# William S. Barry

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American politician

William S. Barry Member of the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States for Mississippi In office February 4, 1861 – February 17, 1862 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi's 2nd district In office March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1855 Personal details Born December 10, 1821 Columbus, Mississippi Died January 29, 1868 (aged 46) Alma mater Yale College Military service Allegiance Confederate States of America Rank Colonel Commands 35th Mississippi Infantry Battles/wars American Civil War Vicksburg Campaign Atlanta Campaign Battle of Fort Blakeley

**William S. Barry** (born **William Taylor Sullivan Barry**; December 10, 1821 – January 29, 1868) was a Mississippi politician who served as a member of the [U.S. House of Representatives](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives), was president of the January 1861 [Mississippi Secession Convention](/source/Mississippi_Secession_Convention), and served as a member of the [Provisional Congress of the Confederate States](/source/Provisional_Congress_of_the_Confederate_States). After leaving the Confederate Congress, he enlisted as a soldier in the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War), serving as commanding officer of the 35th Mississippi Infantry Regiment.

## Biography

Born in [Columbus, Mississippi](/source/Columbus%2C_Mississippi), William S. Barry graduated from [Yale College](/source/Yale_University) in 1841 and was initiated into [Skull and Bones Society](/source/Skull_and_Bones) in his last year.[1][2]: 67 He was admitted to the bar in 1844 and then practiced law in [Columbus, Ohio](/source/Columbus%2C_Ohio). He served as member of the [Mississippi House of Representatives](/source/Mississippi_House_of_Representatives) from 1849 to 1851.[3] He was elected as a [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) member of the [United States House of Representatives](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives) in the Thirty-third Congress (March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855), then returned to the state legislature, becoming Speaker of the [Mississippi House of Representatives](/source/Mississippi_House_of_Representatives) from 1856 to 1857.[4] By 1860, he held seven people as slaves.[5]

A staunch secessionist, Barry served as president of the [Mississippi secession convention](/source/Mississippi_Secession_Convention) in January 1861.[3] He was then chosen as one of Mississippi's representatives to the [Provisional Congress of the Confederate States](/source/Provisional_Congress_of_the_Confederate_States). In Congress he advocated extreme measures, such as reopening the [Atlantic slave trade](/source/Atlantic_slave_trade) (banned by the United States in 1808), the prohibition of any Confederate state from outlawing slavery without the unanimous consent of the other states, and giving the President unlimited powers to raise troops.[3] Barry chose not to run for reelection, leaving office in February 1862. He then enlisted in the [Confederate States Army](/source/Confederate_States_Army) and raised the 35th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, serving as its colonel and at times acting as brigade commander.[6] He was captured and paroled at the [Siege of Vicksburg](/source/Siege_of_Vicksburg),[3] then returned to his regiment and took part in the [Atlanta campaign](/source/Atlanta_campaign). Barry was seriously wounded at the [Battle of Allatoona](/source/Battle_of_Allatoona) on October 5, 1864.[3] He was captured again following one of the final major battles of the war, at [Fort Blakeley, Alabama](/source/Battle_of_Fort_Blakeley) on April 9, 1865,[3] and was held prisoner at [New Orleans](/source/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](/source/Friendship_Cemetery).[7]

## Personal life and family

Barry was the son of Columbus residents Richard Barry and Mary (Sullivan) Barry.[8] He was married to Sarah Fearn.[8] Their son, William Shelby Barry (born 1857), represented [Leflore County](/source/Leflore_County%2C_Mississippi) in the [Mississippi House of Representatives](/source/Mississippi_House_of_Representatives) from 1888 to 1890 and from 1912 to 1920.[8]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-YaleObit_1-0)** *Obituary Record of Graduates of Yale College Deceased During the Academical Year Ending in July, 1869*. New Haven, Connecticut: [Yale University](/source/Yale_University). 1869. p. 320.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-psiupsilon_2-0)** Fraternity, Psi Upsilon (1917). [*The twelfth general catalogue of the Psi Upsilon Fraternity*](https://archive.org/details/twelfthgeneralca00psiurich). The fraternity. Retrieved March 24, 2011.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Warner_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Warner_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Warner_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Warner_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Warner_3-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Warner_3-5) Warner, Ezra J.; Yearns, W. Buck (1975). [*Biographical Register of the Confederate Congress*](https://www.google.com/books/edition/Biographical_Register_of_the_Confederate/riBfDwAAQBAJ). Louisiana State University Press. pp. 15–16. Retrieved April 10, 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Rowland, Dunbar (1907). [*Mississippi: Comprising Sketches of Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form*](https://books.google.com/books?id=EJ4yAQAAMAAJ). Southern Historical Publishing Association. p. 84.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Smith_5-0)** Smith, Timothy B. (2014). [*The Mississippi Secession Convention*](https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Mississippi_Secession_Convention/AgYbBwAAQBAJ). University Press of Mississippi.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-MDAH_6-0)** Rowland, Dunbar. (1908). [*The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi, Volume 2*](https://books.google.com/books?id=BCYLAAAAMAAJ). Mississippi Department of Archives and History. pp. 698–704.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Allardice, Bruce S.*More Generals in Gray.* Baton Rouge: [Louisiana State University Press](/source/Louisiana_State_University_Press), 1995. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8071-3148-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8071-3148-2) (pbk.)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_8-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_8-2) Rowland, Dunbar (1917). [*The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi*](https://books.google.com/books?id=pLC0kgvJJG4C). Department of Archives and History. pp. 886–887.

