John M. Barton was a farmer in Montgomery County, Missouri. He enlisted in the 33rd Missouri Infantry Volunteers on 20 August 1862 and served the Union cause at Helena, Arkansas, until his death from drowning in the Mississippi River. Shortly after enlisting, he seriously injured his thumb, probably from a defective rifle. He corresponded with a cousin whose connection has not been established: Horatio N. Marsden. John Barton's middle name might have been Marsden. Another cousin, James Murry of High Hill, Missouri, was related in the Patience Mary Rundell line.

Twenty-nine letters sent to John M. Barton Jr. during the Civil War have been published in a book titled "Bushwhackers and Broken Hearts" [Infinity, 2010]. This book is rich in family history information.

• Married: 1856 in Montgomery, Missouri

1. James J Barton b: Sep 1857 in Montgomery, Missouri
2. Thomas Jefferson Barton b: 2 Oct 1860 in Bear Creek, Montgomery, Missouri
3. Ann Elizabeth Barton b: 27 Oct 1862 in Danville, Montgomery, Missouri