FOUND AFTER THIRTY YEARS
Arizona Republican Newspaper
January 4, 1898


Colonel Robert White of Wheeling, WV who was a soldier of 
considerable prominence in the confederate army during the war, 
has just restored to its owner a gold medal after it had been out 
of her possession for thirty three years.

While a pupil at the Virginia Female Institute at Staunton, Mrs. 
Malinda Bingham, then Miss Melinda Caperton was awarded a handsome 
gold medal for general deportment. In 1864 when Crooks' federal 
command retreated through Monroe County, they looted the mansion 
of Senator Allen Caperton at Elmwood near Union.  Among other things 
carried off was the treasured gold medal of Miss Caperton the 
daughter of the senator.

About a month ago, Colonel White discovered by chance that an 
ex-federal soldier  in Wheeling had the medal, having traded a 
canteen of whisky for it a few days after it was taken from the 
Caperton mansion.

Colonel White asked if he would like to restore it to its rightful 
owner and learning that the soldier did not want to keep it if he 
could find an owner, the colonel wrote to an acquaintance of his 
named Caperton in Monroe County, asking if such a medal had ever 
belonged to any of his family.  Colonel White's correspondent knew 
the history of the medal and Colonel White had the pleasure of 
restoring the medal to Mrs. Bingham, who is now the wife of the 
judges of the supreme court of the District of Columbia.  The 
medal was delivered at the Caperton mansion at Union where Mrs. 
Bingham makes her home.


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