Henry W. Barry
| Henry W. Barry | |
|---|---|
Congressman Henry W. Barry
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi's 3rd district |
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In office February 23, 1870 – March 4, 1875 |
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| Preceded by | William Barksdale |
| Succeeded by | Hernando Money |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 1840 Schoharie County, New York |
| Died | June 7, 1875 (aged 35) Washington, D.C. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Kate Thyson Barry |
| Profession | Soldier, lawyer, politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch |
United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1866 |
| Rank |
 Brevet Brigadier General Colonel
|
| Unit | 10th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry |
| Commands | 8th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Henry W. Barry (April 1840 – June 7, 1875) was a Union army officer during the American Civil War, reaching the rank of Brevet Brigadier General and leading a regiment of United States Colored Troops. After the war, he became an attorney and politician.
Born in New York, Barry moved to Kentucky as a young man to teach school. He enlisted there in the Union Army during the war, being commissioned as an officer. In 1862 Barry recruited African Americans to Kentucky's militia and, after the United States Colored Troops were established, served as an officer of an African-American unit stationed in Kentucky and Texas.
After the war Barry got a law degree in Washington, DC. He moved to Columbus, Mississippi, where he set up a practice and became involved in politics. He served as a delegate to the 1867 state constitutional convention, and was elected to the State senate in 1868. In 1870 he was elected as U.S. Representative from Mississippi's 3rd congressional district, serving until 1875. He died shortly after, at age 35.
Born in Schoharie County, New York in 1840, Henry Barry was a largely self-educated man. At the age of eighteen, he moved to Kentucky, where he taught at Locust Grove Academy near Louisville. When the Civil War started, Barry enlisted in the Union Army as a private. He was commissioned as First Lieutenant of Company H in the 10th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry on November 21, 1861.
He served about a year, resigning on November 17, 1862, to assist in the recruitment of colored troops in Kentucky. He was commissioned Colonel of the 1st Regiment Kentucky Heavy Artillery, African Descent on April 28, 1864, when it was organized at Paducah. The regiment was renamed as 8th United States Colored Heavy Artillery around that time, as the United States Colored Troops had been established. Stationed to defend Kentucky, Barry and his men took part in the skirmishes of Haddix's Ferry and Smithland.
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