Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 131, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 May 1912 — A ROMANCE OF WAR [ARTICLE]

A ROMANCE OF WAR

Death Recalls an Incident That Occurred in 1863. Mrs. Alexander Klaucke, Native of Carroll County, Dies In Germany Long After Marrying a Soldier Who Appealed to Her for a Drink. Westminster, Md. —Information has just been received in this city of the death of Mrs. Alexander A. C. Klaucke, a native of this county, at her home in Welsbaden, Germany, an event which calls to the minds of some of the elderly residents of the county ap interesting romance in connection with her marriage to Mr. Klancke. Mrs. Klancke’a maiden name .was Mary Freeze, and she was related to some of the leading people of this county. In the summer of 1863 she was visiting her aunt, Mrs. Joshua Smith, mother of the late Judge John E. Smith, on East Main street, this city, when the Sixth corps of the United States army passed through here on Its way to Gettysburg. Two officers of the corps, one of whom was Mr.

Klancke, halted at the Smith residence and asked for water to quench their thirst, and it was Miss Freeze who handed a glass of water to the man who afterward became her husband. As It was the dinner hour, Mrs. Smith hospitably Invited the officers to dine with her family, an Invitation which was accepted with alacrity, especially by Mr. Klancke, who had promptly fallen in love with the pretty maiden from whose hand he had received the water. The sequel proved that the admiration of the officer was reciprocated, and ere he resumed bls march he had won Miss Freeze. Though it was a case of love at first sight, the lovers were faithful, and soon after the close of the Civil war they were married in Ascension Episcopal church, thia city, by Rev. I>r. Jamea W. Reese. Mr. Klancke was for a time a government official In one of the departments at Washington, but soon after his marriage resigned and with his American bride sailed for his home In Germany. It had then transpired that he was a gentleman of wealth and noble family, one of Ms near relatives having married a German princess.

He lived but a few years and died childless. Devoted to her husband’s memory, Mrs. Klancke made her permanent home in Welsbaden, where she was near his grave. She occasionally visited her relatives here and always kept herself well posted on local affairs in this county by correspondence and by subscribing for a county newspaper; )