 |
Located off Hunolt Road, near Memphis, Missouri, Barnett's monument still stands, overlooking acres of farmland. Behind him are the dilapidated remains of the house he grew up in.
The transcription on the base of the statue reads:
Purnell Batts Barnett
Born at Memphis, Mo.
January 20, 1891
Died at base hospital Ft. Riley, Kan.
November 16, 1917 of pneumonia
A soldier in his country’s service
43 Days Co. 59 164 Depot Brigade
World’s war with Germany
We gave all the child we had
and it broke our hearts
What did you give?
Son of J.F. & M.K. Barnett
He was a great lover of nature
And of all animals
He loved hunting dogs the best
The east side of the statue has the names of twenty-three fellow Scotland County soldiers who died in the war. Their names also adorn the World War I monument located in the Memphis, Missouri town square. The inscription continues around the base of the statue, with one side dedicated to John J. Pershing:
Good Bye General J.J. Pershing
You immortalized your name when
You refused the World War
Decorations by Congress
And gave the credit to your men
Mary Barnett died only a few years after the death of her son - from a broken heart, the locals say. One side of the statue has been transcribed with her words:
See that the flag waves
above and that flowers grow
around this memorial
forever. I have gone to meet Purnell
my angel son
who is at rest
with God. Friends death alone can
sooth my broken heart.
Mothers
I am leaving my home and this park
for a playground for your
children.
James Barnett lost the farm shortly after the
death of his wife, and
relocated to Arkansas. The farm passed through the hands of several
owners, and Mary Barnett's wishes that the land surrounding the home and
monument be used as a playground for children went unfulfilled.
In July of 1995, during a Save the Outdoor Sculpture survey of Missouri, it was officially declared that the sculpture was in need of restoration treatment. To this day, no restoration work has been done. The statue has withstood the elements for nearly a century, and has recently been victim to vandalism. There were once pictures embedded in the stone, and they have been removed. Barnett's head was lopped off, and the local sheriff now has it in his possession. There are currently no plans to reattach it.
For years the Scotland County Historical Society curator, Wilma Kapfer, has been appealing to the community and to the owners of the land that Barnett stands on, to move the statue to the Historical Society's property. She hopes that the statue will be safer on the property and will be more accessible visitors. Unfortunately the landowners have not been cooperative, and the Barnett Monument continues to deteriorate.
For more information about current restoration and relocation plans, please contact the Scotland County Historical Society/Downing House Museum Complex: 660-465-2259
Sources:
Blaine, Pamela. "The Soldier in the Field." Edina Online. 30 July 2003. Web.
http://web.archive.org/web/20041015025131/http://edinaonline.com/soldier.htm
Gallery Images. "Soldier In The Field" http://www.geocaching.com/seek/gallery.aspx?guid=ee4e90d2-bfed-49ba-9ece-fc47d1292ec5
