's Broth
er Jonathan-has lately received new
roof. This means that the little build
ING which sheltered Washington, ROch-
ambeau and Lafayette, which was the
meeting place of the "Gouncil of Safe
ty," and the hating place of the mes
sengers who bore important dispatches
between Philadelphia and Boston, is not
vet to be torn down. 1t also means that
the mysterious documents which Mis-
tress Prudence Strong once hid there in
defiance of Gov Trumbull and the
Count de Rochambeau, will still longer
remain in its hiding place-for, years
AGO, even before Gov. Trumbull was
gathered to his fathers, the villagers
said that the papers would never
be found until the building was taken
down, and every rafter and every crew
ice between the stones of the large CHM
ney was examined.
From the papers and letters that Judge
Hebard collected, many of them coming
into his hands when settling an estate
of the husband of one of Gov. Trum-
bulls daughters, from the information
that Judge Hebard gained from the
members of the Trumbull family whom
he knew, and from various other sourc-
es, the story of the secret of Prudence
Strong it is firmly believed would have
been exposed had the Office been torn
down.
The Count de Rochambeau, with his
battalion of allies, in the winter of 1870
rested in Lebanon. The soldiers pitch
ed their tents and built their huts on the
slope of hill, at the bottom of which
ran a stream of water to the mill-pOnd.
Stream and pond and slOping hillside
have not been changed since by either
nature or art.
The Count de ROchambeau sat eating
his dinner of succotash and a juicy piece
of beef one stormy afternoon. He had
Just received dispatch from Washing
ton which pleased him greatly, and had
sent a messenger to notify Gov. Trum-
bull that the Count de ROchambeau
would do himself the honor of passing
an hour or so of the evening with the
Governor at the War Office.
An unusual hustle in the camp attract
ed ROchambeau's attention. "What
does this mean? Those fellows are un-
usually noisy tonight" he said to an
Aide-de-camp who dined with him.
eff l mistake not, the sentry has cap
tured a deserter,'' said the Aid, rising
and going to the window. He stood
there peering through the glass, which
was SO imperfect as to make big men
look very little and small men seem very
large, besides frequently grazing one
body with four or even six pairs of legs.
ssIt is as mistrusted, sir. They have
caught a deserter, and, if my eyes do
not deceive me, it is Francois Duplan. :"
"No, not he," the Count said, rising.
"Why, he is gentleman. He can not
conceal that even from you, if he is a
common soldier. He has the air of a
grand mystery, and he is withal exceed
ingly serviceable at the oven."
sit is he, nevertheless, sir, and you
will pardon me if ! recall to your men,
ory the order that was issued by the
Count de ROchambeau when the deserter
was captured the other day and for
given"
"Death at the next SUNRISE" said the
Count, sinking into his chair.
"Death at the next SUNRISE" said the
Aid, quietly.
"Methinks, had l known that this
fellow would be the next, would have
waited until the next after he, for there
is something about him that passes my
comprehension greatly"
"You will
"No, will not. The order was Civ
en-, it must be followed. See that l am
not awakened until after the sentence is
executed
A court-martial was speedily conven-
ed, and Francois Duplan stood before
it charged with having been captured
by the pickets far beyond bounds and
making as it were his intention to pass
through the north woods, out upon the
Hartford turnpike.