The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-04-25
WHERE CREDIT is DUE
Record Of a stay-at-Home During the
Civil War.

civil war.
To the Editor of the Banner:--lt
IL neither my desire or purpose To de-
tract one whit from the honor or cred
II due the gallant men who answered
their countrys call In the trying days
between 1861 and 1865, who died and
suffered that the best government on
earth might continue, but occasionally
1t occurs to me that the lot OF some
who believed that their duty to those
dependant upon them was paramount
to their obligations to the government,
was not an enviable one. There are
instances, In my opinion, In which the
self sacrifice of men who refused to
take up the musket has not received
the full credit It deserves.
recall one instance involving
we'll known family in the town OF
SALISBURY One OF the prominent
farmers OF that town in the early part
OF the past century was Jared Maths
on. He was known throughout the
community as an upright, honest cit
izen and his wife, Polly was one OF
the most lovable of women. They
lead quiet Christian lives in the quiet
town which was their home, were reg
ular attendants for years at the Cen
ter Salisbury church and they will
be readily recalled by many Of the
older residents.
There were 10 children I'm the fam
lily but only six lived to the age OF
manhood and womanhood. These
were Mary Ann, Cornelia, Asahel,
Rhoda, Clark and Solomon.
Some years before the reduction OF
Fort Sumpter inaugurated the blOodi-
lest war in the modern history Of ma.
tions the health OF the head Of the
household began to fail and when the
children had begun to seek homes OF
their own there was heavy mort
gage on the old place. One Of the
sons, Asahel married and the duty
of caring for the parents deyolyed up
on Clark and Solomon, and when Sol
onion too took to himself wife and
later enlisted Clark was left as the
whole support and comfort OF the
aging and feeble father and mother
Clark was enrolled and drafted bul
furnished a substitute. as .he felt thai
his duty lay In caring for those WHIT
had brought him into the world, nurs
ed him In childhood and provided fol
him through the years when he wa!
) dependant upon them. A second time
:, he was enrolled by the recruiting OF
! ficers at a time when both father ant
! mother and one of his sisters were II
of fever, but he refused to be takel
: alive from the house where the II
a tones lay I'm need of him.
7 Both parents and sister recovere,
|, from the fever and In a few year
Clark had the homestead free iron
debt. He then married, and he an
ibis wife kept house in one part of tn
house while the parents resided i
another. During the final illness h
engaged nurse to care for the II
valid His married life was only q
seven years duration. He continue
to live at the old homestead with hi
two children and crippled sister VIII
went about OH crutches and for whOI
he cared for over 30 years.
Lies struggle for him has had tn
. natural result. His health has faile
land not long ago he went to Kansa
OH visit in the hope that the chang
} would prove beneficial and a lare
circle OF acquaintance In Shaftsbur
sincerely desire that his expectation
may be realized.
r have many times thought no
prone we all are to eulogize the liv'
i and praise the efforts of men wi
have become prominent in the col
munities in which they lived throut
a self-seeking and by directing their e
= ergies to the accomplishment OF tho
!. things which would bring them b
fore the public while We neglect
. honor those like Clark whose enti
life has been spent In the performan
OF the duties that devolved upon hi
and which he was too honorable
shirk.
Neighbor.
Shaftsbury. April 10, 1908.