The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-03-20
Years Ago and Recently Found
Her a Grandmother
IN A GEORGIA TOWN
The True Story of an Old Confeder-
ate Soldier That Reads Like Fic-
ton. Left His Wife and Baby
Forty Six Years Ago and Return.
ed to His Old Home A Few Weeks
Later.

Through the medium of newspa-
per advertising, W. N. Phelps, who
for the past forty-one years has been
a resident Of Central America, has
found his long lost daughter, who
is now Mrs. W. D. Affleck, wife of
Captain VIM. D. Afaeck, a prominent
hotel proprietor of Columbus, Ga.
Forty six years ago he kissed his
little 6-year-old daughter goodby and
marched to defend the southland
from the northern invaders. When
next he saw his daughter she was
herself a grandmother.
The strange story rivals fiction,
and father and daughter a scarce
ly realize that they are united. Mrs.
Af1eck was firmly convinced that
her father was slain on the bloody
field of Gettysburg over forty a
ago and when he entered the Hotel
Afheck and she was informed that 1t
was indeed her father she felt as if
some one had risen from the dead.
When Mr.. Phelps went to the
front in 1861 he left his wife and
little daughter at their Georgia home
He was desperately wounded at Get
tysburg, being shot through the head
and left on the field for dead. The
news came 1t was verified by the Of
fetal reports that he was among the
slain Of that battle. His own moth
or died, years later, believing that
he had perished there.
His wife, laboring under the same
belief, left Georgia and went to live
with relatives in Alabama. But
Phelps was not killed. He revived
enough to be carried to a federal
hospital and there recovered. He
afterwards escaped but could not
make his was to the south and board
ed a vessel for Central America.
He there took part in the con-
.struction work Of the first railroad
built in Costa Rica. At the close of
the war he endeavered to locate his
family in Georgia, but could not, ow-
ing partly to the general demorali-
cation and confusion following the
war. Hearing a rumor that they
had gone to Alabama, he continued
his Investigation.
He advertised repeatedly in the
newspapers Of that state, but with
out success. He decided to locate
permanently in Central America, and
for thirty-seyen years was an engi-
neer on a government railroad in
Costa RIGA. Recently he retired on
full pay for life, and not long ago
came back to the United States, To-
eating temporarily In Alabama, not
far from Birmingham.
He decided to advertise once more
for his daughter and inserted no.
tees In Alabama newspapers and
also one In a Columbus newspaper.
His daughter saw the advertisement
in the Columbus paper and to her
it was like a voice from the grave.
The next train carried Captain
Af1eck to the Alabama village where
he was stopping and he told the old
man that his daughter was living.
The Joy Of the aged father-now -
years Of age-was almost pathetic.
He left for Columbus with his new
found son-in-law, and at the Hotel
Af1eck a touching reunion took place
He was informed that the wife
of his youth had long since died,
which caused him to shed a tear.
When he left her In 1851 she was
in her youth and quite handsome.
Mr.. Phelps is Temporarily visit
ing his daughter. but may return to
Central America, where he has prop
erty interests: