Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-12-16
UNITED AT LAST.
A Story of Love, Separation and
Suffering,
Which Began in the Greeabrier
Country Twenty Years Ago.
The Hand of Death Makes Known
the Whereabouts of
One Long Thought to be Sleeping
In a Soldiers Grave.
Special TO the Reglster.

CHARLESTON, W. Va, December Is. A
few days since there transpired in
Charleston, remarkable event. the
culmiuation Of schanot Others equally
remarkable, whose air OF romance and
strangeness brings to mind that old, old
sdage ever new, Truth is stranger than
fiction
Twenty years ago, in the town OF Lewis.
burg, situated al the base of the Alleghe-
nies, in that most lovely and inviting of all
picturesque aud romantic regions, the
beautiful valley among whose green mead
ows the head waters of the Great kanawha
have their source. there lived young law.
yer, whom We will call Curtis. The scion
of an old and aristocratic family
once the possessor Of vast wealth which
had dwndled aud vanished with the lapse
OF time, his boyhood. youth and young
manhood had been passed among the hills
OF the Greenbrier country. There he had
attended school, had studied law aud after
a struggle, aided by superior mind and
upbending energies, had won place al the
bar and a competence.
There, too, he had won from a score OF
other suitors a dashing and handsome
mountain lassie. who in due time became
his wife. Two children blessed their home
and Curtis seemed the posseSsOr OF all that
the heart of man could wish for, with
many years of happiness and prosperity
before him.
Put soon came the warning that put to
fight all fond hopes for the future, the
news that Fort Sumter had fallen before a
hailstorm OF Southern bullets and that the
greatest the tierCest, the best and worst OF
oil wars had been begun. Curtis was an
ardent SOutherner, and the first sounds OF
war thrilled him as had the news ,hat the
Battle of Bunker Hill had been fought
fred his ancestors long years before.
A Prisoner Of War.
Eid6ing his wife adieu, he marched away
to follow the leadership Of that idol Of sl
West Virginars, General Jackson, and
was one of his most trusted aids
in the terrible battle in which
that gallant officer received the name OF
Stone wall" During the months that
followed young Curtis was in all the i'm.
portant battles. At the Seven DAYS Fight
his bravery and daring won the attention
Of his superiors and he was promoted from
captain to major. Bat this reward OF cal.
laDtry proved a misfortune, for soon after
while leading skirmishing party in IN at.
tack against band OF Northern foraLcr1,
he and his little command were surprised
by overwhelming numbers and all taken
prisoners Soon after they were seat North
TO swell the list Uf their com paniODs wID
we're confined in the famous rebel prison al
Elmira.
Here the yourg major was destined TO
remain, while his fellows were marching
on TO battle and dcath-unt'l the close Of
the war. Communication with Lh" outside
world was impossible and he could laarn
nothing of those whom he haj left behind
in the sOuthands. Bat the dear On"s to
wlom he had bade fearful farewell in
the Greenbrier country two years before
we're ever in his mine. When that terri
bic scourge small poy broke out in ia"
prison and hundreds of poor fellows were
struck down soon to fill namrleSs and IN.
marked graves, the West Nirglnian was
smong the strickened ones. For weeks he
law between life and death but at last an
iron constitution triumphed over disea.e
and he grew better. The scourge through
which he had passed however had Ief- It's
marks upon him, and mere wreck oi the
handsome young officer who hal entered
the prison a year before he waited for hi
release.