Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-05-20
STRANGE WAR MYSTERY.
The Unaccountable Disappearance
of Harvey B. Wentworth.
Ole wns Probably Lost and buried i'm
0ae of the Labyrinthine COrri-
doris i'm the Basement of
the Capitol.
Especial Washington letter.

Especial Washington letter.
There is nothing more mysterious i'll
Section than the sudden and unaccount-
able disappearance of Harvey b. Went
worth.
He enlisted and was enrolled in COM
-pany ID, Nineteenth New Hampshire
Foiunteer infantry, in May, 1862, at Sun
cook, n. H., and wen: to the front with
his regiment. He was typical farmer
Tad of the Granite state, and was only
20 years of age. Isl
During the entire period of the civil
7~ar all the troops from the common
-SSeaiths along the Atlantic coast passed
tarough Washington city, on their way
&c the armies in the field. Consequently
the national capital was always full OF
soldiers, a continually changing kalei-
<soscope of uniformed humanity.
Every morning, after reveille, the SER
.Eeant of each company made a report
showing that the members of the COM
3Gny were "all present or accounted
sor." But on the morning of July %,
1862. the sergeant of company d, Nine
4eenth New Hampshire, reported Pri-
-Este Harvey Il. Wentworth mot pres
eat" and his name was thus borne on
the rolls of the company until the close
of the war, when the regiment was mus
tered out of service. Then, opposite his
'zame, the entry was made: "Mysteri-
sasiy disappeared"
In those days many soldiers were
wounded, killed, died in hospital, de-
serted or otherwise left the service
daily, but they were usually borne on
the rolls Accounted for" in some way.
How Harvey B. Wentworth disappeared
-sobody has ever definitely ascertained.
Within year of his disappearance his
mother died, and in the following year
mis- father passed away. In the little
cemetery near Suncook, n H.. three
igravestones bear the following inscrip-
fioEs:
Sacred to the memory Of Martha Went
Worth, daughter of Emory l.. Hill, and
wife of Nathan w. Wentworth. Died Au-
gust a. 1868.
The second stone bears the legend:
Here lies the body of Nathan w. Went
worth, who departed this life October /.
Iss4. aged "a years and months.
The third headstone contains the fol-
lowing:
Erected to the memory of Harvey B.
Wentworth. private in company ID, Nine
Tseenth New Hampshire volunteers, who
4mysteriously disappeared from the knowl-
edge of men at Washington, ID. c., in July,
1S62.
Nc doubt was ever cast upon the
character or honor of the lost soldier
GA the contrary, court of inquiry
placed upon record the conclusion that
Harvey b. Wentworth, of the Nine
tet-nth New Hampshire volunteers, did
or or about the 21st day of July, 1862,
disappear from mortal ken; but in view
of his character and antecedents we
clear him from the charge of desertion,
and recommend that his military record
be regarded as without STAIN"
The history of the mystery was once
prepared by FL. Webster, of the navy,
who closely investigated the circum-
stances; and he reached the conclusion
that Wentworth was lost and died ir
NSne of the iabyrin thine corridors down
deep in the subbasement Of the capitol
building, which was then being pushed
to completion He says that it was in
July, 1862, during one of the hottest
periods of that momentous summer,
saad when, in the minds of many, the
fate of the republic hung in the bal
:ance, that the Nineteenth New Hamp-
shire regiment marched up Pennsyl-
vania avenue from the Baltimore & Ohio