William Farquhar Barry
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William Farquhar Barry (August 18, 1818 – July 18, 1879) was a career officer in the United States Army, serving as an artillery commander during the Mexican-American War and Civil War.
Born in New York City, Barry graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1838, 17th in his class of 45 cadets. He was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant in the 4th U.S. Artillery, transferring to the 2nd U.S. Artillery a few weeks later. He was stationed near the Canadian border, then later took part in the Mexican-American, Seminole, and the Kansas-Missouri Border Wars.
He was the co-author of Instruction for Field Artillery (1860), along with William H. French and Henry J. Hunt.
Promoted to major of artillery shortly after the start of hostilities between the Union and the Confederacy, Barry served as Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell's chief of artillery during the First Battle of Bull Run, where his position was overrun after mistaking advancing Confederates for retreating Union forces. Barry was promoted to brigadier general on August 20, 1861. He conceived of the concept that became the U.S. Horse Artillery Brigade in the Army of the Potomac.
As chief of artillery under Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, Barry organized ordnance for the Army of the Potomac and, during the Peninsula Campaign, later took part in the battles of Yorktown, Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill, White Oak Swamp, and Malvern Hill.
After later supervising forts and ordnance surrounding Washington, D.C., Barry became chief of artillery under Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman, serving with him in Tennessee, the March to the Sea, and the Carolinas Campaign. As part of the omnibus promotions granted near the end of the war, on March 13, 1865, Barry was promoted to brevet major general in the Regular Army for his service in the Atlanta Campaign.
On December 11, 1865, Barry was appointed colonel in the 2nd U.S. Artillery, and was in command of the northern frontier during the Fenian raids of 1866. He served there until September 1867, and then commanded the artillery school of practice at Fort Monroe until March 1877, when he was appointed to the command at Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Maryland. During the labor riots of 1877 he rendered valuable service at Camden Station.
Barry died at Fort McHenry and is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York.
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography.
- Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1.
- Linedecker, Clifford L., ed., Civil War, A-Z: The Complete Handbook of America's Bloodiest Conflict, New York: Ballantine Books, 2002, ISBN 0-89141-878-4
