Robert Barnes (b. circa 1840 -
d. 1905)
MSA SC 3520-8210
USCT Soldier, Dorchester County, Maryland
Biography:
Robert Barnes was born around 1840 (23 years old at the time of his enlistment)1 in Meekins Neck in the Hooper's Island district of Dorchester County, Maryland.2 As a slave, he was owned by John Dunnock, a property owner within the county.3 The slave statistics mention the "agent" for John R. Dunnock being Levin T. Dunnock.4 Barnes was listed as one of John Dunnock's twelve slaves.5 Among the twelve slaves listed, Barnes was the only slave to enlist in a U.S. Colored Troops regiment. Since Barnes enlisted in the 19th regiment, Dunnock was due to receive $100 in compensation for the loss of his slave.6
Before Barnes enlisted in the U.S. Colored Troops he married Frances L. Dorsey in the summer of 1861.7 They were married by a white minister, Reverend Mr. Turner of the Methodist church, which according to Frances they referred to as "William Meekins Church," in Meekins Neck.8 According to a pension document, both were formally married on June 3, 1860 and given consent from their slave owners to marry.9 Frances Barnes stated in an affidavit that "as a slave he (Robert) was owned by Mr. John Dunnock" and her master was "Daniel Meekins."10 Dunnock and Meekins resided in close proximinity to each other.
On December 15, 1863, Barnes enlisted as a private in Company K of the 19th Regiment.11 Barnes was enlisted by Lt. Califf and saw action at the "mine in front of Petersburg, Virginia."12 Barnes states in an affidavit that he enlisted at Dorchester and was sworn into the service at Benedict, Maryland, in December 1863.13 The 19th regiment were engaged in various battles including, Spottsylvania, Wilderness, Hatcher's Run, Bermuda Hundred, and Richmond.14 On January 15, 1867, Barnes was discharged from the army at Brownsville, Texas by Captain Lockwood.15 Barnes states in an affidavit that he was mustered out of the service at Fort Federal Hill, Baltimore, Md. in January or February of 1867.16 Once he was discharged from the war, Frances Barnes states that "he returned to Baltimore where he came by boat to their home on Hooper's Island, Dorchester County."17
After returning from the war, he remained with Frances for about two months until he began "backing off" and not coming home for a couple of days or a week at times, which lasted for several months.18 During this time, Frances states she "became pregnant and bore him our son George who was born three or four months after he abandoned me."19 Robert and Frances had three children together: John Garrison, Mary Francis, and George H.20 Soon after the war, however, Robert left Frances and married several other times. He first married another woman, Harriet Pritchett in December of 1868 in Lake's District of Dorchester County.21 After her death, he married another woman, Eliza Rich and they resided together in Baltimore at several residences including on Winter Street, Peach Alley, and Howard Street, according to Barnes's daughter.22 Robert Barnes resided at numerous other residences in Baltimore after the war, including 1007 S. Howard Street (1899)23, 227 St. Paul Street (1890)24, 123 Selman Street (1891)25, 913 Peach Alley City (1896)26, 1101 Plum Alley (1900)27, 140 West Hamburg Street (1901-1902)28, 13 Little Williamson Street (1904).29
In Barnes' post-war life he suffered greatly from "rheumatism, disease of rectum, kidneys, back, heart, and chest; general debility and disease of eyes" enabling him to only perform light duties when he was able to work.30 Barnes dealt with "rheumatism and indigestion since the war due to exposure."31 In 1894, he stated in an affidavit that he was living at 112 Rope Walk Alley, Baltimore, Maryland earning a $6.00 a month pension under the "new law for rheumatism and piles" from the summer of 1891.32 In 1902, he was still earning $6.00 a month from his pension,33 and that increased to $8.00 two years later.34 On May 14, 1903, he married Amanda Hopkins,35 who was often referred to as "Mary A. Barnes" on the pension applications. He went to live with her at his brother's (James S. Barnes) house in Centreville, Queen Anne's County, Maryland.36 It was in Queen Anne's County that Robert Barnes passed away from consumption on January 27, 1905.37 Mary A. Barnes was listed as being his spouse on his death record.38 Frances Barnes was rejected for a widow's pension in September 1905 "on the ground that - is not the legal widow of soldier."39
For a visual representation of Robert Barnes' journey from slavery to freedom, please click here. Users must have access to Google Earth in order to utilize this file, which includes landmarks (pins) in Barnes' life from 1844 to 1905. You may take the tour and investigate individual sites under the "Places" tab on the left of the screen, or you may navigate using the slider and cursor on the map itself.
Written and Researched by Tanner Sparks, 2012.
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