The Portland daily press., 1890-11-06
PRIVATE soUTHER.
Disappearance OF Frye.
burg Boy at Wilderness Battle.

worcester Spy.l
In these quiet times of peace little thought
is bestowed ON the stirring events of % years
ago. Old soldiers meet tc fight again their
chimney-corner battles for the old flag, and
the sombre dress of some white-haired
woman tells story of devotion to the men,
DRY of a soldier husband whose body lies In
trench on some southern battlefield or
among the unnumbered dead of Anderson
vile.
Worcester lost her share of brave spirits,
but none among them was more respected or
more sincerely mourned than Rev. Samuel
SOuther, who enlisted Ia the 57th regiment
early in 1864, and was thought to be among
the killed at the first battle of the Wilder
ness, May 9th 1864.
Now comes the startling news from far
away Australia that Mr.. Souther has been
seen In that country, and the story is full Of
romance.
Rev. Mr.. Souther was known to every one
In Worcester. He was born in Fryeburg,
Me-, February 26. 1919. He graduated at
Dartmouth College, and then taught for a
while in Bangor, Phillips and Searsport Me.
He afterwards studied divinity at the Bangor
Theological Seminary, graduating in 1876.
He was ordained past r Of the North Gen.
IT,
1S47, and was dismissed in May, 1862, when
he became agent for the State Of Maine of
the American Sunday School Union. He
came to Worcester In the early part of 1857
and was made city missionary and was chap
lain at the jail, the insane asylum and the
industrial school, which latter institution
was organized by him in 1857. In 1868 and
the early part OF 1864, he was q representa-
tive to the legislature. Early In 1864 he en-
listed as a private In Co. b, 9th Mass. Regt.,
subsequently, being promoted to the rank OF
orderly sergeant. Thus far bis history is
know to all, and the events of the day upon
which he is supposed to have met his death
are thus written of by. Lieut.. George S.
Greene, an officer In the same company, and
present at the battle. He says in letter
that on the 9th day of May the regim ent ad-
vanced in line of battle on the front line, and
that at the first fire from the rebels Capt.
Grid fell wounded In the head, and Orderly
| Sergeant Souther also fell at the same time
The regiment was forced to yield the ground
When Capt. Grid fell, Lieut.. Greene took
| command, and, IL it had been possible,
would have had them carried to the rear
| The rebels, however, had possession of that
part of the battlefield after the fight that day
Gu. b went In with "a privates, corporals
and Sergeants, and came out with twenty
men, Sergeant and no corporals. This was
the last time Souther was ever seen alive by
his comrades In the army. The official re-
port classes him among the missing. and his
family, who first hoped for his ultimate ap.
pearance, have long since given him up as
dead. His body, however. was never found.
and OF late when Worcester man, once q
member of the 9th regiment, began to write
history Of the regiment. careful search was
made In all southern prison records In hopei
that some trace might be found of the miss.
names of those who suffered at Anderson
| vile was found soldier by the name Of
| Souther, whose birthplace was given al
| Maine. He the record ended, and at this In
definite point commences clue which may
possibly show that the Rev. Samuel Soutbel
walked forth from Anders0nville, and fol
| some strange and unheard of reason took
| passage for Australia instead of coming
back to his family.
A Mr.. George Hill of Brownfeld, Me.
tells his story OF man who may be Mr.
Souther: Eleven years ago Hill made uI
his mind to go to Australia and seek there
the riches which his Maine home seemed tC
deny him. He took passage on a sailing
vessel from San Francisco, and in due course
of time landed In Melbourne, Australia. The
city did not impress him favorably and he
resolved to press on to Sydney. As he had
no money the trip had to be made on foot
Nothing daunted, he started out on his long
tramp over the highway. While tramping
one sultry afternoon he came upon a ranch
with its attendant cabin and surroundings
| which, though not elaborate, yet marked the
| proprietor as well to do. Hill was thirsty
and. going to the cabin, he raped and asked
man came to the door and invited him in
Once inside the owner said: you're Van
kee, aren't you?" S"Yes," responded Hill
well. so am l." said the host. and from
that the talk drifted on to American news
the stray bits Of gossip which the visitor
could furnish. In course Of conversation
the strange host asked Hill his name and
birthplace, and when told that Hill came
from Brownfeld, Me-, the Australian said
that his name was Souther. and that he came
from Fryeburg. Me-. When Hill asked how
| long he had been in Australia. Souther an
swered in strange voice, MANY years,
and changed the subject. During the con
versation Souther referred to two brothers
| people who lived at Fryeburg. Once, while
they talked, Hill asked Souther why he die
| not write to his friends at Fryeburg, ani
Souther. In the same queer way as when thu
conversation displeased him before. an
swered. Il have nothing to say to them
way which implied to him that Mr.. Southel
did not mean that feeling of animosity wa.
the reason why he would not write
but that he had absolutely no reason
to make known his existence to them
noon shadows deepened into night. Soutbel
invited Bill to stop to supper, and afterwards
gave him bed and breakfast. Hill was ur
bright and early the hext morning, and be-
fore starting on his tramp asked Southel
what word he should take to his Maine PEG
pie In the event of his ever reaching there
"You will do me great. favor II you will
never mention my name," said Mr.. Souther
That morning was II years ago and faith.
fully has the traveller kept his secret of the
old mans abiding-p place. Mr.. Hill returned
to America and made home in Washington
territory. The first week in September BIZ
came east on a visit to his mother In Brown.
field, and to her he told the story as 1t Is Civ
to inform the Souther family. He did so
telling Mrs. George b. Barrows of Fryeburg
who Is the sister of Mr.. Souther, and thu
| only surviving member of the immediate
| family. She at once Informed the children
| OF the long lost soldier. and immediate step:
were taken to prove the story. Mr.. South
| er's son, Samuel, of New York, went to Frye
burg and found that Mr.. Hill was a man 8!
years Of age and had once worked for thu
| elder Samuel Souther's brother John OF
Fryeburg. 1t is thought barely possible thai
| Rev. DIR. Souther may have received such
| wounds at the battle of the Wilderness as Il
have partly destroyed his memory or in some
way perverted his mind, and perhaps the
white-haired recluse in his scantly furnished
cabin at the antIpsdes, is the once popular
clergyman of Worcester, whose friends
thought him dead quarter of century ago
shot down by confederate bullet amid the
tangled scrub Of the Wilderness"
Steps have been taken by DR.. VIM. T.
Souther, Of Worcester, Mass, one of the
children. to trace his father, aud he
effort is being made to find the long-lost
man.