Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 March 1892 — A WAR STORY. [ARTICLE]

A WAR STORY.

Incidents in the Career of the Late General Barnum. In talking with Colonel Jatnes E. Jones, one of New York’s port wardens, it came out that he had been in the United States army service during the civil war, with the late General Henry A. Barnum, about whom he told me an incident which camo to his knowledge from the General himself. General Barnum was in command of a brigade under General Fitz-John Porter at the battle of Hanover Court House. Among the prisoners captured was a Confederate surgeon, Dr. Deshay, who was mounted upon a magnificent white horse. It was the custom of war not to hold surgeons as prisoners, and Dr. Deshay was brought before General Barnum for disposition. The soldiers in the meantime had taken his horse from him, and an oxcited sergeant was riding it back and forth within plain view of the two men, about a mile away. The animal was clearly being abused, and when General Barnum greetod the surgeon with courtesy, and inquired what he might da for him, Dr. Deshay replied, as he pointed to the animal he had just been riding: “That white horse, which one of your soldiers is abusing, was given to me by my wife whoso pet the animal was, when I camo into the service. I would rather lose an arm than that horse.” General Barnum gave immediate orders for the restoration of the horse to Dr. Deshay, and on closer acquaintance found him such a pleasant gentleman that ho went with him to the outer lines of the army whon the doctor was permitted to go back into the Confederate lines.

Tho sequel of this episodo occurred in Richmond. General Barnum was wounded and captured at Malvern Hill. The wound which he received at this time was from a bullet which passed entirely through his body, and did not heal to the day of his death, but required a rubber setou for its constant drainage. Owing to his official rank, which was shown by his uniform, General Barnum had been taken to Richmond as a prisoner. He lay on a cot which was placed on tho sidewalk outside of Libby prison, where the sun beat down on his face until it was blistered and maggots gathered in his frightful wound. A Confederate surgeon corning along stopped suddenly in front of the General's cot. It was Dr. Deshny, and ho recognized his friend. He secured a parolo for the General, took him to his house, nursed him through what would otherwise have been a fatal injury, and finally secured his exchange for a captured Confederate officer. General Barnum was wont to speak of this incident as one of the touches of war life which demonstrated that all men arc full of humanity.—New York Press.