CIVIL WAR LETTERS OF
HENRY W. BARROW TO
JOHN W. FRIES
|
The Peoples Press published in Salem (Winston-Salem) on Friday, April 26, 1861, carried the following editorial
comment:
With our friend of the Hillsborough Recorder we have not changed our opinion as to the impolicy of secession as a
measure of redress or a security to our peculiar institution, nor of the value of the Union as the source of the
unexampled prosperity of the whole country. But all our fondest hopes for an amicable adjustment of our sectional
difficulties have been blasted.
Three weeks later, in the Friday, May 17 issue, the editor states that “Two Volunteer companies formed in this county
are now quartered among citizens of Winston and Salem. They are drilled regularly and will soon be thoroughly
equipped for the camp when they will offer their services to the Governor.” On June 21 The Peoples Press records
that “On Monday morning last the First and Second companies of Forsyth Volunteers-- the ‘Riflemen’ and the
‘Grays,’ took their departure from this place for Danville, Virginia.”
One of the volunteers from Salem was Henry W. Barrow whose letters, written from various camps in 1861, 1864 and
1865 and preserved among the papers of John W. Fries, give intimate glimpses of personal experiences during the
war. Henry Barrow, son of Moses and Sarah Barrow, was born January 28, 1828, on a farm near Salem. He
attended Trinity College for one year, and then came to Salem where for thirty-seven years he was employed by the
firm of F. and H. Fries. He became a member of the Moravian Church in 1856, and until the beginning of the War,
lived with the family of Francis Fries, senior partner of the firm. In 1861 he enlisted in the Twenty-first Regiment of NC
Volunteers, serving as corporal, and was later promoted to regimental quartermaster sergeant. He was one of five
brothers, all of whom served in the army and several of whom were severely wounded.
John W. Fries, son of Francis Fries, to whom the letters were written, was, during the Civil War, detailed for service in
the mills of F. and H. Fries, which were making cloth for Confederate Uniforms. He was only fifteen years of age when
the war began, but two years later upon the death of his father in 1863, he shared the full responsibility of the mills
with his uncle, Henry Fries, and eventually became head of the firm. Supplies were frequently sent by wagons from
the mills to the men in camp.
After the surrender Barrow returned to Salem and resumed his work at the F. and H. Fries mills. In June 1874, he
married Mrs. Nannie Webster Cardwell, sister of Colonel I.R. Webster of Reidsville. They had one daughter. He
continued to live in Salem until his death on April 5, 1905. These letters were written in the language and spelling of
the time.
Camp Hill Danville Va July 4 1861
Mr. John W. Fries
Dear friend
Yours of 30th came to hand in due time which was gratifying to me to hear from you all again. I am somewhat low
spirited, we have this morning received a Telegrapick Dispatch that we have to leave here for Richmond as soon as
we can get ready. I cant say how soon that will be, but I prosume it will be in a few days; I promise you will hear from
the Election of officers over this regiment The election took place on yesterday and resulted in electing a man from
Raleigh N.C. by the name of W.W. Kirkland he is a young man I am told a competant man for Colonel, and James M.
Leach for Leiutenant Colonel and a man from Hillsboro N.C. for Major.
I have nothing to write you that will be interesting Our company are all tolerable well with the exception of a man in
our company by the name of Jack Smith and Albert Alspaugh they have both been in the Hospitle for several days I
am told they are on the mend. I am looking for your father’s Wagon tonight or tomorrow. Mr. Lewis Belo Wm. Hauser
and Charles Belo are here and tell me that the Wagon started one day sooner then they had expected. I would like
very much to come to see you all once more before I have to leave here. I have been building upon some slender
hopes that we would stay here a few weeks and I would be able to leave here long enough to come to see you all
again but all hopes are blasted at present.
I cant learn where we are to go from Richmond I fear we wont find as pleasant a place as we have had here. I have
fell very much in love with this place and especially with some of the good folks here in Town they are very clever to
us. I want you to show this to your Father I have been preparing and fixing up tricks for the office of Commissary and
have got up m y recommendation and this morning Telegraphed to Col. Kirkland at Raleigh some of my friends say I
will stand a tolerable good chance but I dont think there is any chance for the reason Leach has gone to Raleigh and
he will do all he can against me and he had Ham. Sheppard here already to fill the place before the election I will
write to you again soon how I came out but I feel like I can tell you now I wont get any appointment with certainty. This
will look very bad to give the appointment to a man living in another State but such things go by favors you know. I
would like to hear from you soon I will write you when I arrive at Richmond....I must close for it is late and my light is
very bad I am lying in my tent writy by a bad light you can gane some Idea how it goes Remember me to al the Family
and all enquiring friends. You will say to your Sisters that some of the Ladies of Danville say we have decidedly the
best looking Flag in camp. I think so myself. I was showing the Flag to some Ladies yesterday they said I ought to
be proud that we have at home Ladies in our Town that can do such nice work as is on those Flags I told them that
was most certainly so
Respectfully
H.W. Barrow
You will Please say to your Father that I received his letter with such a very good recommendation for which I feel
myself under many obligations to him and hope I can always conduct myself in such a manner as to keep that noble
high minded confidence I would like to say more on this subject if I could. You will please excuse bad writing and
spelling for I know I have made many mistakes.
Yours truly
H.W. Barrow