James Barnet Fry (February 22, 1827 – July 11, 1894) was an American soldier and prolific author of historical books.

Family and Early career

Fry, who was born in

Carrollton, Illinois Carrollton is a city in and the county seat of Greene County, Illinois, Greene County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,484 as of the 2010 census. Geography Carrollton is located in south-central Greene County at (39.296662, -90.40 ...

, was the first child of General Jacob G. Fry (September 20, 1799 - January 27, 1881) and Emily Turney (March 11, 1811 - April 11, 1881), who were married on May 25, 1826 in Carrollton. James' sister Sarah "Sallie" Fry (1828 - January 17, 1916) married her cousin John Douglas Fry (July 1, 1819 - February 3, 1901), a San Francisco banking and mining magnate, on January 30, 1867 in Greene County, Illinois. James entered the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

on July 1, 1843 and graduated on July 1, 1847. He briefly served as an assistant instructor of artillery at West Point after graduation. In the fall of 1847 he went to Mexico as a 2nd lieutenant in the 1st Artillery to serve under General Scott in the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

as part of the garrison of Mexico City. In 1848 he was posted to

Fort Columbus A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

in New York Harbor and transferred to

Fort Vancouver Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading post that was the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company's Columbia Department, located in the Pacific Northwest. Named for Captain George Vancouver, the fort was located on the northern bank of the ...

in Washington in 1849. He was transferred to

Astoria, Oregon Astoria is a port city and the seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1811, Astoria is the oldest city in the state and was the first permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. The county is the northwest corne ...

in 1850. He was promoted to 1st lieutenant on February 22, 1851. Fry had several postings on the Gulf coast from 1851 to 1853 when he was reassigned to West Point. He served as an assistant instructor of artillery from December 15, 1853 until he became adjutant of the Academy on August 1, 1854 where he served until August 31, 1859. Fry was in garrison at

Fort Monroe Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virgi ...

, Virginia at the Artillery School for Practice from 1859 to 1860. He served on the

Harper's Ferry Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia. It is located in the lower Shenandoah Valley. The population was 285 at the 2020 census. Situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, where the U.S. stat ...

Expedition, to suppress

John Brown's Raid John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

in October 1859. He then served as Recorder of the Board to "Revise the Programme of Instruction at the Military Academy," from January 12 to April 24, 1860. He then served in garrison at

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties i ...

in 1860 and on frontier duty at

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...

, Kansas from 1860 to 1861. He then was in garrison, commanding a battery of light artillery, at

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, Na ...

in early 1861.

Civil War service

In July 1861 he served as chief of staff to Brigadier General

Irvin McDowell Irvin McDowell (October 15, 1818 – May 4, 1885) was a career American army officer. He is best known for his defeat in the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War. In 1862, he was given command o ...

at the

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

. He was promoted as an assistant adjutant general with the rank of captain on August 3, 1861. On November 15, 1861 he was assigned as chief of staff to under Major General

Don Carlos Buell Don Carlos Buell (March 23, 1818November 19, 1898) was a United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican–American War, and the American Civil War. Buell led Union armies in two great Civil War battles— Shiloh and Perr ...

. General Buell successively commanded the Department of the Ohio and the

Army of the Ohio The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863. History 1st Army of the Ohio General Orders No. 97 appointed Maj. Gen. Do ...

. In this assignment, Fry participated in the

Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) was fought on April 6–7, 1862, in the American Civil War. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. The battlefield i ...

and the

Siege of Corinth The siege of Corinth (also known as the first Battle of Corinth) was an American Civil War engagement lasting from April 29 to May 30, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi. A collection of Union forces under the overall command of Major General Henry ...

in April and May 1862. Fry was promoted to the rank of major on April 22, 1862 and to lieutenant colonel on December 31 of the same year. On October 8, 1862 Fry participated in the

Battle of Perryville The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive (Kentucky Campaign) during the A ...

, Kentucky. Fry then served as assistant in charge of the appointment branch of the Adjutant-General's Office, at Washington, D. C. from November 12, 1862 until he was appointed

provost marshal general The provost marshal general (pronounced "provo") is a United States Army staff position that handles investigations of U.S. Army personnel. It is the highest-ranking provost marshal position in the U.S. Army, reporting to the Chief of Staff of ...

of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

. In this capacity he was responsible for tracking deserters, enforcing military laws and overseeing the

Invalid Corps The Veteran Reserve Corps (originally the Invalid Corps) was a military reserve organization created within the Union Army during the American Civil War to allow partially disabled or otherwise infirm soldiers (or former soldiers) to perform lig ...

