Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-08-18
BARrLETT's LOST CHILDREN


Taken From Il step,nother---A Long
Scar ch and an Accidental Meeting.
Burlington, n. j. Cor. New York Sun
Thomas Bartlett, shoemaker, lives in a
neat house, ON which is known hereabout
as Gailows Hill. The house stands high
above the public road, and is backed by
several acres of vegetable garden. 1t
commands view Of Burlington City,
one mile away. Bartletts reputation,
among those who know him, is that OF an
honest and industrious man. lie divides
time between his trade and his garden.
His first wife died in 1869. She had
borne him two children-a daughter, Liz
zie, and a son, Edward At the time Of
their mothers death, Lizzie was in her
tenth year, Walter was five years old.
In January, 1861, Bartlett married his
second wife. Onthe 10th Of September
in that year, he enlisted in the Fifty
seventh New York Volunteers, then COM
manded by Colonel Samuel K. Zook. The
two children were left in the care of his
new wife.
Bartlett did his duty as a soldier with
out any serious mishap until June 1,
1862. On that day the battle of Fair
Oaks was fought. An officers horse near
Bartlett was struck, and rearing, it
plunged and fell dead upon Bertlett
breaking his right arm and crushing him
nearly to death. In fact he was supposed
to be dead, and among those reported in
the New York and Philadelphia papers
. as killed was the name of Thomas Bart
lett Fifty-seventh New York Volunteers. :"
Almost the next place where he found
himself was in hospital in the Fort on
Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor.
One year and seven days after his enlist
ment he was discharged from the hos
pital, sound in all respects except his right
arm, which he can not straighten. This
disqualification is his claim for the pen
sion that he receives.
Bartlett returned to Burlington in a
few days after his discharge to find a
glad welcome from his young wife, and
fine baby boy, Harry, since grown up into
a manly young fellow, now his fathers
fright arm" But nowhere could Bartlett
find 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.
He AYERS that the step mother was nearly
as good and KIND to them as their own
could have been. But their maternal
grandmother had vowed that no step
mother should ever rule over her daugh-
ter's children.
When Bartlett was at home with these
children he had no lears for their safety;
but soon after going to the front their
II
girl LIZZIE away from another relatives
family, near Bordentown, where the
child had been staying for few weeks.
Not long afterWard the little live-year-old
boy also disappeared.
Young Mrs Bartlett's means Of sup
port were slender, and, although she
yearncd for the lost children, she had a
baby OF her own to carefor, and her eff
forts for their recovery could a. most be
of slight avail. Among the neighbors
their disappearance was only nine
days wonder, for the women had their
own absent husbands to think about, or
their dead ones to mourn for.
When Thomas Bartlett on his return
learned of the children's disappearance
he sought them in every place where he
could imagine they might be hidden
The grandmother was, naturally, the first
to whose movements his attention was di-
rected. Here, however, he was baffled
at tie outset. Her occupation, until
began to disqualify her for it, was that
otnurse. She had no home, because be-
ing fortunately in favor with several
leading physicians, her services were al
ways in request and she utilized her OPP
portunities. The watch kept now and
chen for short time upon the other
members of her family, was equally I'M
availing. To add to Bartlett's bitterness,
he, some time after mis- return, received
an anonymous letter, dated Philadelphia,
and saying that 'he would never again
see his daughter alive" Soon after this
came another letter, also unsigned, tell
ing him in so many words that " Edward
was dead"
Although thus baifled at every point,
Bartlett still kept up at intervals the APP
parently hopeless and disheartening
search, until he finally gave up his child
ren, as he says, ''as dead and gone for.
ever"
Ten years ago patent fire extinguish-
er was exhibited in Burlington, and every
body was invited to Burlington Com
mons to see an otherwise inextinguish-
able fire summarily put out The towns
people were there i'll force, and Bartlett
was among them. Citizen Jacob Van
Scyver was also present, and, meeting
Bartlett in the throng, Mr.. Van Scyver
said:
II say, Tom, have you seen your eld-
est daughter yet?"
1t should be explained that since his
discharge from the army Bartlett had
had other children born to him, and
among them two other girls.
"No," answered Bartlett; "can it be
possible that she, too, has run away from
home and come to see the fire."
81 do not mean Ler," replied Van
.Scyver, Il mean your daughter by your
first wife; it is not twenty-four hours
since saw her in Philadelphia"
Van Scyver than explained that he had
called to see some friends in West Phila-
,delphia, that while there girl employed
by neighboring family CHANGED to come
in; that he, in the course of the talk,
mentioned the name Burlington, where
upon the girl said that her name was
Bartlett, and that she was born in Bur-
llngton. She then gave the names OF
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