The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1912-11-27
A TOT RESCUED
FROM INDIANS
Returns After so Years
Separation
TO GREET OLO-TIME FRIEND
Reunion Was Touching When
Adopted Son Recalled a
Western Tragedy.
A ROMANTIC But TRUE STORY
The Cincinnati Enquirer says:

Ilge', now weighmaster of the Sixth
avenue market and for many years
col meet d with local German news
plpers. was a soldier in Ar iona.
Ore day it fell a part of his duties
to rescue a small boy from the Apa-
che Indians. Later he adopted the
boy unit | the DIS uncle was found
in Germany, where Colonel Ilges
| took him.
Ye rdly a tai man, Of distinct
l. military bearing, knocked at the
door OF Colonel Ilges's home. 1911
Cay street. The stranger proved
to be the man who had been rescued
whcn a boy By Colonel Ilges and his
name is Ernest Amelung, now en-
ployed as interpreter in the War
Department of the United States.
Both men lived over again the
frontier days. This is the way CO.
onel Ilres tod the story as he sat
close TO his vi itor and occasionally
wiped away an involuntary tear:
while stationed at Camp Grant,
Arizona Territory, in 1865, as Lieut.
tenant and Captain of the Thirty
second Infantry, a party composed
Of Otto Amelung, his wife and three
infant children, together with a
number Of Mexicans, was surprised
on the way to our fort by Apache
Indians ard all of the party killed
with the exception OF the two Ame-
lung boys, who were carried away
to the mountains by the Indians.
"All the ma chinery of the Gov
eminent was set in motion when
two years later i. was learned that
one OF the boys still was held as
captive, the her having froz n TO
dsath during tie preceding winter.
We could reach no agreement with
the Apaches for Amelung's release
until finally an Apache girl was
stolen by the Prima Indians. An
Apache chieftain came to our fort
and offered to give us the white boy
if We could return the Apache girl
or secure her liberty from the Pri-
mas.
I'VE bought her liberty for $50
and s-nt word that We would be |
ready to effect the trade the next
Never will forget the
two or three hundred Apaches as /
they rode up near our fort with
the white boy in front of their !
'eadars. A detachment of men fol-
lowed me, leading the Apache girl, 4
and the trade was made.
Little Ernest was such a cute
boy that he became a favorite at
the pest. / adopted him and sent
him to San Francisco to live with
an aunt of mine until could locate
his relatives. After several years
found that he had an uncle rear
F. ankfurt, Germany, and l took
him over there.
EEL ne { was educated in Germa-
ny, but at the age of 22 he wanted
10 come back to America. He To-
Gated in San Antonio in 1882 AID
later moved to Houston, WI ere Re
took the civil service examination
and was given a place in the Navy
All OF the time he
was looking for me, wondering
where his old foster dad could be
found.
Since that time he has been
transferred to the War Department
and while going through some mus
ty old records a week or so ago,
'ound that | had gone to Cincinnati.
Last week he was called to Chica-
20, and in returning came through
Cincinnati to look me up and he
fcu-d me sure"
Here Colonel TIges embraced
Amelung as he would a son.