William S. Barry (born William Taylor Sullivan Barry; December 10, 1821 – January 29, 1868) was an American politician who served as a Deputy from Mississippi to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1862. He was also a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from 1853 to 1855, representing the state of Mississippi.

Biography

Born in

Columbus, Mississippi Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County, on the eastern border of Mississippi, United States, located primarily east, but also north and northeast of the Tombigbee River, which is also part of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterwa ...

, William S. Barry graduated from Yale College in 1841 and was initiated into Skull and Bones Society in his last year. He was admitted to the bar in 1844 and then practiced law in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

. One of his many interests was horticulture. He served as member of the

Mississippi House of Representatives The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi. According to the state constitution of 1890, it is to comprise no more than 122 members elected fo ...

from 1849 to 1851. He was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the Thirty-third Congress (March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855). He was the Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1856 to 1857. He served as president of the State secession convention in 1861. He served as member of the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States. During the American Civil War he enlisted in the Confederate States Army and raised the 35th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, at times acting as brigade commander. He was captured and paroled at the

Vicksburg Vicksburg most commonly refers to: * Vicksburg, Mississippi, a city in western Mississippi, United States * The Vicksburg Campaign, an American Civil War campaign * The Siege of Vicksburg, an American Civil War battle Vicksburg is also the name of ...

. He broke parole and commanded his regiment, and at times Sears's Brigade, during the Atlanta Campaign. He was seriously wounded at the

Battle of Allatoona The Battle of Allatoona, also known as the Battle of Allatoona Pass, was fought October 5, 1864, in Bartow County, Georgia, and was the first major engagement of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign of the American Civil War. A Confederate States A ...

on October 5, 1864. He was captured in the attack on

Fort Blakely 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'' ...

and held prisoner at New Orleans until May 1, 1865. After his release, Barry resumed the practice of law in Columbus, where he died on January 29, 1868. He is interred in the Odd Fellows Cemetery.Allardice, Bruce S.'' More Generals in Gray.'' Baton Rouge:

Louisiana State University Press The Louisiana State University Press (LSU Press) is a university press at Louisiana State University. Founded in 1935, it publishes works of scholarship as well as general interest books. LSU Press is a member of the Association of American Univer ...

, 1995. (pbk.)

References

External links

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William S. Barry
at '' The Political Graveyard'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Barry, William S. 1821 births 1868 deaths 19th-century American politicians American Civil War prisoners of war Confederate States Army officers Burials in Mississippi Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Mississippi Democratic Party members of the Mississippi House of Representatives People of Mississippi in the American Civil War Politicians from Columbus, Mississippi Signers of the Confederate States Constitution Signers of the Provisional Constitution of the Confederate States Speakers of the Mississippi House of Representatives Yale University alumni Members of the United States House of Representatives who owned slaves