The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-11-10

1t is reported around town that a
young man of this place wishing 70 at
tend meeting of the |. o. G. T. at Ben
nington, and not having the wherewith
to hire livery rig, thought out the fol-
| lowing ingenious plan to attain his OBJ
| ject: 1t appears that a certain gentle
man had horse to sell, and the young
man hearing of this promptly went up
and bought the horse on one weeks
time. The young man took the horse
home with him and went to Bennington
with it the same night. The next morn
| ing, having accomplished his end in get
ting the horse, he sent it back to its for
mer owner and said he had concluded
not to buy. The owner of the horse was
| somewhat aroused at this unbusiness
like proceeding and set out to see the
young man and find out the reason for
his actions. Then was presented the
spectacle of the young man skipping
down the street and the gentlemen after
min. The young man, however, sue
ceeded in making his escape.
The St. Paul (Minn.) Dispatch speaks
as follows of Colonel Merritt Barber of
this town, who has recently been ap-
pointed an assistant in the War Depart
ment at Washington: Colonel Merritt
Barber, who has served as adjutant gen.
eral of the department of Dakota for
four years, left last Saturday for his new
station at Washington city. Few Off
GERS in the West have been as popular
as he has been, or their departure more
widely regretted in military and social
circles than his own. He has fine re-
cord 40 soldier, dating from his first
entry in the service in 1862 as private
from hic nafityn Of Warpnnnt IIa
fought from that time to the end of the
war, and won distinction in MANY of the
memorable battles of the rebellion. He
was engaged in the midst of the fierce
conflicts at Gettysburg, the Wilderness,
Cedar Creek, Spottsylvania and the
storming of Petersburg, and was at APP
pomattoX when Lee surrendered the
remnant of his legions to the great gen.
eral Of the Northern forces. He was
wounded twice during the war-at Mon
ocacy and again at Fishers Hill. He
was brevetted three times for bravery on
the field-for gallant conduct in the bat
tie of the Wilderness, for gallant conduct
in the battle of Cedar Creek, and for
having borne himself with distinguished
gallantry in every engagement since May
3, and particularly in the engagement at
Cedar Creek The latter was an unus-
ual and brilliant brevet, and one rarely
earned and seldom accorded any soldier.
For time he was adjutant general of
the famous old Vermont brigade of
which General Lewis A. Grant of Min
neapolis, now Assistant Secretary of War,
was the commander, and which achieved
such signal reputation as fighting
brigade. He was captain of the six
teenth infantry when appointed, in rec
ignition of his distinguished services,
as major and assistant adjutant general
in the regular army In 1882. The Indian
outbreak in Dakota in 1889 was an ac-
tive and arduous period in his military
career, and toward the close of the trug-
gle, when General Ruger was trans
ferred to the department of California,
he was in temporary command of the
department, and the labor and strain
overtaxed his strength and it required
several years for his recovery. Colonel
Barber is man of kindly impulse and
sensitive honor, and, backed by splen-
did record, executive ability of a high
order and uncommon elements of popu-
larity, he cannot fail to challenge the
recognition of his military superiors,
and his merit and faithful service be re-
warded by the highest promotion" Col.
Onel Barber has the distinction of hav-
ing been pupil of President Garfield i'll
an evening school at North Pownal, and
a pupil of President Arthur in a district
school. 1t is not surprising, therefore,
that in the Garfield-Arthur administrar
ton he was assistant adjutant general at
Washington. He is brother of DR..
Barber and is well known by many in
Bennington.