By: Mark Holtsberry
Joshua C. Barrick was born in Michigan, January 5, 1860. The son of Jonathan, born 1828, in Ohio and Rachel Jane (Hawkins) Barrick, born April 20, 1849 in Indiana. Now let’s go down the ground hog hole.
Rachel’s father, Robert, was a Civil War Veteran from Antwerp, Ohio. He served with Company C 68th Ohio Volunteer Infantry as a private. He was killed at the Battle of Atlanta, July 22, 1864. The surgeon’s report stated that he was shot in the head above left eye, died instantly. He was buried in the Marietta National Cemetery, Marietta, Georgia.
Rachel’s brother, John Hawkins also served with Company C. 68th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and survived the war and lived in Antwerp, Ohio.
Now I see daylight as I come back out of the hole. By 1870, the Barrick family, Jonathan, Rachel, sons Joshua and Robert, born July 27, 1862 in Antwerp were living in Antwerp. Rachel’s mother Mary Ann and her two brothers, Ezekiel and William were also living with them. The boys were in school and Jonathan was a day laborer. A sister, Pearl L. is born in 1873 in Indiana. Later in life, she will pursue a career in teaching.
By 1880, Jonathan passed away. I don’t think the mother in law had anything to do with it! Rachel remarried May 9, 1880, to a fella by the name of Jonathan Myers. They lived in Carryall Township. Mr. Myers had two sons from his first marriage, George and Charles.
So Joshua, Robert and sister Pearl, all became step-children. Joshua is working as a day laborer. On October 6, 1886, Joshua’s mother Rachel Jane, passed away. She was buried in Fought Cemetery. Joshua had met a gal named Mary M. Melchi, born May 14, 1867 in Van Wert, Ohio. The daughter of Joshua and Angeline Melchi.
Joshua and Mary were married, October 20, 1887 in Paulding, Ohio. By 1890, Joshua and Mary were living in Antwerp. By 1898 as the Spanish Government was giving the Cuban and Filipino peoples trouble. The United States was ready to defend those peoples of Cuba and Philippines.
In Paulding, local leaders, lobbied Columbus for the opportunity to form a company of men to serve in the war that was sure to come. On April 25, 1898, eleven companies was enrolled at Kenton, Ohio. Doubt was given away to assurance that Paulding was represented in the grand military forces, now being organized for a movement against Spain.
For three weeks the work of securing names and making arrangements to recruit a company at Paulding had been in progress. A total of 111 men formed Company M. 2nd Ohio Volunteer Company, this was an Ohio National Guard unit. Samuel W. Ennis was elected Captain, Alfred N. Wilcox was elected 1st Lieutenant, John P. Miller was elected 2nd Lieutenant. Joshua C. Barrick was installed as Corporal. Men came from various parts of the area to enlist, such as Hicksville, Sherwood and Florida, Henry County, Ohio.
On April 29 to May 16, 1898, Company M. was sent to Camp Bushnell, Columbus, Ohio for training. What will happen next?
Stay tuned to next week.
… Until Next Time!
