The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-10
BARTLETT'S LOST CHILDREN,
IND THE REHiRK.fBLE STORY or now
THEf WERE DISCOVERED.
why they Relieved that their Father was
Killed Ia Bnftie-Tnken from " St"pmother
"A Innu Acnich u md M 4 ccIdentnl McetInR.


BURLINGTON, " J., July s.--Thomas Bart
lett shoemaker. lives in Il neat house. on what
il known hcrcahout ~ Gallows Hill. Tho
house stands high above the public road and is
backed by several acres OF vegetable garden.
1t commands II gool view Of Burling City. ono
milo away. Bartlctts reputation, among those
who know him. is that OF Gn honest and indus
trious man. Ho divides his time between his
trade and hs garden. He has been twice mar
ricd His first wife died in 1859. She had
borne him two childrtn--a daughter Lizzie.
and son. Edward. At the tmo OF their
mothers death, Lizzie was in her 10th year.
Walter was years old.
In January. 1861. Bartlett married his second
wife. On the 10th of September In that year.
he enlisted in the Fifty seventh New York
Volunteers. then commanded by Col. Sam. X.
Took. The two children were left In the care Of
his new wife
Bartlett did his duty as q soldier without any
serious mishap until June /. 1862. On that day
the battle of Fair Oaks was fought. An officers
horse near Bartlett was struck. and, rearing. II
plunged and fell dead upon Bartlett. breaking
his right arm and crushing him nearly to death.
In fnct, he was supposed to be dead and among
those reported in the New York and philadel-
phia papers rs killed was the name Of ThOs
Bartlett. Fifty.seventh Now York Volunteers"
Almost the next place whore he found himself
WAS in hospital in the fort on Bcdloes Island in
New York harbor. One year and seven days
after his enlistment he was discharged from the
hospital. sound in all respects except his right
arm. which he cannot straighten. This dis
quail cation is his claim FOR the pension that he
receives.
Bartlett returned 70 Burlington in few days
aftcr his discharge b Ind a glad welcome from
!, .t.ff, nVn hul. I,.ss
since grown UP into a manly young fellow now
his fathers &" right arm" But nowhere could
Bartlett find a trace OF either Lizzie or Edward.
Bartlett says that his second marriage aroused
bad blood" in the family Of his first wife. the
mother OF his two children. lie AYERS that the
stepmother was nearly rs good and kind TO
them a. their own could have been. But their
maternal grandmother had vowed that no step
mother should ever rule over her daughters
While Bartlett was at home with these chill
drrn he had no fenrs Tor their safety; but soon
after going to the front their grardmother
found means 10 take the girl. Lizze away from
another relatives family, near Bordcntown,
where the child had been staying for a few
woek-. Not long aiterwnrd the little ilyc-ycar-
Young Mrs Bartl'u'z means 81 support were
slender. and. although she yearnrd Tor the lost
children she had a baby Of her own 10 care for.
| and hcr efforts for their recovery could at most
| be- of slight avail Among the neighbors thoil
disappearance WAS only nine-dhys' wonder
| for the women had their own absent husbands
To- think about or their dead ones To- mourn Tor
| When Thomas Bartlett on his return learned
| OF the children's Disappearance. be sought
| them IN every place where lie could imagine
| they might be hidden. The grandmother was
| naturally. the first TO whose movements his at
| tenton was directed. Here. however. he was
haili"d NJ the outset. Her occupation. until age
began 10 disqualify her for H. was that Of nurse
| Sn. had no home, because being fortunately in
favor with several leading physlclans. her
services We're always ia r,gue.i and she util-
! izad her opportunities. TIL" watch kept now
and then for short time ,up9onn
was equally uniyaiiing. To add to Bartleti's
| bitterness. be. some time alter his return, re-
ceived an anonymous letter. dated Philadelphia.
| daughter alive" Soon after this came another
letter. also .gRpsigned; telling him in 50 many
Although thus bafiied At every point, Bartlett
still kept M nj intervals the apparently hopeless
| and dshcartening search. until he finally gave
| up his children. as he says, as dead and gone
| forever"
| exhibited In Burlington. and everybody was IN
| ylted 10 Bur ington Commons 70 see an other
| wise incNt nguishable IRE summarily put out.
| The townspeopl" were there n force; aud Bart
l"tt WIS among them. CiuZen Jacob Van
| sewer was also pros "nf AMI. meeting Bartlett
ia the thrune. Mr.. Van sewer said:
say. Tom. have You seen your eldest
II should 10 explained that since his dis
charge from the army Bartlett had had other
| children born Co him. ami among them Two g'rls.
! No" answered Bartlett. " can II he possible
that she. too. has run away from home and come
| a.. 81. 10
Il do not mean her" replied Van Sryvcr " /
! mean your daughter by your FIRST wife; il Is not
| w,nty-iOur hours since saw her IN fhlladel-
| Van Sewer then explained that he had called
10 sec some friends in West Philadelphia; that
while there, a girl employed by a ncighhorng
| family CHANGED 20 come in: that lie. in the
course of the talk, mentioned the name Bur
| nngtnn, whereupon the girl SAID that her name
! was Bartlett. and that she was born in Burllug-
ton. She then gave the names Of some we'll
| known citizens II Burlington. and added that
her mother was dead aud that her father had
| Bartlett. OvcrJOycd, although stu inrredulous,
hurried next morning e. Phiadelphiai found
| met the daughter whom for six years he had
supposed 10 be dead. 1t is enough TO say that
aud tn mother Of four interesting children.
The story Of the ilndine Of the boy. Edward:
seems. according to his own account 10y his
| grand mother, with one OF her distant relatives.
Here he remained for 2 few years At times g2-
ferently cared for. until. he thinks, about his
twelfth year he found himself employed in r.
ter ter. he was led to believe that ali OF
his fathers family we're dead, He was was
s9 Struck out for T himself ne About Sur yeara
| ago he secured Il situation in tho drug store Of
Newbod BROTHERS. 4.0GO Chestnut street, phila;
| delphia. There he made himself useful. and
| his employers liked him 80 well that they sent
him 70 the Phiiadelphie College OF Pharmacy
| tnM ne might thoroughly Quhllly himself Tor
| his profession. He Is to be graduated at tho
close of the coming term. Last Thursday. July
4. ne happened 10 be rumaging among some
secondhand bottles One OF them caught LIS
attention, II bore the label;
| Aali, Hays
| Druggist
| Burlington n. j
H. knows not what mysterious impulse led
him To- write to Adds Hays and inquire wheth-
or any Of hls tBurtrttsl nume were living IN
Burlington. but he did SO AZ once. signing him
self W. T.. Bartlett. Mr.. Hays received the lot
ter on FRIDAY There are many Bartl"tts in
and around Burlington. Strangely enough, Mr
HAYS At once thought of Tom Bartlett. Thu
evening Harry Bartlett dropped in at Hays
drug store. Mr. Hays told him of the letter
| and desired him 10 repeat its contents TO he
| (Hurrysl father. The next morning the latter
came 10 see Mr.. Hays. He read the letter. anc
started on the next train for Philadelphia. tax
ing the letter with him. one thing puzzle
him. His sons name was Edward, with No
additional front name, such rs tlrs W. IN th'
| l,tter indicated. lie found the store Of New
bold Bros, and presented The letter, and ask,sc
ifthey knew the writer. Why yes said Mr.
Newhod: that's our Edward Then h,
called Edward from the laboratory. Bartlett
with il-concealed anxiety. questioned thu
young man. The latter explained how hc cam'
10 write 20 llays-in the hope that some one %
his fathers name might yet be living In Bur