Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1889-05-28
THE KENTUCKY BROTHERS.

An Incident OF tho Civil war-The Type
OF Mnny.
Tho pleasant community about Hopkins
vile was "all torc up" as the people said.
They really said "toh' up" but this Is true
sketch and not dialect story.
Most Of the people spoke Of their state as
"Kaintucky,n v and 1t was "all tore up" too In
deed Hopkinsville and vicinity was only type
Of nearly oil others in the state, for war had
come almost with tho suddenness OF lightning
from clear sky, and the peoples sympa-
thies were sadly divided. Old residents Of
tho state can now afford to indulge a smile
at recollection OF tho childlike confidence
with which tho people had gone through that
dark and omlnous winter; they were, with
excoptions of course, as positive that Crtten-
den would get compromise adopted and tho
trouble pass without fight as tho average
small boy Is that his pap will 1x things
right SO when tho slow moving mail OF
those days brought the news that Sumter had
boon captured and 5000 troops were called
for, there was cemmotion such Of that
region had not known since the last "lnjunsn
were chased across the Tennessee
Asacid and alkali fall apart when the chemi-
cal rcagent is applied, so tho people fell at
onco into hostile groups. There wasa briof at
tempt at neutrality, then a final division,
and oh, how painful-the son in the ranks Of
the Confederacy whilc the father adhered to
the Union.
In the Barrett family there was even more
than the usual painful commotion- Jim, tho
big, dashing, chivalrous older brother, "sym-
pathiEed with the SOUTH" the father. trained
In tho school OF Henry Clay and conservative
by age, adhered to the old flag, while the
women--grieving, loving, but ardent In their
fcelings-tried to feel that the father was
right, but secretly all the warmth Of their
souls was excited for the ono who "went
south" Such family conflicts did not last
long. There wns one painful, protracted In
terview, after It q few exchanges Of short,
sharp phrases, ending with hot donunclation
by the father, and thon Jim was gone, and
with him rs many OF the irresolute neighbor
boys rs he could influence. A fow days later
he and his squad were enrolled In tho cavalry
Of tho &c. s. A"
THANK God, Frank Is too young 70 be In
1t, and 1t will nll bo over before he Is big
enough" said tho fond mother. But she
knew Frank rs little us the average mother
usually knows n son who Is away from home
for yoor at the eventful ago OF sixteen. a
student In tho famed Asbury now De Pauw]
university, Frank had been absorbing oil
tho atmosphere of his environment, as Hor-
bert Spencer would say, "all the abolition
pizen In Indiany," somo Of his old neighbors
would say. The events OF April and May,
1861, set his soul on fro; ho was wildly, en-
Enthusiastically eager TO fight for the Union.
Like many thousand boys OF that age at that
particular time he was sorry 1t would eli be
over before ho was old enough 70 enlist.
They all had chance; most men had
chance before 1t ended, though the zeal OF
many was modified towards the last. Frank
reluctantly promised bis mother to stay In
college, but In midsummer his home was In
tho Confederate lines and all such promises
were held to DO void. Before frost fell he was
with Shackelford and Bristow, learning the
duties Of private soldier in the grand army
for tho Union.
Three years and half had passed since
Jim Barrett made his choice, and tho dread
ful days OF Franklin and Nashville had come.
Tho Confederacy was making Its last nd
vance, and desperate one 1t was. The sun
was going down on tho first OF those murder
Gus battles In Hoods advance, and tho dis
patch had already gone north, "The Union
lines arc broken.n Tho sadly thinned ranks
OF Frank Barretts regiment were among the
last to leave the field--a little too late, as the
Confederate cavalry came galloping over and
through thoni. Then, for a brief minute or
two, 1t WINS man to man; the pistol Of the one
was empty and so was the gun Of the other;
1t was bayonet against saber.