The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-04-24
Sarah BartOn's Pension
BY ANDREW DOWNING.

II 10 not believed that patriotism
alone prompted Henry Barton in 1862
to enlist in an Illinois regiment In
fact it is recalled by some of the
neighbors that he and his wife Sarah
did not get along we'll" together
about those days
The cause of contention-ii such
there was-is not known, save that it
might be summed up, perhaps, in the
word "incompatibility, mysterious
something which often drapes very
thinly a closeted domestic skeleton.
For be was an ignorant, selfish
man, much given to causeless jeal-
ousy. Aud Sarah was the very oppo-
site IN character being patient, dis
Greet and womanly. Moreover, she was
well educated, and the marriage would
seem to have been ill-assorted. But
| will tell the story and permit the
reader to draw his own conclusions.
The man enlisted. The little wife,
with fearful eyes and heavy heart,
babe him good-by, and he was soon at
the front Left alone, with two small
children, and an eighty-acre farm to
care for, and with rather slender means
at her command, it is no wonder that
she thought to herself that her service
would be the harder of the two. But
she was plucky and resolute, and
wonld do her best
The soldier was sparing Of letters to
bis family. Sometimes weeks and
even months marked the intervals oil
their coming. And very little money
was enclosed in them.
In July, 1868, the regiment was al
Nashville Mrs. Barton had received
no letter from her husband for nearly
three months but one morning the
news came through a neighbor-hom,
on furlough from the same post-tha'
Barton was sick in the hospital at tina
place. About a month later she re-
ceived notice from the hospital sur
geon that the husband was dead anC
had been buried in the Nashville Gem
terry.
But Barton was not dead. In trutl
he had been very sick with tYphoi,
fever, then convalescent, and fnall,
was ordered to report to his captain
for duty the following morning
He did not sleep we'll that night, bu
lay awake for hours bordering -schem
ing, it would seem. Upon the wall,
at the head OF his bed, was tackled
card giving his name, Henry Barton
his company and regiment, and th
nature OF his sickness. This rule wa
generally observed. The cots wer
close together, there was just room
enough to allow the attendants to pas
between them. Barton was in tn
"Typhoid fever" ward, as it wa
called.
Sometime after midnight he awok
from doze. Listlessly his hand fe
upon the cot nearest him, upon whic
was Pennsylvania soldier. His fin
gers touched the mans face. 1t wa
cold. He investigated and found hiI
to be dead. None OF the nurse
seemed to have discovered it.
Almost instantly he formulated
plan, and, about as quickly, began il
execution. He wanted to desert frol
the army; it would appear that b
wished to leave his wife ALSO
rather that he did not mean to retur
to her. The plan was shrewd on
and everything favorable to its a,
complishment
Rising from his couch, and dres
ing himself hastily, he lifted the dea
man from the cot and placed him VI
on the one he himself had vacated
The lights burned dimly and he SUI
ceeded in finally getting out of IL
building unperceiyed, and finally Of
of the city.
The next morning the attendan