A Portrait and Biographical Record of Hendricks County (Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1895)--pages 960-961
John W. Barber is one of the old soldiers of the Civil War and a son of Thomas Barber, one of the original pioneers of Indiana, who came from Virginia and settled near Ladoga, Montgomery County, in 1831. Thomas Barber was born in Botetourt County, Va., and married in Montgomery County, Ind., Susan A., daughter of John T. and Margaret Herndon, to which union were born eleven children, ten of whom lived to maturity, viz.: Elizabeth A., Francis M., John W., Nancy J., Margaret J., Martha M., Mary C., James H., Robert H., and Harriet A. The name of the deceased child was Wilbur T., who died at the age of eighteen months. In 1848 Mr. Barber moved to Hendricks County and settled on the farm now owned by M.S. Rapp of Ladoga. He cleared this up, made a good home and became a substantial farmer, owning at one time 450 acres. This property he lost by going security, and consequently became involved. He was an honorable, industrious man, respected by all, lived to be seventy-three years of age, and died at Jamestown, in 1883, a member of the Baptist Church; he voted the Democratic ticket.
John W. Barber, son of above, was born in Montgomery County, Ind., three miles southwest of Ladoga, May 5, 1844; he received a common education and taught school for six or seven years in Illinois and Indiana. He enlisted December 28, 1863, at Jacksonville, Ill., in Company C., One Hundred and Thirteenth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, under Capt. George W. Lyman, and Col. George B. Hodge, and served until honorably discharged under general order—the war being closed—December 10, 1865, at Memphis. He was in the Sturgis raid through southwest Tennessee and northeast Mississippi. This raid began January 2, 1864, and closed with a fight at Guntown, or Price's Cross Roads, in northeast Mississippi, June 10, 1864. Mr. Barber gave out, and most of his regiment died from exceeding heat, being on the double-quick to meet the rebels at Guntown, but he nevertheless took part in the battle, in which 120 of his regiment were killed, wounded and missing. His regiment marched back to Germantown—twenty-right miles from Memphis—a total distance of 110 miles—in two days and nights, and were hotly pursued by the rebels all the way. He was in several other skirmishes on the Tennessee River, and was on a hard march from Memphis, Tenn., to Bolivar, Tenn., to head off Gen. Forrest, after the Fort Pillow massacre, starting May 1, 1864, and reaching Memphis on the return march, May 10, 1864. He was taken sick at Springfield, Ill., with pneumonia, and was very sick three weeks and nearly died. He was sick with chronic diarrhea on the Guntown campaign, and was completely disabled for about one month, but attended to duty.
In June, 1865, he was taken sick from the old trouble, chronic diarrhea, and was at the Overton hospital seven weeks, but joined his regiment and was sick in camp, and on his discharge could not travel, and employed a comrade, for twenty dollars, to assist him home from Camp Butler, near Springfield. He had to be carried, and was so weak as to be totally disabled, weighing but one hundred pounds, and for several years could do nothing. He, however, attended the academy at Ladoga fifteen months in 1867-8-9, and taught district school in winter. Mr. Barber was married, September 1, 1870, at Danville, to Ann, daughter of John Margason, and to this marriage were born four children: Simon E., Simeon E., Serada A. and Oliver A. Mr. Barber was in the milling business in 1871, at Jamestown, and lost all his property, which consisted of fifty-six acres of good land, and started anew at teaching. He had applied for a pension in 1877, and in 1880 received an allowance from the government at $8 per month and back pay from discharge, which amounted to about $1,000, and he now receives $14 per month pension; he also owns eighty acres of the old homestead. In politics he is a populist, in religion a member of the Christian Church, and is also a member of Joseph Fleece post, G.A.R., at North Salem. Mr. Barber has read law, and was admitted to the Hendricks County bar in 1892. He has had a wide legal experience and is well read. He is a man of broad mind, honest purposes in life, and stands high for his integrity of character. At the age of twelve years he made a resolution not to be a drunkard, and has not tasted intoxicating liquors since. He also resolved to become educated, and has also fulfilled this resolution.