Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/222

BARNES, Thurlow Weed, journalist and publisher, was born in Albany, N.Y., June 28, 1853, son of William and Emily (Weed) Barnes. He learned the printing trade in Albany, and was graduated from Harvard college in 1876. He was active as a journalist, being connected with the Albany Evening Journal, and as chairman of the Republican county committee until 1883, when he retired from active political life in Albany, and prepared and published a life of his grandfather, Thurlow Weed. He spent two winters in India, and travelled extensively in the East. In 1857 he became a partner in the publishing firm of Houghton, Mifflin & Co. of Boston, residing in the city of New York, and engaging in literary work.

BARNEY, Hiram, lawyer, was born in Jefferson county, N.Y., May 30, 1811. He was graduated from Union college in 1834, and then studied law, and was admitted to the bar. In 1840 he settled in New York city, and in 1849 became associated in legal practice with Benjamin V. Butler and his son, William Allen Butler. Benj. F. Butler having soon afterward retired from active practice, James Humphrey of Brooklyn became associated with the business, and the firm was continued under the name of Barney, Humphrey, & Butler, and afterward—on Mr. Humphrey's election to Congress—under the title of Barney, Butler & Parsons, which was succeeded, on Mr. Barney's retirement, by the firm of Butler, Stillman & Hubbard. Mr. Barney was appointed collector of the port of New York by President Lincoln, and served during the first three years of Lincoln's administration, when he resigned, and declined an appointment to a foreign mission. Mr. Barney was first married to Susannah, daughter of Lewis Tappan, the abolitionist, and after her death to Miss Kilburne of Keokuk, Ia. In 1830 he became identified with the temperance and anti-slavery cause, and was chairman of the executive committee of the young men's anti-slavery society in New York city. In 1840 he was nominated as a representative to Congress by the anti-slavery party, but received only three hundred and fifty votes. In 1848, when the anti-slavery party formed the Free Soil party, Mr. Barney was a presidential elector. In 1853 he was on the electoral ticket for Hale and Julian. When the Republican party was formed, in 1856, Mr. Barney was a delegate to the Philadelphia convention that nominated Fremont and Dayton. At that convention he voted for Sumner instead of Fremont. In 1860 he attended the convention at Chicago that nominated Lincoln and Hamlin, and he succeeded in raising $35,000 in New York, which he sent to the state committee in Illinois to assist in carrying that state. He died at Kingsbridge, N.Y., May 18, 1895.

BARNEY, Joshua, naval officer, was born at Baltimore, Md., July 6, 1759, the son of a farmer. His book learning was meagre, for at the age of ten he left school, and went to sea on a small brig. For three years he served as a seaman's apprentice, and while on the last voyage to Italy the captain died, and young Barney took his place, successfully finishing the trip and taking the vessel back to Baltimore. At the beginning of the revolutionary war, he joined, as master's mate, the sloop Hornet, which in 1775 was one of the squadron commanded by Commodore Hopkins in his expedition against New Providence. While with this fleet he saw much active service, and on its return to Philadelphia he was transferred to the Wasp, participated in his first sea fight in the engagement with the British brig Tender, his gallantry winning him his promotion as lieutenant. As commander of the sloop Sachem, he captured a British privateer, was made prize-master, and was soon after captured. Upon being released, he in 1777 was assigned to the Andrea Doria and cruised in the West Indies. In 1778 he was first officer on the frigate Virginia, which was captured in attempting to pass the mouth of the Chesapeake, and, after an imprisonment of five months, was exchanged and was made second officer of a privateer, which brought a valuable prize into Philadelphia in 1779. Again he was taken prisoner with his crew, exchanged and joined the sloop of war Saratoga, and while heading a boarding party captured the Charming Molly, a British ship with a crew outnumbering his three to one, was placed in command of the prize, recaptured, carried to New York, and subsequently to England, whence he managed to escape after three months' confinement in a British prison, a price being set on his head. He was commander of the Hyder Ali in 1782, and captured the British ship General Monk off Cape May, N.J., receiving in recognition of his services the rank of commodore, and a gold hilted sword from Pennsylvania. He took government despatches to Franklin in France, returning with the large sum of money loaned by France. He engaged in mercantile pursuits in Baltimore in 1793, accompanied Monroe to France, in 1794; commanded a squadron in the French navy, in the West Indies, until 1808, and the gunboat flotilla in the defense of Chesapeake bay in 1814. He distinguished himself in the battle of Bladensburg, where he was taken prisoner, and received a sword from the city of Washington in recognition of his services. He was sent on a mission to England but was forced to return on account of his health; was appointed naval officer of the port of Baltimore in 1817, and resided on his farm at Elkridge, Md. He died at Pittsburg, Pa., Dec. 1, 1818.