Biographies Michigan Biographies Project |
Chester Barber was born in Byron, Genesee county, N. Y., July 12, 1841, and was the son of William E. and Catherine (McCollum) Barber, the father a native of New Hampshire, and the mother of New York, born Dec. 23, 1816. William E. Barber, whose birth occurred Aug. 21, 1812, was a carpenter in his younger days, but later engaged in the occupation of farming. The parents were married Sept. 3, 1840, and came to Michigan in the fall of 1843, settling first in Wayne county, and afterward were located in various places, until 1873, when they came to Leroy, Ingham county, nd the father and son together bought eighty acres of partly improved land, upon which was a frame house. William E. Barber is the father of eight children: four by his first marriage, and four by the second.
Our subject was educated in the common schools, and has later added to his education by extensive reading and observation. Mr. Barber started out for himself, and after the war located in Tyronne, and worked for various people on the farm. He finally bought forty acres of land in Leroy, and at present has a life lease of eighty acres, which has been divided among his children. He is an active member of the Methodist church, and a Republican, though never caring for office.
Jan. 23, 1877, our subject was married to Gertrude L. Summer, the marriage taking place at Fenton, Michigan. They settled in Leroy, where they bought one hundred and sixty acres. Mrs. Barber's father died Feb. 16, 1875, and her mother, Aug. 3, 1891.
Mr. and Mrs. Barber are the parents of four children: two living: Nellie, born Nov. 5, 1878, married Kendell C. Ide, lives on the home place, and Dwight, born Jan. 28, 1880, married Nora Boutwell, and lives in Holt.
Chester Barber enlisted in Co. B, 4th Michigan Calvary, at Detroit, July 17, 1862, went to Louisville, Ky., then to Perryville, Ky., was in the battle with Buell and against Bragg. He was with Buell all of that fall, and marched twenty-two hundred miles in Kentucky, and then went to Nashville and joined Rosencrans, when they went south and fought in that great battle of Stone River, Dec. 26, 1862, which lasted nine days. The regiment stayed there until the next June, when they went to Shelbyville, Tenn., on what was then called the Tallahoma Campaign. Shortly after this they went to Chattanooga, and were on the battlefield of Chickmauga. Our subject's regiment were through the whole campaing to Atlanta with Sherman, and from Atlanta came back to Louisville, Ky., to be remounted and marched from there to Nashville, Tenn., thence to Gravel Springs, and to Selma, Ala., where they had a big calvary fight. The calvary dismounted and fought as infantry, and captured three thousand prisoners. They were under Gen. Wilson at the time, and stayed there about three days, when the regiment guarded the prisoners all the way to Macon, Ga. This was famous regiment that captured Jefferson Davis at Irvinille, Ga. They brought him back to Macon, where a detail of twenty men wre taken from the regiment to escort him to Savannah, when he was taken on board ship and to Fortress Monroe, where he was turned over to the authorities. Gen. Prichard was the brave man who captured Davis. Mr. Barber relates that it was after midnight when they reached Irvinsville, asked a negro about Davis, who said, he knew where he was, and conducted them to the place. Gen. Prichard dismounted twenty-two men and sent them to surround the camp, which was of tents in the woods. They took the rest of the command and cahrged the camp, which soon surrendered on account of surprise, and the men, with the exception of Davis, were mounted on their horses, and he put in an ambulance by himself. At Fortress Monroe he was delivered to Major General Miles. The balance of the regiment then came back to Chattanooga, where they delivered up their horses and took the train to Nashville, when they were discharged and paid off. The regiment then went to Cincinnati, thence to Detroit, where the ladies of the city tendered them a reception in the old Michigan Central depot, and these heroes are held in honor today by a grateful nation, for which they fought.
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Biographies Michigan Biographies Project |
 Sondra Higbee
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