Alfred Constantine Barry (July 15, 1815March 5, 1888) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

educator, politician, and Universalist minister. He was Wisconsin's 4th

Superintendent of Public Instruction A state education agency or state department of education is the state-level government organization within each U.S. state or territory responsible for education, including providing information, resources, and technical assistance on educationa ...

and served one term in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

, representing

Kenosha County Kenosha County is located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 169,151 as of the 2020 census, making it the eighth most populous county in Wisconsin. The county shares the same name as the city of Kenosh ...

. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

he served as a

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

and recruiter.

Biography

A. Constantine Barry was born at

Walton, New York Walton is a town in Delaware County, New York, United States. The population was 5,576 at the 2010 census. The town is in the west-central part of the county and contains the village of Walton. The town claims to be the "Scarecrow Capital of th ...

, and moved with his parents to

Victor, New York Victor is an incorporated town in Ontario County, New York. The population was 15,969 at the time of the 2020 census. The town is named after Claudius Victor Boughton, an American hero of the War of 1812. The Town of Victor contains a village, ...

, when he was a child. He was raised there and educated by private tutors. He was ordained a Universalist minister in 1836 and pastored for ten years at various locations around New York before bringing his ministry to

Racine Jean-Baptiste Racine ( , ) (; 22 December 163921 April 1699) was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille as well as an important literary figure in the Western traditio ...

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belmont was ...

, in 1846. In Racine, he started a

temperance Temperance may refer to: Moderation *Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed *Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion Culture *Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...

magazine, the ''Old Oaken Bucket'', and became involved in local education matters, serving as the first supervisor of the public schools in Racine from 1849 through 1853. In June 1855, he was appointed

Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin The Superintendent of Public Instruction, sometimes referred to as the State Superintendent of Schools, is a constitutional officer within the executive branch of the Wisconsin state government, and acts as the executive head of the Department of ...

by Governor

William A. Barstow William Augustus Barstow (September 13, 1813December 13, 1865) was an American businessman, politician, and public administrator. He was the third governor and second Secretary of State of Wisconsin, and served as a Union Army officer during the ...

, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of

Hiram A. Wright Hiram A. Wright (1823 – May 27, 1855) was an American educator and politician from Wisconsin. Born in St. Lawrence County, New York, Wright moved to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin in 1846. Wright started the newspaper the ''Prairie du Chien ...

. Later that year, he went on to win a full term as Superintendent in the Fall general election. He did not run for re-election in 1857. He was an advocate of the educational theories of

Horace Mann Horace Mann (May 4, 1796August 2, 1859) was an American educational reformer, slavery abolitionist and Whig politician known for his commitment to promoting public education. In 1848, after public service as Secretary of the Massachusetts Sta ...

, and supported the creation of district normal schools and teacher's institutes, and the consolidation of school districts. He was a member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

and was a guest at the

inauguration of James Buchanan The inauguration of James Buchanan as the 15th president of the United States was held on Wednesday, March 4, 1857, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This was the 18th inauguration and marked the commencement o ...

in 1857. During his visit to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, he was one of several dozen guests stricken by the "

National Hotel disease The National Hotel epidemic was a mysterious sickness that began to afflict persons who stayed at the National Hotel in Washington, DC, in early January 1857."The Washington Epidemic", '' New York Daily Times'', March 23, 1857, pg. 2. At the time ...

"—which some suspected was an attempted poisoning—and suffered from after-effects of the disease for the rest of his life. At the outbreak of the

, he volunteered for service in the

and was enrolled as chaplain of the

4th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 4th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, primarily in the Western Theater. It was later mounted and became the 4th Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment. History The 4th Wis ...

, serving one year in that role. On his return to Wisconsin, he served on the local recuiting board. In the 1863 general election, he was elected to the

, representing

in the

17th Wisconsin Legislature The Seventeenth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 13, 1864, to April 4, 1864, in regular session. Senators representing odd-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first year of a two-year term. Asse ...

. In April 1864, after the end of the legislative session, he returned to active duty as chaplain for the

19th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 19th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the Un ...

, and served ten months with that regiment before receiving an appointment from President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

to serve as chaplain of the United States Hospitals. He mustered out of federal service in August 1865. After the war, Barry and his family resided at

Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Fond du Lac () is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 44,678 at the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the United States Census Bureau's Fond du Lac United States metrop ...

, for four years, then moved to

Elkhorn, Wisconsin Elkhorn is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located southwest of Milwaukee. As of the 2020 census, it was home to 10,247 people, up from 10,084 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat. Geography Elkhorn is located ...

, where he established a church. He finally moved to

Lodi, Wisconsin Lodi ( ) is a city in Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,189 at the 2020 census. Lodi is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Isaac Palmer founded the village of Lodi in 1846 in what was then t ...

, in 1878, where he resided for the rest of his life. He died at his home in Lodi on March 5, 1888.'Badgers Saints and Sinners,' Fred L. Holmes, E. M. Hale and Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin: 1939, pg. 209-211

Electoral history

Wisconsin Superintendent (1855)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 6, 1855

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barry, A. Constantine People from Walton, New York People from Racine, Wisconsin Clergy of the Universalist Church of America Educators from Wisconsin People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly 1815 births 1888 deaths Superintendents of Public Instruction of Wisconsin 19th-century American legislators Educators from New York (state) 19th-century American educators 19th-century American clergy 19th-century Wisconsin politicians