Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-11-01
A STORY OF THE A
PUNISHED AFTER TwENr, YEARS.
atory NJ a He-ertcr of the Rebellion Who
!. Now in Pri-on.

officer 81 Fort Wayne, gave the psrticu-
lars Of the incarceration Of a DIES erter Of
the war in the guard house,
"Thc mans name Is Piny 81. Barnes"
raid the Colonel, land he lives here in
Detroit. His story and bis voluntary
surrender are rather unusual. But I
will send for him, and have you talk
with him; then you will get a better idea
az the case. 7 have had his statement
written mp and forwarded to Washing
ton, and pending action on it he is in the
guard house"
Soon afterward Barnes was brought
up from the guard house by one Of the
soldiers, who paced up and down before
the door. keeping his eye closely on his
charge while he talked with the re.
porter. Barnes is a well-built fellow,
with a full, flowing mustache, ard what
would re q frank and rather handsome
face were it not for q hideOus scar that
crrsses the lower portion Of his forehead
and the spot where his left eye should
be-the orb having been destroyed and
the cruel wound succeeding it N one of
the last engagements Of the campaign
about Richmond. He appeared to be
about forty years old and looked in very
bad health. His dress was plain and his
position seemed to worry him very
much. In reply to a request he told his
story
~ served through the entire war, with
a slight intermission, until 1 was
wounded in April, 1865. | enlisted, a
young boy at the time, at Hudson, III
New York State, in 1861. Ny company
was commanded by Captain Ira Beach
and was a part of the Second Michigan
Infantry. | served in the infantry
eighteen months and saw a great deal of
very hard service. At the end Of that
time l got transferred to the third Uni
ted States artillery Of the regular service.
Upon the expiration of my three years
service l re-enlisted in the Third artil-
lery, serving in all eighteen months in
the artillery. At the end of that time I
got a furlough and came home to Hud-
son. l wis detained a couple Of days
longer than my Through ran and was
afraid to go back to the army. Very
shortly observation-disclosures by not go
ing back / became a dcserter-I re-en-
listed at Syracuse in the Tooth New
York volunteers. / was at that time
about tw%enty-one. / served until the
assault on Fort Gregg in the Peninsular
Campaign in April, 1860, in which ! was
shot through the head and shoulder,
and when l got ont of the hospital, of
course, was in 10 shape to re-enter the
service. Since the war | have been liv-
ing at Hudson and Ionia, coming to De.
troit about 4 year ago"
Have you a family %
"Yes. A wife and two young chill
dren; my wife is q pastry cook at tAe
Standish House."
"What was your idea i'll giving your.
self up TO the military authorities 2"
II wanted to get my name clear on
the records. You see, I was honorably
discharged from my second service, and
didn't like to have the charge of deser:
ton hanging over me-"
"But why didn't von take other means
than surrendering?
Had no other means. consulted
Col. O. NJ. Poe, my old c~hmmanlcr.
about what to d, and lie told me % give
myself up, and said that he did not he.
lieve | could be punished in anv way,
but said my record could he cleared no
other way. | afterwari wrote 10 Sec
Rotary Lincoln and he said nothing could
he done for me while was II aeserter at
large, hut didn't expect to be thr, WI
III the guard house and treated this way.
Why, it's a horrible place to live. and it
Will ruin my healtl If | have to stay
there n very great while. | never was in
the guard house but once before in nv
life, and HAT was for splitting soup on an
officer, and it goes pretty hard with me. I"
"Do you draw a pension 2"
Yes, for my injuries in my second
service"
Il expect to near from the War Office
in a few days III relation to Barnes"
said Colonel Black. after the prisoner
had been taken back 70 the guard house.
"Of course al the departments are bur
dened with business and action in the
matter canno. be had very specify. OF
course | have no means Of KNOWN villa.
the authorities will do In the matter. !
hardly think he will be punished, how
ever, AS his physical condition IS such
that he can, we'll go into the service
again, and while it does not make him
any less a deserter the fact that he re.
entered the service and fought the wal
out may have its effect. Barnes evi
IDENTITY Thought that al he had to do was
~ place himself III my charge and prob.
ably didn't anticipate confinement in tn,
guard h use. But that is all | can dt
with him. l am simply the custodian o