Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1897-11-18
A Remarkable Ring Story.
Editor Baltimore Shn-Several d!

Editor Baltimore Sun-Several days
ago | read in the San an account OF
the recovery Of a ring which its owner,
Mr.. T. NJ. Williams, of Chicago, had
lost while serving in the Union Army
in Virgins, more than thirty years ago.
The story recalls to my mind perhaps
the most remarkable example of the
kind on record.
Several years ago my brother, Thom-
as D. Addison, of Fairfax, Va, noticed
bright object glittering in the hOof
of one of his cows, and supposing it to
be piece of glass that had become
wedged into the hoof, and that it might
injure the cows foot, he proceeded to
extract the object with his pocketknife.
After digging away at 1t for some
time, to the great surprise of my broth
er, he took out a beautiful and heavy
gold ring of peculiar design and work
manship, and set with very valuable
stone. Upon being cleaned both the
ring and the settling were found to
be in perfect condition. Inside the
ring was engraved motto in Spanish,
together with the name Lieutenant
Hunt, U. S. Army, City of Mexico,
l648."
Wishing to restore the ring to its
original owner if possible, my broth
er reported the case TO the war office
at Washington, where he was informed
that Lieutenant Hunt, who served IN
the United States Army during the
Mexican war, afterward became Brig
adier-General Hunt of the civil war,
and at one time was camped with his
brigade at Fairfax Station. II was also
learned at the War Department that
General Hunt had recently died, but
that his widow was still alive and re-
siding in Washington. The address OF
Mrs. Hunt was procured, and she was
written to about the long-lost relic.
In her reply she gave a complete de.
description of the ring, together with
its history, and it was thereupon re-
turned to her.
Her husband, then Lieutenant Hunt,
was with General Scott's army when
it entered the City of Mexico, in lS48.
Before leaving there Lieutenant Hunt
and two of his comrades each had a
ring made to order, each being alike
and each bearing the same motto,
which they wished to preserve as SOU
venirs of the Mexican war.
During the civil war, some 10 or lo
years later, Lieutenant Hunt, then
brigadier-g general, United States Army,
as above stated, was camped on the
farm near Fairfax Station, Va, now
owned by my brother. The General
was writing at a table in his tent on
one occasion, and being called out, un-
Intentionally left his ring lying on the
table where he had placed it. Upon
his return the ring had disappeared,
and all efforts to recover it or to OBJ
tain any clue to its whereabouts were
fruitless. The General, with deep re-
gret, came to the conclusion that his
valuable and highly priced souvenir
of the Mexican war had been stolen,
but as the sequel shows, it in all prob
ability had not been stolen at all, but
had fallen from the table, and upon
being stepped upon was pressed into
the soft earth and completely hidden
from sight. where it lay until picked
up by the hoof Of a COW, a quarter OF
a century later, while she was grazing
over the very spot where the ring was
lost. CHARLES G. ADDISON,
Springfield, Nd.
November 5, 1897