Colonel Francis Barber (1750-1783)
Patrick Barber was born in County Longford, Ireland, and was the father of Colonel Francis Barber, who was a gallant soldier of the American Revolution. The colonel himself was born (1751) in Princeton, N. J., and long resided in Elizabethtown, New Jersey.The father, Patrick, had come over in the same ship with Clinton. They are said to have been kinsmen. After a perilous voyage lasting some four months, they finally reached New York, where Clinton remained, Barber continuing on to Princeton, N. J.
Patrick Barber resided in Princeton for years and here were born four of his sons; Francis, John, William and Joseph. Colonel Francis Barber graduated from Princeton College after securing for himself a distinguished reputation for his classical attainments. As we may infer from the character of the first settlers to Elizabethtown, much attention was paid to the subject of education by the people. And to this we may attribute the strong influence which for a long time it maintained in the province. We find in 1767, a Mr. Pemberton and a Mr. Reeves at the head of a school. In 1769, they left the institution and Francis Barber was appointed to fill the vacancy. He continued in the position until the commencement of the war, a period when teachers and many scholars left the quiet pursuits of science and rushed to arms for the defense of the country.
In 1776, Mr. Barber received from Congress a commission as major of the Third Battalion of New Jersey troops, and at the close of the year he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the Third Jersey Regiment. Subsequently, he became assistant inspector-general under Baron Steuben, who expressed a high opinion of his ability and services. Colonel Barber was in constant service during the whole war. With his regiment he served under General Schuyler at the north. He was at the battles of Ticonderoga, Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth, and came near losing his life in the latter.
He was at one time adjutant-general under Sullivan. He served with distinction in the Wyoming Valley and Indian troubles. He was actively engaged in the battle of Springfield. In 1781, he was at the capture of the British Army at Yorktown. Colonel Barber, although not more than thirty years at his death, had twice married, one of his helpmates, being the daughter of Moses Ogden, whose residence was the old town home that still stands on the north side of Elizabeth Avenue below Reed Street.
So close was his friendship with Lafayette that they exchanged swords. The sword Lafayette gave Barber is now in the Washington headquarters at Newburgh, N. Y., while the one Barber gave in exchange is preserved in Paris. Speaking of men noted in the military world, a few years ago, General Stryker, president of the Society of the Cincinnati, at the meeting of that organization, which was attended by William P. Barber, said that he considered Colonel Barber an ideal soldier. W. P. Barber is a great great-grandson of Colonel Barber. Colonel Barber was the tutor of Alexander Hamilton.
After having escaped the dangers of the many military campaigns, Colonel Barber was finally killed, 1783, by a most peculiar accident. Just after peace had been declared, General Washington summoned all his officers to meet him at his headquarters in Newburgh. Colonel Barber was on his way there, and but a few miles distant, when he came upon a gang of men chopping down trees in a piece of woods. One of the men called to him in a warning tone to stop his horse, just as a tree had started to topple over in his path. The chopper thought the tree was going to fall another way, but it struck and killed the unsuspecting officer, who realized his danger too late to save himself. Had he been allowed to go on without stopping, a life of such inestimable value to his country would without doubt have been saved. He was a fine scholar, a skillful and brave officer and rendered great and important services to his country.