Patrick Barber was born in County Longford, Ireland, and was the father
of Col. 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, N. J.
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. Col. 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 Elizabethtown’s first settlers, 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 defence 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.
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