John Decatur Barry ( born John Decatur Barry ; June 21, 1839 - March 24, 1867 ) is an American military, a participant in the Civil War , commander of the 18th North Carolina Regiment , and subsequently the North Virginia Army brigade. Known as the man who mistakenly gave the order to shoot General Jackson during the Battle of Chancellorsville.
| John Decatur Barry | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | June 21, 1839 |
| Place of Birth | Wilmington , North Carolina |
| Date of death | March 24, 1867 (27 years old) |
| Place of death | Wilmington , North Carolina |
| Affiliation |  KSA |
| Type of army | |
| Years of service | 1861–1865 (KSA) |
| Rank | Brigadier General (KSA) |
| Battles / wars | U.S. Civil War
|
The early years
Barry was born in Wilmington, North Carolina , and studied at the University of North Carlin at Chapel Hill .
Civil War
When the Civil War broke out, Barry signed up for Company I of the 18th North Carolina Infantry Regiment . On April 24, 1862, he was elected captain of this company. The regiment was part of the Lawrence Branch brigade, and Barry took part in all the battles of the Light Division of General Hill . During the campaign on the Peninsula, Barry was wounded in the battle of Glendale .
After the battle of Entity, Barry was promoted to major. In May 1863, at the Battle of Chancellorsville , the regiment commander, Colonel Thomas Pardi, was killed, and then Lieutenant Colonel Forney George, who replaced him, was wounded. Barry took command. On May 2, General Thomas Jackson carried out a reconnaissance and returned back through the positions of the 18th North Carolina Regiment . The soldiers took the riders for the cavalry attack of the enemy and Barry ordered to open fire.
General Lane subsequently recalled:
... the major, later Colonel John Barry, commander of the 18th North Carolian Infantry, whose right flank stood on the road, informed me that he knew nothing about Jackson and Hill leaving the front line, that he could not distinguish friends from enemies in the dark, and also due to the dense undergrowth. Soon after the skirmish began, he heard the clatter of horses and the screams of cavalrymen and, knowing that he was standing on the front line and ahead of only enemies, he not only ordered to open fire, but also ordered him to continue, believing that these were enemies, and screams “ his "is just a trick [1] .
In the book of James Bryant, the scene is described as follows: “After the first volley, Lieutenant Joseph Morrison, a relative of Jackson and one of his staff officers who were with him, galloped to the Confederates, shouting: 'Stop shooting! You shoot at your own! ' The voice of Major John Barry, the commander of the 18th North Carolina in this sector, sounded in response: 'Whose order is this? It's a lie, shoot guys! '” [2]
In the same battle, the banner of the 18th North Carolina was lost. General Henry Hat, in his report, cites Barry's report on how exactly this happened [3] .
A month later, Barry's regiment participated in the Gettysburg campaign and participated in the Pickett attack near Gettysburg. Brigadier General Lane wrote in a report that Barry was the pride of his regiment, which, in turn, showed itself very well [4] .
Post-war activities
After surrendering the army of the South, Barry lived for another two years. Returning home in poor health, he became editor of a newspaper in Wilmington. He died on March 24, 1867. Friends said that he died because his heart could not stand the guilt for killing Jackson. There is an opinion that he committed suicide [5] .
He was buried at Oakdale Cemetery Cemetery in Wilmington.
Notes
- ↑ James H. Lane - Story of Stonewall Jackson Shooting
- ↑ James K. Bryant, The Chancellorsville Campaign: The Nation's High Water Mark, The History Press, 2009 p. 110
- ↑ Chancellorsville Heth Report (with Major Barry Report attached)
- ↑ Gettysburg Lane Report
- ↑ Graeme Donald, Sticklers, Sideburns and Bikinis: The Military Origins of Everyday Words and Phrases, Osprey Publishing, 2008 p. 244