Rufus Barringer
Encyclopedia
Rufus Clay Barringer was a North Carolina
lawyer
, politician
, and American Civil War
brigadier general
.
, the ninth of ten children of Elizabeth Brandon and Paul Barringer. His brother Victor Clay Barringer was also an officer in the Confederate States Army. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
, graduating in 1842. He studied law in Concord
with his older brother, Daniel Moreau Barringer
, who would enjoy a successful law practice and serve two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Entering politics as a Whig
, Rufus Barringer represented Cabarrus County in the House of Commons in the North Carolina General Assembly
from 1848 until 1850. A Unionist in his political views, he represented his district as an elector
during the 1860 presidential election.
in 1858, four years after their marriage. They had two children, Paul
and Anna. Two of Eugenia's sisters also married future Civil War generals, Stonewall Jackson
and D. H. Hill. In 1861, Barringer remarried, this time to Rosalie Chunn of Asheville
, who bore him a son, Rufus Clay Barringer, Jr. Rosalie died in 1864.
from the Union
in May 1861, Barringers first loyalty was to his state, even though he'd been opposed to secession. He raised a company of 100 horsemen, the "Cabarrus Rangers," who were designated as Company F of the 1st North Carolina Cavalry
with Barringer as their captain. The regiment performed picket and scouting duty under J.E.B. Stuart
during the Peninsula Campaign, the Seven Days Battles, Second Manassas and the Maryland Campaign in 1862. Barringer led his company during the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign, where he was severely wounded in the face at the Battle of Brandy Station, an injury that took five months for his recovery. He was promoted to major
for his gallantry and served in the Bristoe Campaign
. During the winter, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel
and assigned temporary command of the 4th North Carolina Cavalry.
Barringer was promoted to brigadier general on June 6, 1864, and assigned command of North Carolina's cavalry brigade until his capture during the Battle of Namozine Church
in Virginia
on April 3, 1865. After a brief interview with President Abraham Lincoln
behind Union lines at City Point, Virginia
, he was sent to Fort Delaware
as a prisoner of war
. Lincoln, a personal friend and former Congressional colleague of Barringer's brother, provided a note to Secretary of War
Edwin M. Stanton
asking for special treatment for Barringer in captivity. Unfortunately, Lincoln's favor backfired. After his assassination
, Barringer fell under suspicion due to his brief meeting with Lincoln less than two weeks prior. He was repeatedly questioned regarding any role he may have played in the conspiracy. He wasn't released from custody until late July, months after most other Confederate prisoners had been freed. During the war, he had fought in seventy-six engagements and had suffered three separate wounds.
. He also owned a tenant farm and helped expand the state's railroad system. He again married in 1870, taking Miss Margaret Long of Orange County, North Carolina
, as his third wife. They had one son, Osmond L. (1878–1961). Barringer was a delegate to the 1875 North Carolina Constitutional Convention. He unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor
in 1880 as a Republican, losing to James L. Robinson
. He retired from his law practice in 1884 and became a writer, authoring a history of the 9th North Carolina Cavalry.
His grave site is in the Elmwood Cemetery in Charlotte.
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, and American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
.
Early life
Barringer was born in Cabarrus County, North CarolinaCabarrus County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 131,063 people, 49,519 households, and 36,545 families residing in the county. The population density was 360 people per square mile . There were 52,848 housing units at an average density of 145 per square mile...
, the ninth of ten children of Elizabeth Brandon and Paul Barringer. His brother Victor Clay Barringer was also an officer in the Confederate States Army. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, graduating in 1842. He studied law in Concord
Concord, North Carolina
Concord is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. According to Census 2010, the city has a current population of 79,066. It is the largest city in Cabarrus County and is the county seat. In terms of population, the city of Concord is the second largest city in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area...
with his older brother, Daniel Moreau Barringer
Daniel Moreau Barringer
Daniel Moreau Barringer was a Whig U.S. Congressman from North Carolina between 1843 and 1849.Born near Concord, North Carolina, in 1806, Barringer attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Graduating in 1826, he went on to study law in Hillsborough and was admitted to the bar,...
, who would enjoy a successful law practice and serve two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Entering politics as a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
, Rufus Barringer represented Cabarrus County in the House of Commons in the North Carolina General Assembly
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
from 1848 until 1850. A Unionist in his political views, he represented his district as an elector
United States Electoral College
The Electoral College consists of the electors appointed by each state who formally elect the President and Vice President of the United States. Since 1964, there have been 538 electors in each presidential election...
during the 1860 presidential election.
