Daily Republican., 1885-03-14
Letter Carriers Reslgnssson.

Milton Barlow, the oldest letter carrier
Ia term of service in the W,lmin gton
Post ofiico Department, has resigned his
position, to taHe effect on the first Of
April. Had he remained until the first
Of June he would have been just twenty
years letter carrier. Mr.. Smith was q
very efficient officer, and 1t was with
many regrets that Postmas SwiRgett
and the other employees Of the depart
ment part with him. The follow ing letter
will show the estimation in which he
was held by Post master SwiRgett
UNITED STATES Posi- OFFICE, Will.
MING TON, DEL, March 9th, 1885 II
MR.. RoBERT l.. SMITH, Letter Car.
rier. SIR:-Your resignation AZ letter
carrier has been placed in my hands.
IN accepting It, deAire r. exrres. to
you my thanks for the faithful and
intelligent manner that you have per
formed your duties since have been
post. master OF this city. trust that
your health will be restored, and that
you will be successful In your new
enterprise. W. Y. SwIGGETT.
Postmaster.
A little brief sketch of the life and
ser vices Of Mr.. Smith, that he has
rendered his country both In peacs nd
| in war, may not be uninteresting to the
general reader.
Robert l.. Smith was born In the city of
Wilmington, of poorbnt honest parents,
August 7th, 1S41. After he got old
enough.he spent seven years on the farms
OF John and Robert Morrow and solo.
mon Townsend, over the Christiana
| Being then old enough to 20 to a trade
| he was apprenticed to Poynter & More.
land TO learn the silver-platipg. When
he had finished his trade, for which be
| WAS indentured five years, the clouds
of civil war had gathered black over the
country and the clarion, call of danger
was summoning the sons and lovers Of
| liberty TO the defence Of the old flag.
Sumter had been fired upon, the stars
and stripes had been trampled into the
dustby impious rebel feet, and President
Lincoln had issued his call for IS OOO
men TO put dewn the uprising rsbe lion.
How little did Mr.. Lincoln know Of
the task he war undertaking, and when
young Smith rushed forth to make one
of the 10 OO0, little did he think that this
apparently monstrous army Of 10000
would be but q moiety of the millions
that were TO follow.
Captain Charles LaMotte, three months
Delaware Regiment, Colonel Andrews,
and enjoyed camp life along the p, w.
& B. Railroad, guarding Bush river,
Gunpowder and other bridges on that
! road. When his term expired, instead
Of the rebellion being subdued, 1t was
but gathering force to break out In
greater fury.
After this Mr.. Smith was drawn to
to Washington, and there he, for a
couple of years, was a teamster, and
| came very near losing his life on one
occasion by being thrown from the back
of stubborn mule that ran away with
him. dragging him couple of SO uares
| while foot was entapgled in the
stirrup.
There still being no signs of hasty
collapse of the rebellion, Mr.. Smith
| thought his proper place would be at
the front with "A musket in his hand
instead of remaining around Washing.
ton cracking mule whip. According
y he buried back TO Wilmington and
enlisted ia Company ID, Captain Curry,
Fourth Delaware Regiment, Colonel
A. H. Grimshaw. IL was not long
until ha got real taste of war at the
battle of Coal Barbor. Pressing on, his
regiment stood before Petersburg on the
18th and 18th of June, 1864. On the
latter date he was out with others ON
the skirmish line changing shots with
the rebels. While lying down on his
left side firing at any stray Johnnie
Reb" that exposed himself, rebel bull
let was attracted in his direction and
struck him on his left elbow. This put
sudden end to Mr.. Smiths aggressive
ness.
This happened at 8 a. M, and by II
n m hn had hnan flk kafn RI ha alA
hospital where his arm Was amputated.
He was then transferred 10 hospital
at Washington, and from thence to the
Wilmington hospital, where he was
made ward-m aster, In which position
he serv.d until discharged. The war
being over and being incapacitsted from
earning Il livelihood by manual labor,
MIR. Smith went to Crittenden's Com
ruercial College, Philadelphia, where he
took full course OF lessons aud learn.
ed single and double entry book kee -
ing. Coming back to Wilmington he
found his old Colonel A. IL. Griushaw,
Postmaster Of Wilmington.
The though. struck him that be |
would apply tor a position in the post |
office, and going to his old commander |
be made the application. The Colouel |
told him there was no vacancy, but
gave him Ii 'erty to get an appointment.
He got petition out, asking 10 he ap.
pointed letter-carrier. 1t was numer-
Ously signed, but how was he 10 take
it 20 Washington, when he had no
money ? lis went TO Joshua It. Heald
ard asked him If he would go on his
bond if ho got All appointment. Mr..
Heald did not know him, but after n
httle hesitation, looking at his armless
sleeve, he said, i cannot go on your
bond, but l will give you money enough
to take you to Washington ai d bring
you baos again, and you shall make no
that you can conveniently spare it,"
MIR. Smith also took letters W tn him
from Mr.. Heald, Il. G.. Bradford and
Colonel Grimshaw.
Armed with these he wont down to
Washington, and calling upon the
Third Assistant Postmaster G eueral,
he laid bis petition and his letters he
fore him. That official spent but little
time in looking at the recommendations,
but referred MIR. Smith to the appoint
ment clerk. The clerk told the Third
Assistant that there WAS no vacancy.
" Well, then, make another carrier for
Wilmington, was the command, and
soon afterward Mr.. Smith was on his
way home with his commission in his
pocket. Presenting himself to Post
master Grimshaw he was sworn In as
the fifth letter carrier for the Whining
ton Post-Oilice. Mr.. Smith has been II
carrier ever since.
His first route was all west of Market
street and south of Sixth street as far
AZ Washington, and all the city west
of Washington no to Tenth street.
Now there are thirteen carriers, com.
narad with five tM anfv yenrs nrn Tnhl