An interesting Incident — a soldier who was stolen from home when a child Discovers his parents.
From the Cleveland Plain dealer, of a recent date, we extract the following no less singular than romantic story:‘ In Company I, Captain Steel, Wade, and Hutchin's regiment of cavalry, is a private, nineteen years of age, who enlisted in Medina county, where the company was formed, under the name of John Gruff. His history is a little peculiar. He remembers that he was stolen from his home and parents when about ten years of age, but where that home was, or who were his parents, he was totally ignorant up to yesterday. He remembers being taken away several miles by a man, from whom he escaped. While wandering about, not knowing where, he was taken up as a vagrant and sent to a poor house. A man by the name of Briggs, of Westfield, Medina county, took him from the poor-house and gave him employment. He worked for several persons subsequently, remaining for five years in the employment of one Dean, in Lafayette, Medina county. How he came by the name of Jno. Gruff he cannot tell. He thinks it was given him at the poor-house. He enlisted in the above regiment and came to Camp Wade.
Yesterday morning, while wandering about on the heights, in the neighborhood of the Oak Grove house, he remarked that the locality was strangely familiar to his eyes, and yet he did not know that he had ever been there before. The more he looked about the more familiar everything appeared. Suddenly, as if by the force of association, a name that he had not thought of in years occurred to him, and as he pronounced it aloud, and it reverberated through the cells of memory, it awoke echoes that had long been dormant, and caused a thousand old recollections to rush upon his mind. The name that occurred to him in so singular a manner was Thomas Strouska — the name his parents gave him — and the conviction that he was in the neighborhood of his native home became too strong to admit of a doubt. Whether his father or mother still dwelt there, or were in the land of the living, he would endeavor to ascertain. He entered a house to make inquiries of the inmates.
While in conversation with them an old lady, a neighbor, came in. She could only understand German, and the neighbor on whom she had called interpreted to her the story of the young soldier.
The old lady scanned his features earnestly and tremblingly for a moment, and then tottering towards him with eager, entrenched arms, exclaimed, ‘"Mein sohn! Mein verlorener sohn!"’ and mother and son were locked in each other's arms.
The parents of Thomas are both alive, and live opposite the Oak Grove House. They desire that he may remain with them, but he will doubtless go with his company. He is a flue, stalwart youth, and will make a good soldier.
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