Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-07-31
APPEARS IN HOME
AS FROM CRAVE
Plttman Returns After Absence
of Forty Years.
HAPPY WITH WIFE in BARLOW
Pittnan Was Confined in Nav York
Prison and Killed Federal Colonel,
Who FIogged Him-Was Condemned
to Death, but Sentence COMMITTED.

nv iOSSNO e2S SSiiASiiliiSG
to Death, but Sentence COMMITTED.
Gainesville, Ca, July 30-If one
had risen from the dead it would prob
ably have caused no more amaze
ment than that with which a little
family living on the farm of Mrs.
Arthur Davis, s miles from Carriers
vile were overcome when Ander-
son p Pittman, aged and gray, ap-
peared in their midst as a missed rel
alton who was supposed to have been
long since dead. The home was
that of Mrs. James Smith, who was
originally Miss Whitecotton. Mrs.
Smiths mother Ives with her.
Anderson Pittman, who proved to
be modren Enoch Arden, after en-
tering the home and laying down a
staff and small budget which he had
carried on his shoulder in walk out
from CartersviIle, wiped the perspir.
alton from his brow and acosted the
young matron with:
do you have any ailments in your
home?"
= mo, but why do you ask?" was the
woman's reply.
''Why, I'm sortof a travelling doctor,
and thought might be of service if
some one were sick" With a. ner-
vous impatience the old man dropped
his ruse for surprise, and said:
Where is your mother?"
The young woman replied:
"She's in the other room"
Tell her to come here" he said,
and on her appearance he approach
ed her and held out his hand, saying,
"Howdy, 'Rushia"
When the elderly woman pulled
slightly away, he added:
Don't be frightened; this is your
husband"
The scene as they embraced as
long separated husband and wife, was
one that Mrs. Smith, the only eye-wit-
ness, will never forget.
The story is one of intense inter
est and probably has not parallel in
Georgia annals. Anderson Pittman
married Jerusha BalIew in Habersham
county Just before the civil war. One
child was born to them, daughter,
who is the mother of a good-sized
family, residing in Alabama When
his daughter was a babe Pittman en-
tered the confederate army as a mem
Der Of Captain John Porters company,
in the Thirty-fourth Georgia infantry.
According to his story, Pittman was
captured by the Twenty-fifth New
York cavalry on Sept. II, IN Wood
county, Virginia. He was carried
north and remained in a New York
prison till the close of the war. While
a prisoner he was ordered by a colo
mel named Sanford to open a gate.
He started to his task when tha Off
Ger told him to run. Finding that he
moved no faster at the command, the
officer advanced and began to fog
him. At this Pittman demonstrated
and told the officer unless he desisted
he would kill him. The officer said,
"You have no weapon" At this Pitt
man pulled a six-shooter from his
bootleg, and shot the officer several
times, the wounds proving fatal.
Pittnian was tried by military court.
martial and ordered shot, but having
made friends of some Of the officials
among the guard, they interceded in
his behalf and managed to get his
punishment shifted to that of a life
sentence in prison. He remained in
prison 80 years and six months and
then got a release. He went to Tex
as, where he had some relatives, and
stayed short while; then began the
work of hunting up his family. which
he said he had little hope of finding.
as he had written scores of letters
while in prison, to which he received
no answer, presuming they were in
tercepted. He went last week to
Habersham county and began inquiry
OF his wtfe's relatives and learned
that the last known of the family was
that they had moved years ago to
Barlow county. That during his alb
sence his wife, supposing him dead,
had married Benton Whitecotton, who
had been killed in a fight with reve-
nue. officers in the mountains of north
east Georgia.
AS above stated, the wife was found
in her widowhcod at the home of her
daughter, who was daughter of Mr..
Whitecotton. Old man Pittman is 83I
years Of age; his wife is probably ten
sears younger. They both look spry
Tor their age.