The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-03-20
Years Ago and Recently Found
Her a Grandmother
I'm A GEORGIA TOWN
The True Story Of an Old Confeder.
ate Soldier That Reads Like Fie-
ton Left His Wife and Raby
Forty Six Years Ago and Return.
ed to His Old Home A Few Weeks
Later,

Through the medium Of newspa-
per advertising, ". n. Phelps, who
for the past forty-one years has. been
resident Of Central America, has
found his long lost daughter, who
is now Mrs. W. D. Affleck, wife Of
Captain VIM. D. A1eck, 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 q grandmother.
The strange story rivals fiction,
and father and daughter can scarce
~ realize that they are united. Mrs.
AHeck was firmly convinced that
her father was slain on the bloody
field Of Gettysburg over forty years
ago and when he antered the Hotel
AHeck and she was informed that it
was indeed her father she felt as if
some one had risen from the dead.
When Mr. Phelps went to the
front in 1851 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 reporte that he was among the
slain OF that battle. His own moth
er died, years later, believing that
he had persisted there.
His wife, labori1g 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 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 eodeavered to locate his
family in Georgia, but could not, ow
ing partly to the general demorali
zation and confusion following the
war. Hearing runor 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-seven years was an engi-
neer on government railroad in
Costa Rica. 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
tices in Alabama newspapers and
also one in g Columbus newspaper.
His daughter saw the advertisement
In the Columbus paper and to her
It was like voice from the grave.
The next train carried Captain
Afieck 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 "A
years Of age-was almost pathetic.
He left for Columbus with his new
found son-in-law. and at the Hotel
Afleck q touching reunion took place
He was informed that the wife
of his youth had long since died,
which caused him to shed tear.
When he left her in 1851 she was
in her youth and quite handsome.
MT. Phelps IS Temporarily visit
ing his daughter, but may return to
Central America, where he has prop
erty interests.