First two marriages
Barringer's first wife, Eugenia Morrison Barringer, died of typhoid feverTyphoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
in 1858, four years after their marriage. They had two children, Paul
Paul Brandon Barringer
Paul Brandon Barringer was the sixth president of Virginia Tech, serving from September 1, 1907 through July 1, 1913. He was also chairman of the faculty at the University of Virginia from 1895 through 1903....
and Anna. Two of Eugenia's sisters also married future Civil War generals, Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
and D. H. Hill. In 1861, Barringer remarried, this time to Rosalie Chunn of Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
, who bore him a son, Rufus Clay Barringer, Jr. Rosalie died in 1864.
Civil War
When North Carolina secededSecession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
from the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
in May 1861, Barringers first loyalty was to his state, even though he'd been opposed to secession. He raised a company of 100 horsemen, the "Cabarrus Rangers," who were designated as Company F of the 1st North Carolina Cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
with Barringer as their captain. The regiment performed picket and scouting duty under J.E.B. Stuart
J.E.B. Stuart
James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was a U.S. Army officer from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names. Stuart was a cavalry commander known for his mastery of reconnaissance and the use...
during the Peninsula Campaign, the Seven Days Battles, Second Manassas and the Maryland Campaign in 1862. Barringer led his company during the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign, where he was severely wounded in the face at the Battle of Brandy Station, an injury that took five months for his recovery. He was promoted to major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
for his gallantry and served in the Bristoe Campaign
Bristoe Campaign
The Bristoe Campaign was a series of minor battles fought in Virginia during October and November 1863, in the American Civil War. Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, commanding the Union Army of the Potomac, began to maneuver in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern...
. During the winter, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
and assigned temporary command of the 4th North Carolina Cavalry.
Barringer was promoted to brigadier general on June 6, 1864, and assigned command of North Carolina's cavalry brigade until his capture during the Battle of Namozine Church
Battle of Namozine Church
The Battle of Namozine Church, Virginia was a minor engagement that occurred on April 3, 1865 during the Appomattox Campaign of the American Civil War. The battle was the first engagement between units of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under the command of General Robert E...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
on April 3, 1865. After a brief interview with President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
behind Union lines at City Point, Virginia
City Point, Virginia
City Point was a town in Prince George County, Virginia that was annexed by the independent city of Hopewell in 1923. It served as headquarters of the Union Army during the Siege of Petersburg during the American Civil War.- History :...
, he was sent to Fort Delaware
Fort Delaware
Fort Delaware is a harbor defense facility, designed by Chief Engineer Joseph Gilbert Totten, and located on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River. During the American Civil War, the Union used Fort Delaware as a prison for Confederate prisoners of war, political prisoners, federal convicts, and...
as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. Lincoln, a personal friend and former Congressional colleague of Barringer's brother, provided a note to Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
Edwin M. Stanton
Edwin M. Stanton
Edwin McMasters Stanton was an American lawyer and politician who served as Secretary of War under the Lincoln Administration during the American Civil War from 1862–1865...
asking for special treatment for Barringer in captivity. Unfortunately, Lincoln's favor backfired. After his assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
, Barringer fell under suspicion due to his brief meeting with Lincoln less than two weeks prior. He was repeatedly questioned regarding any role he may have played in the conspiracy. He wasn't released from custody until late July, months after most other Confederate prisoners had been freed. During the war, he had fought in seventy-six engagements and had suffered three separate wounds.
Post-War
Barringer returned to North Carolina in August and established a law practice in CharlotteCharlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. He also owned a tenant farm and helped expand the state's railroad system. He again married in 1870, taking Miss Margaret Long of Orange County, North Carolina
Orange County, North Carolina
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,801. Its county seat is Hillsborough...
, as his third wife. They had one son, Osmond L. (1878–1961). Barringer was a delegate to the 1875 North Carolina Constitutional Convention. He unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
The Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina is the second highest elected official in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is the only elected official to have powers in both the legislative and executive branches of state government...
in 1880 as a Republican, losing to James L. Robinson
James L. Robinson
James Lowry Robinson was a Democratic politician from the U.S. state of North Carolina; he served as lieutenant governor of the state for four years and as acting Governor of North Carolina for one month in 1883....
. He retired from his law practice in 1884 and became a writer, authoring a history of the 9th North Carolina Cavalry.
His grave site is in the Elmwood Cemetery in Charlotte.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals