The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-06
AFTER FORTY YEARS.
Brooklyn Woman Finds "a Daughter
Who Was Stolen by Indians.
Washington Posl

Who Was Stolen by lnu1ans
Washington Post.
An illustration of the adage, Truth is
stranger than fiction was eXemplifed re-
Gently through the files of the Pension Of
flee. The romance and human pathos or
the story, covering a period or over forty
years, SurpasSeS the widest romanceS Oh
Frank Stockton.
In pretty little cottage, Just beyond
Georgetown. overlooking the city with us
outline of Virginia hills, lives Mr.. ORLANDO
Bradt the well-knOwn contractor win ms
handsome wife and seven lovely children.
Few even among their most intimate
friends are acquainted with the picturesque
particulars of Mrs. Bradt's birth and early
life, and had it not been for strange con
catenation of circumstances surrpu surrey Ha .ts
gone to her grave in ignorance OF her
mothers existence. From the testimony or
living witnesses the facts in this romantic
history have been obtained. and to-day the
happily reunited mother and daughter are
enjoying a reunion, after a separation dat :
ing back to ante-war days, when the latter
was but babe of six months old.
1t was in the year 1857 that the troops sta
toned at Fort Randall, Nebraska, were at
tackled by Indians and among the capllyes
taken was a baby girl of tender months,
whose father. George Henderson, was a
musician in the Second United States In
fantry under command OF the afterwards
distinguished General Sully, of Indian war
fame Shortly afterward the regiment was
scattered by orders from headquarters, and
two companies went to Fort Ridgley TWO
to Fort Riley and the remaining troops
were retained at the post until further or
ders AS it happened. the company IN
which Henderson enlisted was one of the
two sent to Fort Riley, and with only few
hours notice the soldiers broke camp and
were on foot for the far West. In an am
buIance laden with accoutrements of war
and provisions Henderson'S wife lay, too Ill
to be aware of what was passing around
her, and not until after days OF hurried
marching did she arouse to the conscious
ness that her child, who had been tempo
rarily placed in charge OF an old Indian
squaw had been taken prisoner and car
ried off by the raiders.
Time passed and in the hurry of uncer-
tainties of the period all communication
was destroyed between distant posts. so the
unhappy mother was forced to resign all
hone Of ever again behoding her daughter.
About a year later the remaining infantry
companies at Fort Randall determined upon
a raid among the neighboring Indians with
the view of recapturing the prisoners taken
in 1851 The onslaught was successful, and
among the captives was found the little
child. whose fate had cast such gloom
over the fort since the unlucky day when
the unhappy parents were first acquainted
with this tidings.
Within a brief period the regiment was
ordered to move to Fort Laramie. and a
foster mother was secured for the baby
in the person of the wife of Private Muir
ply, of the Second Regiment Taking
the little one to her heart Mrs. Murphy
adopted it as her own and henceforth
sought to secure information as 10 the