. He was appointed to the position, with the rank of colonel, on March 17, 1863 and was promoted to brigadier general on April 21, 1864. Fry served as provost marshal general until the office was abolished on August 27, 1866. Effective on March 15, 1865, but probably awarded later, Fry was

brevetted In many of the world's military establishments, a brevet ( or ) was a warrant giving a commissioned officer a higher rank title as a reward for gallantry or meritorious conduct but may not confer the authority, precedence, or pay of real rank. ...

to the rank of

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in the

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregulars, irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenary, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the ...

in recognition of his service at the

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

, the

and for "faithful, meritorious and distinguished service as Provost Marshal General during the war."

Later career

With the abolishment of the position of Provost Marshal General, Fry reverted to his permanent rank of lieutenant colonel and served as the adjutant general of the Division of the Pacific from December 3, 1866 to May 17, 1869 and of the Division of the South from June 19, 1869 to July 14, 1871. He also served as adjutant general of the Division of the Missouri from July 24, 1871 to November 26, 1873 and of the Division of the Atlantic from Nov. 28, 1873 to July 1, 1881. On March 3, 1875 Fry was promoted to the rank of colonel. He served as adjutant general of the Department of the East from January 1, 1878 until his retirement from the Army on July 1, 1881. After retiring, Fry devoted his time to writing military histories. In 1885 he wrote ''Killed by a Brother Soldier'', detailing the murder of Major General

William "Bull" Nelson William "Bull" Nelson (September 27, 1824 – September 29, 1862) was a United States naval officer who became a Union general during the American Civil War. As a Kentuckian, Nelson could have sympathized with the Confederates but, like his st ...

by Brigadier General

Jefferson C. Davis Jefferson Columbus Davis (March 2, 1828 – November 30, 1879) was a regular officer of the United States Army during the American Civil War, known for the similarity of his name to that of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and for his kil ...

(not to be confused with the Confederate President) in September 1862. Davis was arrested shortly after the murder, but charges were never brought against him. In 1883 Fry became a member of the

Aztec Club of 1847 The Aztec Club of 1847 is a military society founded in 1847 by United States Army officers of the Mexican–American War. It exists as a hereditary organization including members who can trace a direct lineal connection to those originally eligib ...

. In 1890 he was elected as a Veteran Companion of the New York Commandery of the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...

. General Fry was the uncle of engineer and naval officer Captain

Alfred Brooks Fry Alfred Brooks Fry (March 3, 1860 – December 4, 1933), was a marine, mechanical and civil engineer. He was head of the New York Naval Militia and served on active duty during the Spanish–American War and World War I. He was chief engineer of th ...

. General Fry died in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

and was buried at the

Church of St. James the Less The Church of St. James the Less is a historic Episcopal church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that was architecturally influential. As St. James-the-Less Episcopal Church, it was designated a National Historic Landmark for its Gothic Revival ...

in Philadelphia.

Published works

*
Final Report of the Operations of the Bureau of the Provost-Marshal-General in 1863-1866
' This was issued as a congressional document (2 parts, Washington, 1866). * ''A Sketch of the Adjutant-General's Department, United States Army, from 1775 to 1875'' (1875) * ''History and Legal Effects of Brevets in the Armies of

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

and the United States, from their Origin in 1692 to the Present Time'' (1877) * ''Army Sacrifices'' (1879) * ''Operations of the Army under Buell'' (1884) * ''McDowell and Tyler in the Campaign of Bull Run'' (1884) * ''

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and Conscription'' (1885) * ''Military Miscellanies'' (1893) * ''The Conkling and Blaine-Fry Controversy'' (1893)

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fry, James Barnet 1827 births 1894 deaths 19th-century American historians People from Carrollton, Illinois People of Illinois in the American Civil War Union Army generals United States Military Academy alumni United States Army Provost Marshal Generals Burials at the Church of St. James the Less Historians from Illinois 19th-century American male writers American male non-fiction writers