BARNES, DEMSEY (1844 ~ 1915). Confederate veteran Demsey Barnes was born in North Carolina in 1844.
During the Civil War, Barnes was a private in the 7th Confederate Cavalry, Company I, which later became the 16th North Carolina Battalion. He was part of Roberts' Brigade, Custis Lee's Division, Army of Virginia. It is uncertain when he joined and how long he served.
The 7th Confederate Cavalry participated in one known battle at Pound Gap, Kentucky. The 16th Cavalry Battalion was formed in July, 1864 by consolidating five North Carolina companies of the 7th Confederate Cavalry Regiment, the three North Carolina companies of the 62nd Georgia Cavalry Regiment, and Company C of the 12th North Carolina Cavalry Battalion. The unit skirmished with Union forces in Eastern North Carolina and south of the James River, then was active in the Appomattox operations.
Barnes moved to Texas in 1872. He probably married a Mary A. Harper on December 31, 1873, at Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church South in Palestine, Texas. They appear on the 1880 Census living in McLennan County, Texas. They had a least one daughter, whose first name is not known. However, she married a W.A. Galloway and was living in Erich, Oklahoma when Barnes entered the Texas Confederate Home March 13, 1914.
By the time Barnes entered the home, his wife was deceased. Before he entered the Home, he was a farmer and stockman living in San Antonio, Texas. Barnes died February 5, 1915 and was buried at the Texas State Cemetery the same day.
Information taken from Barnes' Confederate Home Roster records, death certificate, familysearch.org, the National Park Service website at itd.nps.gov, researchonline.net, an account of The 7th Battalion Confederate Cavalry by Jeffrey C. Weaver and Jim Pritchard. |
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