Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-11-27
\; srrfetl I'm n Flat Boat In the Middle
Ofthe Potomac River.

On Thursday last 10 fla. boat 10 the mid
do Of the Potomac river, OF Harper's Ferry.
Miss Carrie ShouE, ssed l6. daughter of Cart.
J. G. Shcup, daring Confederate soldier. Who
was killed shortly before the close OF tho var,
and Mr. William Reed aged twenty. SOD OF Mr..
Gideon Reed, deceased, were married. The
boat was not 10 sound condition. and before
tho ceremony 6as finished the water had stolen
10 and covered the bottom five or six Inches
deep.
These ycurg persons sro residents of Rock
icgham county, aud the Incidents connected
With their courtstip. trials AID triumpbs add
iuge of the ronaEiic to the event Of their mar
rage, and attest opc5 moro thst "lcVe laughs
at lccksDithe." They wtro both bcrn and
raised 10 tie neighboIhood Of Smith and Lu-
yie's Cree Ks their homes bsipg but te1 miles
apsrt.' They he'd kDoEn ecca other from esrIy
youth. and the youEg nan had not unfre
uueutIy visited The bono OF tho young lady
before the tender sediment vas developed aud
suspicion aroused that something more than
ordinary was ithuercing their association. As
soon as it was suspected BY the parents ct the
girl that friendship bad ripe1ed loto love, they
forbade the boys visits, then INTERCEPTED the
correspondence between them, and loterpcsed
every obstacle to their meeting and every srtl"
fcs to keep them separate or from comnunl-
eating with each other. AS in Thousands Of
cases before, this resulted in iDicnser affection
between them, moro earnest determination to
coruuer the difficulties Vhich confronted them,
aud 10 copsuumsto the dream of thsr young
lives at the hymenial s,ar, though it had
to be done by flight to where tho laws sre moro
consideratc in such casea. than the harsh co.
actments of Virginia. To arrest this rash pur
pose the pare1ts Of the gill oooo:iVed the plan
of sanding her to relatives 10 Missouri. 10 this
she simulated assent. A ticket Wis purch: SD
by tho stepfather, with tho means cf tho yCu0s
lady, to ST.. Louis. Arrangements were per
footed for the departure, AMI accompanied BY
the stepfsther. Mr.. Isaac Acker. and the grand
father, Cd Uncle Joe Shoup." the clrs were
boarded at CoWah Station. OF last Thursday.
Ia tho meantime young Reed had no. baen
idle. The day previous, having learned OF the
plan of abduc!iog bis aif arcod, TO purchased
ticket to Marlit s5urg, w. Va, and let it gen.
orally b, known that he had done 30. lie,
however, halted G. Hsrpor's Fs!ry, and hsvcg
arranged his plans, quietly awaited the arrival
of the party Oh Thuradsy. A suict surveillance
was kept ever the ycuoc lady by her s:epla'hcr
after they reached the Ferry, Whera they had
10 wait several hours for the western bould
train. While the threc-the aflianoed, her
stepfather and erandfather-Tarc sitting 10 the
reception room at the depot and the gentlemen
earnestly engaged 10 conversation With other
persons presa0t, gontle tap on tho window
arrested the attention of Miss Carris-she sew
the motion of females hs0d-silently s:eppsd
ont Of the door unr o!icod, end vas as qu!ckl9
passed into tho pantry and PLACID under lock
and key for few nome1s By thu cdaub!r
maid. Thence shs WIS steallhi!y Gud
cd to the bank Of the river. where Eer lover,
with o minister, Was Waiiog With h,t
boat. This they entered, ald it WAS speedily
showed to the middle of the Potomac. where
the ceremony Was performed when pronounced
them man and wife, while The stepisther view.
ed the tcane from the iron bridge which spsns
tho stream Feet wet and chilled, they. return
ed to dry land, and thence 10 the hotel, where
the young lady demanded her baggage OF her
stepfsther and grandfather, which, after denial.
WAS procured By tie aid OF .he good cillz'ns OF
Bsrpers Ferry, whose sympateies were enlist
ed in behalf If the daring young couple Fooled
and outWitted, the stepfather took the cars up
the Valley that tight, instead of for the West.
while the grandfather boarded the train for Mil
souri,, Remaining as he did so, with g, hearty
ded psir remained at the Ferry until the follow
ing day, when they toe, returned 10 their native
county, which they had but short while before
left, with conflicting fears ond hopes, but with
the sbiding faith on the part CT the groom
that faint heart ntv.r won fair lady," and
that the prizs he sought was compensation
enough for the daring and ingenious capture he
had planned and executed. Love sharpened
invention and the Wit of youth bsilsd tie pre-.
csu.ion and wstchfulness ofase, while the placid
waters of the historic Ferry laughed and the
grim mountains above amiled at me blending of
two young hearts under such ror autic and very
novel and exciting circumstances.