Troy Times - Veteran - War of 1812

March 28, 1867

BARRETT, HON. THOMAS S. - Died, March 9th, 1867, at his residence in Troy, Hon. Thomas S. Barrett, after an illness of three days. He was born May 16, 1788, in Newberry District, South Carolina. In the war of 1812, he was made Captain of a company of militia, and was stationed at Beaufort, S. C., at the time the battle of New Orleans was fought by General Jackson. He subsequently studied law in the office of Caldwell & O'Neal, and was admitted to the Bar in Columbia, S. C., in 1824, and emigrated to Troy, Ohio in 1825, where he resided until his death--a period of forty-two years. The first two years in Troy were spent in teaching school, and many of our older citizens remember him as their teacher. He was Auditor of Miami county six years, Prosecuting Attorney for four years; after which he was by appointment Associate Judge; afterwards Commissioner of Insolvents, and also Commissioner for the Washington Monument Association for Miami county; he also held the office of Mayor of the town of Troy. As an evidence of his personal popularity, he was elected to office successively when the party opposed to him was largely in the majority. He was a Democrat of the old Jackson school; was Secretary of the first Jackson meeting in the county, and made the first Democratic speech in Miami county. Like the Roman patriot he loved his country to the last. A short time before his death he remarked to his son that since Congress had passed the Military Bill, destroying the Government of ten States of the American Union, he must die, as he did not wish to outlive his Government. Temperance and Christian morality found in him a warm advocate. He presided at more Temperance meetings and made more Temperance speeches than any other man in Troy. He was Vestryman in the Episcopal church for thirty years. In all public improvement calculated to build up the town he took a leading part. But Mr. Barrett is no more. He is no longer in our midst, yet he lives in the memory of all who knew him. He lives, too essentially in a brighter and better world, where the light of Truth and of Love illumine his enlarged mind and warms his expanded heart--there all the good have gone.

"Sleep on, sleep on! above thy breast

The flowers of Spring shall bloom,

And throw around thy place of rest

Their silent, sweet perfume."