The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-10-11

too. And the smallest cap to be found
slipped down over his head and pushed
out his ears. This little fellow was
marching under difficulties thus logged
out. Was he drummer-boy? Not
much. He carried a musket, great,
heavy musket, over his weak shoulder.
No drumming in his. His was to shoot
and to fight.
And, though he was the youngest
being in that patriotic line, no heart
there beat higher with loyalty. And,
though he was the weakest being there,
no step was firmer or more unfaltering.
And, though he was the smallest, no
man there was prouder or felt so big as
the manly little fellow who would not
beat drum, but that day marched
away with a musket across his little
shoulder.
How proud his mother was of him, but
still reluctant to have him go. How the
crowd cheered him and all the people
cried ''Bravo!' to the little boy Barrett.
Summon up another scene. Three
years later to the day aud the hour.
Here is a long line of men, with firm
faces and mouths set in determination.
Round them was the crack of bursting
bombs, the crackle of destructive cannon
balls: the horizon broken by the white
puffs of smoke and the fierce livid streaks
of artillery fire. There are $500 men
here, grim visaged men, and among
them the boy Barrett, now grown into
sinewy manhood. The order is given,
the march begins On the line goes,
unwavering, unbroken. Closer and
closer to the Confederate entrenchments
it approaches. All along that bulwark
of dirt spits the Spiteful fire of the rebel
guns: bullets whirr-still slowly comes
the line.
Suddenly there is a yell and the
men charge - in the face of
a rattle of musketry and a
deadly ''piff'' of thousand guns they
ran wildly and determinedly. Up in the
teeth of the enemy they push and at
their head one soldier who is hotter,
wilder, quicker than all the rest. 1t is
Barrett. Into the very muzzles of the
enemies guns he darts, ahead of them
all. He is the first on the breastwork.
No one follows. The Union line is re-
pulsed. The men call in vain for young
Barrett. Reckless he stands alone on the
dirt bank, hatless, his face flushed. No
man had come up with him. There is a
on1 fhn ovlaV,6iA e,Y0aoinann Of
young manhood falls with a shattered
leg. But with the aid of his gun he is
up again and strikes about him with his
rifle. Quick as flash he is pierced by five
balls in the hip, chest and head and bites
the dust. All night S. L. Barrett lay
there with his face to the sky with
his clothes clotted with blood. And in
the morning he was still there and cold
drizzling rain was falling upon him.
Twenty-six hours later he was picked up
and his leg amputated by the Confeder-
ate surgeon. Three days after that bat
tie of Bentonville in North Carolina,
the Union side recaptured Barrett and af
ter hauling him over corduroy road
and the misery of exposure the Union
discovered,that his leg is gan
grened and another amputation is made.
That is an instance of Judge Barretts
loyalty. No man suffered more for his
country than he did-no man was a
more loyal citizen. Judge Barrett has
his enemies, but where is there one man
who in the face of this record, in the
face of these irreparable sacrifices can
say ought against him? Let the able
bodied man who is without sin cast the
first stone at man in his crippled con-
dition.
Judge S. L. Barrett has held
several positions of puplic trust. He
has been United States store keeper and
county superintendent in Ohio. He was
justice of the peace, elected
and reelected. The attorneys who have
been before him aver that he is always
fair and just in his opinions. He is a
man of excellent judgment and quick to
exercise it. Only three decisions of his
were ever reversed.
Judge Barrett's capacity for the Office
Of register of deeds is marked. He is a
scribe, his books having been
said to be the neatest and most exact in |
the city, He was a school teacher for
seventeen years and served as engross-
ing clerk in the Nebraska senate, which |
was his training. He will make capa-
bic and thorough register on that ac-
count and outside of the fact that this |
neither in silver or name, in
money or position, in gold or glory can
not pay him for his sacrifices.