Gilpin observer., 1918-12-19
BARRETT
MADE CAPTAIN

The United States government has con
ferred a captaincy ON the Rev. Regis
Barrett, O.S.B., formerly of Boulder
and Gilpin county. because of the val
liant work he did in the recent influenza
wave at Camp Zachary Taylor, KY. ON
one occasion he worked seventy-two
hours straight caring for dying soldiers
and he had the happiness of making a
number of deathbed conversions, for
| Protestants, seeing the great consolation
accorded by the Last Rites to dying
Catholics. begged to be received into the
church themselves so that they would
be ready to meet their Maker. Father
Barrett has been more highly honored
than any other chaplain who remained
in America. He has written a wonder
fully interesting letter of his own ex-
periences to a priest at st. Vincent col
lege, Beatty, archabbey of the Benedic-
tine order. of which he is a member.
1t follows:
Camp Zachary Taylor.
my Dear Father Mark-Your spicy
letter was like good old ST. Vincent.
meal to me. You know how they used
to touch the spot when . was in
trim. Well. that letter of yours just
touched the right place.
Father. l have had an awful time
since last 1 saw you. II should live a
thousand years longer and would have
to so thru only once more what 1 have
just passed, it would be too frequent an
14,cO0 men We're stricken down with the
contagion and about 500 of them died. 1
have here before me a record of all the
Catholics. Some recovered, some are
manned for life. and others have gone
to their reward, may God rest their
SOULS for they were good, indeed. The
Catholic boy in uniform is a real Cath
Ollie. 1 have attended many sick calls in
my day, but have gone thru only one
epidemic. and God grant that it may
be the last. I
1T is hard, Father, to see the flower
of young Catholic manhood pass away
before your eyes: still, it was most edi-
Tying, too. Both Catholics and non
Catholics were good. l never heard such
moaning, groaning, and agonizing walls
as l heard in the base hospital during
this terrible ordeal Nom Catholics would
cry out: Get me Father Barrett; for
Eods sake. get me Father Barrett
For seventy-two hours straight / was
on duty in the wards with men all
around me begging for the Sacraments.
1 carried in the neighborhood of 200 par
ticles about with me. The holy oils and
the Most Blessed Sacrament were con-
stantly about my neck suspended by the
same cord. The Very Rev v. G. Foley
sent me a beautiful oil stock for a pres
ent. 1t is like watch case. used 1t
ever since and shall preserve it as
memento of this terrible flu epidemic.
How l escaped myself is too hard one
FOR me. God, 1 presume, does not need
any Irish in heaven, for they are all
saints here below (ahemD. General
Austin, our commander-in-ch at Camp
Knox. Camp West Point, and Camp
Taylor was very kind to me. He used
to call each day and inquire IL 1 felt
well. If 1 had had any rest, or II /
needed any help. l had six priests as
assistants and they worked heroicallv
as long as they lasted. Three went
down the first week and 1 sent for
four more. Then two quit with the flu.
80 1 had to take all the night work NV
self. Thank God, l pulled thru without
a scratch.
well, 1 could write book about the
flu in Camp Zachary Taylor, but time
is too precious Well, after the flu had
OF nd tha
In turmoil, the medical and general staff
rad meeting and / was sent for.' |
came in, just a poor Lieutenant Chap
lain. amongst all the stars, eagles, etc.
OF the high commanders and there
stood, saluted, and was offered a chair
i was told OF the existing conditions and
asked IL had any solution. told them
that i had a thought In my head and
knew that 1t was an original idea, be-
cause had a pain up there like n neu-
ralgia. They all laughed. and then I
mentioned the Sisters as nurses. You
should have seen the look on their fac
es. One Colonel said: Bring Sisters out
here? I'D like to see them,' asked
him what his objections were (in fact,
was little flustered). He was on
his feet In moment and shouted:
Where In hades will you get them?'
said knew Louisville and Kentucky
were "a trifle near hades. but that. even
so. i need not 20 out of the state to
get nuns who would do good work. Then
he gave In and said: We'll, II you can
get Sisters. you're wonder saluted
and bout faced. was gone two hours
and came back with thirty-s seven nuns
reused the mothers superior out OF bed
and. God bless them, whether they were
frightened or what, don't know, but