## External links

- United States Congress. ["William S. Barry (id: B000193)"](http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000193). *[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress](/source/Biographical_Directory_of_the_United_States_Congress)*.

- [William S. Barry](https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13093938) at [Find a Grave](/source/Find_a_Grave)

- [William S. Barry](http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/barry.html#963.93.88) at *[The Political Graveyard](/source/The_Political_Graveyard)*

Political offices Preceded by New constituency Deputy from Mississippi to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States 1861–1862 Succeeded by Constituency abolished

Articles related to William S. Barry v t e Signatories of the Provisional Constitution of the Confederate States President of the Congress Howell Cobb South Carolina Robert Barnwell Rhett R. W. Barnwell James Chesnut, Jr. C. G. Memminger Wm. Porcher Miles Laurence M. Keitt William W. Boyce Tho. J. Withers Georgia R. Toombs Francis S. Bartow Martin J. Crawford E. A. Nisbet Benjamin H. Hill Augustus R. Wright Thos. R. R. Cobb A. H. Kenan Alexander H. Stephens Florida Jackson Morton Jas. B. Owens J. Patton Anderson Alabama Richard W. Walker Robt. H. Smith Colin J. McRae Jno. Gill Shorter William Parish Chilton Stephen F. Hale David P. Lewis Tho. Fearn J. L. M. Curry Mississippi W. P. Harris Alexander M. Clayton W. S. Wilson James T. Harrison Walker Brooke William S. Barry J. A. P. Campbell Louisiana John Perkins, Jr. Alex. de Clouet C. M. Conrad Duncan F. Kenner Edward Sparrow Henry Marshall Texas Thomas N. Waul Williamson S. Oldham John Gregg John H. Reagan W. B. Ochiltree John Hemphill Louis T. Wigfall Category Commons v t e Signatories of the Confederate States Constitution President of the Congress Howell Cobb South Carolina Robert Barnwell Rhett C. G. Memminger Wm. Porcher Miles James Chesnut Jr. R. W. Barnwell William W. Boyce Laurence Keitt T. J. Withers Georgia R. Toombs Francis S. Bartow Martin J. Crawford Alexander H. Stephens Benjamin H. Hill Thos. R. R. Cobb E. A. Nisbet Augustus R. Wright A. H. Kenan Florida Jackson Morton J. Patton Anderson Jas. B. Owens Alabama Richard W. Walker Robt. H. Smith Colin J. McRae William P. Chilton Stephen F. Hale David P. Lewis Tho. Fearn Jno. Gill Shorter J. L. M. Curry Mississippi Alexander M. Clayton James T. Harrison William S. Barry W. S. Wilson Walker Brooke W. P. Harris J. A. P. Campbell Louisiana John Perkins Jr. Alex. de Clouet C. M. Conrad Duncan F. Kenner Henry Marshall Edward Sparrow Texas John Hemphill Thomas N. Waul John H. Reagan Williamson S. Oldham Louis T. Wigfall John Gregg William Beck Ochiltree Category Commons v t e Speakers of the Mississippi House of Representatives Barnes Turner Grayson Mead Brandon Mead Nicholson Green Sharkey Dunbar DeGraffenreid Pemble Bingaman Irvin Vannerson King Speight Ventress Roberts Totten Whitfield McRae Patton Cassedy Barry Autry Campbell Lake Scales Houston Gholson Franklin Warren Lynch Street Shadd Street Percy Johns Tison Inge Sharp Mitchell Madison Street Vardaman McCool Russell Thomas Street Quin Conner Bailey Stansel Wright Lumpkin Sillers Junkin Newman Ford McCoy Gunn White Category Commons List

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- [Mississippi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Mississippi)
- [Politics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Politics)

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