Through 204 days of continuous combat, Barton led the 4th Infantry Division as it fought through German defenses on its way into Cherbourg. His division led the VII Corps’ breakthrough on Operation COBRA and then held the north shoulder during the German counterattack at Mortain. Now assigned to the V Corps, the 4th Infantry Division liberated Paris alongside the French 2nd Armored Division. On September 12 he became the first American general to cross the border into Nazi Germany. In November he moved his command to the Hürtgen Forest and for two weeks fought through some of the most inhospitable terrain in Europe. In December Barton's exhausted soldiers moved to Luxembourg to a more restful portion of the front lines, only to face the southern flank of the German Ardennes Offensive. By the time the Ivy Division stopped the enemy outside of Luxembourg, Barton was exhausted and physically unable to continue in command. He returned home to live the rest of his life as a distinguished citizen of Augusta, Georgia.