From "History of Wheeling City and Ohio County, West Virginia and  
Representative Citizens," by Hon. Gibson Lamb Cranmer, 1902. 
 
Typed by E. J. Heinemann 
 
p. 706 
 
JOHN A. BARR, a worthy citizen and resident farmer of Triadelphia, Ohio  
county, West Virginia, was born in Marshall county, Virginia, March 31,  
1843, and is a direct descendant of General Barr of the Revolutionary  
fame, who distinguished himself by his bravery and was promoted under  
the illustrious Washington.  Alexander Barr, the father of John A., was  
born in Pennsylvania in 1806, and was a blacksmith by trade.  His death  
took place October 19, 1865. 
     John A. Barr attended the public schools, and upon leaving school 
still remained at home with his parents, and began to learn the 
butcher's trade.  August 14, 1862, he enlisted in the Union army as a 
member of Company F, 50th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., and served until the 
successful termination of that bitter conflict.  He was in camp at Fort 
Denison, Cincinnati, and his regiment was first ordered to Louisville, 
Kentucky, to oppose General Bragg's forces.  They met in a hard fight, 
at Perryville, and Mr. Barr was wounded by the bursting of a shell, 
which caused him, ever afterward, to use his left eye for sighting his 
gun. They then followed General Morgan's forces through Kentucky to the  
Ohio River, where they were ordered to guard the railroad tracks, and  
continued thus for about two months.  Then they were ordered to  
Nashville, Tennessee, where they did foraging for the whole army. 
In the dead of winter, they were ordered across the Cumberland  
Mountains, and on New Year's Eve ate their supper, which consisted of  
hardtack, on the top of the mountains.  All the troops had some portion  
of their bodies frozen during this trip, so intense was the cold,-Mr.  
Barr had his feet frozen.  It was early spring before they reached  
Knoxville, and they were again put to guarding railroads, and remained  
on this duty until ordered to join the 23rd Army Corps.  Then they  
followed General Hood's forces for 40 miles, and fought every day.  At  
Franklin, they had a hard battle, and the Union forces killed and  
wounded 4,500 of Hood's men in thirty minutes; the Union loss was also  
heavy, and every officer in our subject's company down to the 7th  
corporal was wounded.  In this battle Hood got the best of the Union  
army and drove them back of the old breastworks at Nashville.  The  
Union army, however, soon received reinforcements, regained what they  
had lost, and followed Hood in his retreat 18 miles to Franklin. 
Mr. Barr was also in the Atlanta campaign.  His regiment was ordered to  
Paducah, Tennessee, and from there back to Fort Denison, Cincinnati,  
where it was mustered out, in May, 1865. 
     In 1866, Mr. Barr was joined in marriage with Mary Baird, a 
daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Ewing) Baird, both of whom were natives 
of Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Barr have no children.  Soon after his 
marriage, Mr. Barr purchased 20 acres of land in the vicinity of 
Triadelphia, and this has been his home ever since.  He is a Republican 
in his political belief.