The National tribune., 1897-03-25

and trust were the chief assets OF the Woman's
Relief Corps. He continued bondsman
throughout her six years of Office and greatly
reioiced in the success attending her conduct
of affairs.
Col. Barker was by birth and personal
achievements the typical American. His
father, Maj. Gardner Barker. was a soldier of
the War of 1912, who died in 1889, within five
days of his Seth birthday, in his New Hamp.
shire home-a man of soldierly bearing, genial
manners, keen intellect, and high scholarship.
The son richly inherited tho characteristics of
his father, and both in war and peace they dis
tinguished him in . remarkable degree. As a
soldier his gentleness bet intensified his
enterprises was tempered by his modesty and
civic pride.
The truest Of comrades. the kindest OF
friends, the fondest of husbands, the most in
dulgent Of parents, he has passed on to his
children unsullied and more bright the rich
inheritance bequeathed to him. Col. Barker
was q leading business man of Boston, and a
member of numerous military and civic ORDERS
and until his death Trustee and the Treas
urer of the Massachusetts, Soldiers Homo.
SOI. D6EkcI was Ill LID SSu year Wuou uo Gu
listed Is . private in the I'd N. H., May 13,
1861. The following June he was promoted to
Captain; WAS captured at the first battle of
Bull Run; was a prisoner at Richmond, New
Orleans, and Salisbury until the Spring of 1862,
when he Was transferred, sent North, and mus
tered out of the service. He reinlisted rs
private in the 18th N. H., was promoted to Cap
tain, and saw gallant service at Fredericksburg
and Charlottesville, and in the latter battle
was badly wounded He led his company at
Cold Harbor and in the battles before Peters.
burg, where the regiment was 72 days under
fire. He was at the capture of, Richmond, and
for gallant service was promoted to Lieutenant
Colonel in 1854, and to Colonel in 1865.
The old flag of the 10Th N. H., preserved
among the archives of the State, was consigned
to the Adjutant- General of the State. with the
following certificate. Endorsed by Inspector
General A. E. Leavenworth and Benz. F. But
Ter, General in command:
II certify that the National colors of the
10Th N. II. became unserviceable in the follow
ing manner: At the battle of Drewry's Bluff,
May 16, 1864, the ferrule on the top of the staff
was struck by bullet and split. During the
l2.days' engagement at Cold Harbor, Va the
staff was shot in two places. one of the tassels
destroyed, and the colors badly torn. At the
engagement before Petersburg. Va, 1864, the
spearhead was shot away and the colors other
wise damaged all of wh.-h was done by bullets
shot from the enemy."-A. w. Heath, Adju-
tant, 18th N. II.
By the way, it was at Reunion of the 10th
N. H., held at Tilton, N. H., September, 1879,
that the custom of burying deceased veterans
wrapped in the flag Of their country originated,
through one Of the original drummer boys of
that regiment. The regiment adopted his reso-
luton, and it has since been adopted by Grand
Army Posts of Massachusetts and other States.
John B. Willard, Co. +, 10Th Mass who was
buried at Pittsfeld in 1879, shortly after the
Reunion was the first veteran to be wrapped
in the glorious emblem for which he had
marched and fought. Many soldier societies
keep small flags on hand for the purpose
named.
KEY TO LIFE.
For q years Col. Barker carried around in his
pocket the New Year resolutions which follow.
written at Brandon, VT. Sunday, JAM /, 1871.
These were in the form of renewed pledge and
are as follows, and in them will be found the
key to his life:
II, Thomas E. Barker, do covenant on this
6rst day of the first month of the rst wear of
seven, solemnly and sincerely to dedicate nv.
self anew to the highest motives and best OBJ
jects of mans life general improvement and
progress in mind, heart, body and soul.
81 do hereby resolve to use my utmost ell
deavors to improve every hour to some good and
honorable purpose, such as shall conduce to the
carrying out OF my euOELs 10 i've q Just, honor.
able and useful life.
"Praying that my undertaking NAV be
crowned with success by Him to whom we are
indebted for all that We are and have, as we'll
as our very being, with asteadfast resolution, /
hasten to subscribe myself, Thomas E. Barker"
With the New Year resolutions Col. Barker
carried with him the following extract from
Harriet Martineau, on the subject, "What is
life?"
"The mere lapse of years is not life. To eat
and drink and Sleep to be exposed to darkness
and to light, to pace around in the mill of habit
and turn the wheel of wealth, to make reason
our book-keepsr and turn thought into an i'm.
plement Of trade that is not life In all this
but poor fraction Of the consciousness of
humanity is wskened and the sanctites still
slumber which make it most worth while to be.
Knowledge, truth, love, goodness, faith,
alone can give vitality to the mechanism of ex-
istenoe. Tie laugh of mirth that vibrates
through the heart, the tears that freshen the
dry wastes within, the music that brings child
hood back. the prayer that calls the future
near, the doubts which make Us mediate. tho
death which startles Us with mystery, the hard
ship that forces us to struggle the anxiety that