The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1908-12-03
IN AN UNKNOWN GRAVE
Id Soldier destroys His Identity
Before Death.

Wichita, Kansas, Nov. 2S.-Another
soldier dead. Who is he? Where did
he come from?
He came here the 10th, was well
dressed, wearing a light suit and
black hat, was of medium size, with
very heavy gray nous. ache and hair
that probably had been dark, maybe
DiacK, sharp Drown eyes, very thin,
looked badly, as if he was in trouble.
he wore G. A. r. button; had very
poor appetite and wanted milk diet,
mad small trunk and a telescope, APP
pearlng to have plenty of clothes;
paid IN advance and refused to reg
lister. Would only talk when ques-
toned and refused to speak of his
past life; was well posted and had a
good memory and settled questions
about the dates of battles that were
disputed by his companions. Said he
was from the north but could not stay
there because Of Asthma which was
relieved when he lived in the South.
general in the Mexican war and that
his father was in that war, also the
civil war. Was born in Ohio twenty
miles from where the old Ohio river
flowed" and that he served in the reg.
iment that followed the flag on many
a. bloody field and was in tue army
of the Potomac under Burnside.
Saturday, he was sitting alone, looked
sad and had, | think, been crying, and
when | asked him if he had family
he said mo, nor any friends" but
that he had five children, four of
whom had turned him down and the
fifth had no --ome, like himself
When asked If his family knew his
whereabouts he said no, and that he
did not want them. to know when,
where, nor how he died, nor where
he was buried, and that he did not
care either if he could only have the
flag wrapped around him. Sunday
morning he did not come to breakfast
and at 900 o'clock We went to his
room and found him lying just as if
lie were asleep, but it was the sleep
CT death. In mis- inside coat pocket
there was q ladies' purse of the fash
ion of ten or fifteen years ago, in
which there was $105, lock of fine
brown hair tied with white ribbon, in
his trousers pocket was small purse
containing $2.65, in an overcoat peck
ct double set of teeth and in an
other was found hypodermfc syr-
q inge, four needles, full tube and one
partly full of morphine, and we sup.
pose he took enough of the drug to
put him to sleep I On his. coat collar
was the name Meeks Bros, Bonaparte,
Iowa. His hattwas a Queen hat with
the name of Jackson & Mcbride, Shef
idan, Wyoming. There was nothing
in his Telescope, and in his trunk we
found white silk shirt and under it
was a part of the Oskaloosa Herald,
printed in September but having the
> date. torn off and giving a record of
the reunion of Crockers' Brigade, also
a box of dead flowers which had
written in the cover a request to
bury them with him. | got material
and made flag and Inc old soldiers
got a nice casket and we buried him
Nov 90. We have bought stone
that Is to have government emblem
on it and the word Unknown"
There will be a few dollars left to
give to the sexton to sod and fill the
grave in the spring. think he may
have been at Oskaloosa during the
reunion and that If letter was pub
lished in your paper some one might
recognize him.
LENA SCOTT.