The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1896-04-16

Pennsylvanian was reported, officially
as deserter, while the Illinosian,
Henry Barton, was recorded as
dead.
have said that the plan of the de-
serte rwas shrewd one. Let us
analytic it. The only chance that
could prove unfavorable to the
venture was that the nurse, who had
waited upon both patients, might
detect it. But he was aware that the
hospital was crowded and the attend
ants overworkeI; that the dead sol
dier would be buried, probably, that
day without being seen by any one
who had known either of them
and he was willing to take the risk.
He realized, too, beyond doubt,
that being officially dead nobody would
pursue and arrest him as o deserter;
and further, if they arrested him as
the Pennsylvania he could not be
identified as that individual. He
made no miscalculation in the matter,
and was soon hundreds of miles away.
Years afterwards Mrs. Barton filed
claim for pension as the widow OF
Henry Barton, submitting the usual
evidence to substantiate it. In due
course OF time the pension was granted
granted at the rate Of twelve dol
lars per month for herself and two
dollars per month for each OF her
children, with arrears, at the same
rate, from the date of the soldiers
death. This allowance placed her in
very comfortable circumstances. She
was enabled to lift the mortgage that
was on the farm, and deposit, besides.
quite goodly sum in the bank against
the "rainy day" we have all heard
about.
Meantime anothervery worthy little
woman In one of the valleys 2tthe
Allegheny Range "a +Pennsyivania-
and whose hp.Sand also had been
soldier-did not fare so well. Be-
lieving herself to be widow she,
too, applied for pension; but
her claim was speedily rejected on the
ground that record evidence in the
Pension bureau showed that the SOL
dier deserted from the army in August
1863, while an inmate of the Nash
vile hospital.
When her grief was yet new Mrs.
Barton had resolved that she would
have the body of her husband re-
moved from Nashville and buried in
Illinois as soon as her means would
allow it. But the lapse of years and
the cares of her daily life made his
memory nebulous and dim Whenever
it happened to rise before her and the
idea of re-interment was abandoned.
She reasoned that the expense would
be great, and that it would do no
good; he was dead, and many others
who were even better husbands and
oldiers than he must sleep in South
ern graves until the resurrection
morning. She would not disturb
him.
So it is, ever, and has been. How
soon, after death, even the greatest
man dwindles into significance. How
speedily and surely, when he is asleep
in his little dormitory in the church
yard. do the people among whom he
walked in life--whose activities and
recreations, joys and sorrows he
shared-forget him as though he
never existed. How soon even those
near and dear to him lose sight of him
or at best are bound to him by only
ghostly and fitful remembrance grow
ing fainter and fainter as the years go
by. Is it not better SO?
Some months ago an army comrade
met Barton upon one Of the crowaed
thoroughfares of San Francisco, and
knew him. II am aware that you
have been dead for thirty years." he
said to him, s'but all the same you are
Henry Barton and you were in my
regiment in the armyl"
And Barton, finding concealment no
longer possible, told the whole story,
and it was speedily transmitted to a
prominent attorney in Western state.
That gentleman who had been their
colonel in the army, succeeded,
through deal of correspondence, in
Strengthening out the matter in the
pension Office in the interest of right
and justice. In other words, the