The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-11-14

contents were found to consist of a locket
and bundle of letters written upon parch-
ment and tied with faded piece of blue
| ribbon. The locket is Of gold and of ex-
quisite workmanship. 1t has on one side,
inscribed in monogram, the letters "a H.
| D." while On the other is a curiously
wrought hunting scene. The locket con-
tains a miniature, delicately painted on
| porcelain, of young lGdy of rare beauty.
The letters, though the writing was
somewhat faded by the lapse of time, were
quite easily read. They were addressed to
Capt. Lowe, IN officer in the British army
during the Revolutionary war. As appears
by the letters, Capt. Lowe was the be-
trothed of the lady whose portrait is in the
locket. The letters are written in the
most tender language. The last one in the
| packet was written just before the battle
of Stone Arabia, and is very pathetic in
tone. A strain Of sadness and melancholy
! runs through the letter, as if the fair young
writer had a presentiment that she was
never more to meet her lover. She wrote
that her health was falling, and she longed
FOR the return of her beloved as she feared
! that her days were numbered.
! BATTLE OF STONE ARABIA
The finder of the box and contents, q
! gentleman residing at Palatine bridge,
/ took much interest in his discovery and re-
solved to investigate the romance. He had
photograph taken from the miniature in
the locket and sent it with letter request
! ing information to the officials of the
! Royal Historical Society of London. After
! considerable delay he received a letter from
/ The society officials which completes the
story, the outline of which is indicated by
! the letters in the casket. The writer of the
letters was Alice Douglass, young lady
of rank, belonging to one of the noblest
and most aristocTatic families in Britain.
She became enamored of Capt Lowe when
that brave young officer was with his regi-
ment at London, and they were engaged to
be married. When the American colonists
arose in rebellion Capt. Lowe was sent
with his regiment to America.
Capt. Lowe served with bravery and dis
tinction in the British army in the early
years of the Revolution He was connect
ed with the forces of Sir John johnson
when he made his celebrated raid through
the Mohawk valley in the fall of 1880
Coming down from Canada with an army
of British regulars, Indians and Tories,
Col. johnson laid waste with ruthless
hand the fair and fertile fields of the Mo
hawk valley. The settlers were massacred,
their dwellings burned and their crops de-
stroyed. Sir John continued his march of
devastation up the Mohawk river eastward
from Caughnawaga NOV Fonda.
Gen. Robert Van Rensselaer,, of the
patriotic army, hastily collected body of
Albany and Schenectady militia and went
in pursuit of the enemy. Fort Paris at
Stone Arabia was commanded by Col.
John Brown, no drawer man than whom
held a commission in the Continental
army. Gen. Van Rensselaer, sent a mes
sage to Col. Brown TO leave the fort with
its garrison and head off Col. Johnson's
troops, while he fell upon their rear. Gen.
Van Rensselaer, thus hoped to hem John
son and his army in between two fires and
capture them. In response to the orders
of his general, Col. Brown and his little
band of patriots marched out of Fort Paris
to do battle with the enemy.
THE LOVER KILLED.
This force numbered less than 200. while
the enemy had four times as many. The
American troops fell into an ambuscade,
and were taken at a disadvantage They
held their ground bravely for a while, how
ever, and desperate struggle followed.
The patriots were overpowered by numbers,
and were at length compelled to give way,
while their brave commander fell dead with
musket ball in the heart. Capt Lowe,
at the head of his forces, bravely led the
charge upon the Americans. Rendered
conspicuous mark by his commanding pres
ence and officers uniform, he drew the fire
of a sharpshooter and sank to the earth
MORALLY wounded. A comrade knelt be-
side him, and raised him in his arms. The
dying soldier with his last expiring strength
drew the caSket from his bosom and hand
ed it to his companions.
Take it, he Whispered, land carry it to
Alice. Tell her died bravely, and that my
latest breath spoke her loved name"
They buried him on the field of battle,
with his martial cloak around him for a
shroud. Here also was laid at rest Col
Brown, the brave American commander.
Side by side they lie the patriot and the
invader, as repose Wolfe and Montcalm on
the plains of Abraham.
The companion TO whom Capt. lowe in
trusted the casket hastily concealed it by
burying it near a stump in the field, ex-
pecting to return for it after the pursuit
of the flying enemy. The British army,
however, never returned TO the spot, as
Gen. Van Rensselaer's detachment and
other American forces pressed upon them
fiercely TO ayenge the death of their COM
rades in arms. Sir John johnson and his
forces were compelled TO beat a hasty re-
treat to Canada, and the metallic box be-
longing to Capt. Lowe lay buried near its
dead owner for more than a century, when
it was discovered
Miss Douglass, the fair young betrothed
of the English officer, waited many weeks
and months for tidings of her absent lover
Her health failed rapidly and when at
length the sad news came Of his Death she
could not stand the shock. The marble
headstone which marks her grave bears
the pathetic inscription. Died Of a Broker
Heart. New York sun.
4 Black Prima Donna.