Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - Orin Barker

8^th MAINE VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: Summer, 1861 Augusta, ME
Mustered In: 9/7/1861 Augusta, ME
Mustered Out:  1/18/1866

REGIMENTAL HISTORY:

The 8^th was a three infantry regiment made up of companies from different parts of the State of Maine.  During the American Civil War (ACW) it served in both western and eastern theaters of operations.

Leaving the state shortly after Federal muster the unit travelled to Fortress Monroe, VA. From there, it sailed to South Carolina arriving at Hilton Head on 11/8/1861.

For several months in South Carolina the men of the 8^th constructed breastworks and fortifications before, on 5/1/1862, they moved to Tybee Island in the Savannah River. During this period they took a prominent part in the capture of Ft. Pulaski in GA.

From the time of Ft. Pulaski’s capture, until the spring of 1864 the unit was employed, for the most part doing guard duties at Hilton Head, SC and Jacksonville, FL. This period saw the regiment suffer greatly from sicknesses ‘due to the southern climate.

In 4/1864 the 8^th was transferred northward to Bermuda Hundred, VA.   Once there, it took part in all the actions involving the Union’s Army Of The James.

Until the surrender of forces under the command of Confed. Gen. R.E. Lee (4/9/1865) the 8^th was engaged in numerous skirmishes as well as arduous picket and guard duties. Beyond these assignments, however, it too part in the following important Virginia engagements:  Drewry’s Bluff (5/16/1864), Cold Harbor (5/31 – 6/12/1864), Chaffin’s Farm (9/29 - 301864), Fair Oaks (10/27 – 28/1864), Spring Hill (11/29/186), around Petersburg and leading up to Ft. Gregg (4/2/1865). In many of these clashes with the enemy the 8^th lost heavily.

After Lee’s surrender it was at Richmond, VA until 8/1865. After that it moved to Fortress Monroe, VA until 1/1866 when it was mustered out and returned to Maine for final discharge.

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
Officers Killed Or Mortally Wounded: 6; Officers Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.:4; Enlisted Men Killed Or Mortally Wounded:  128; Enlisted Men Died Of Disease, Accidents, Etc.:243. 

SOLDIER:
Residence: Waldo, ME   Age: ca, 28 yrs.
Drafted:  10/3/1863   Rank:  Pvt. 
Discharged For Disability:  2/6/1865
Highest Rank: Pvt.
Rank At Discharge: Pvt. 

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:

Orin W. Barker was born ca. 1835.  The place of his birth was within New York State.

When the census of 1880 was taken, O.W. Barker was residing in St. Johns Clinton County, MI. He was 45 and a lawyer. His wife, Mary E., 46, had also been born in New York. Daughter, Sarah, had been born in Michigan.

In 1890 the Barkers were living in Grill River Township, Cass County, MN. The census of Veterans taken that same year it listed a disability of “shot through right shoulder and arm” which. The ^wounds had occurred on 5/16/1864 at Drewry’s Bluff, VA and lead to a disability discharge on 2/6/1865.

Orin died 2/9/1900. He was/is buried in Bayview Cemetery located in Bellingham, Whatcom County, WA.

Newspaper Notice:

Orin Barker, age 68 years, died yesterday morning at the home of his daughter, Mrs. C.W. Van Horn, Canoe Street, after a short illness, death being caused by uremic poison.  Mr. Barker resided at West Sound and was brought to the city Wednesday evening on the steamer Buckeye for medical treatment.

Mr. Barker was a veteran of the Civil War, having served about two years in the First (Eighth) Maine Volunteers. He was an honored member of L.P. Plummer post G.A.R. of this city. He leaves a widow and seven children, five sons and two daughters, all of whom will be present at the funeral (which) will be held at 2:30 pm tomorrow at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Van Horn. The funeral services will be conducted under the auspices of the L.P. Plummer post and the Ladies of the G.A.R. All old soldiers are requested to meet at (the) L.P. Plummer post room on Thirteenth Street at 1:30 pm tomorrow to attend the funeral. Interment will be made in the Bay View Cemetery.

The wife of Orin, Esther J.Barker, died in 1922. She was/.is buried beside him at Bayview.

Newspaper article of Esther Barker’s death:

Funeral services for Mrs. Esther J. Barker, who died Wednesday at her home at West Sound, Orcas Island, where she had lived thirty years, will be held tomorrow at 10 a.m. at Harry O Bingham’s parlors. The services will be Christian Science in character.

She is survived by two sons and three daughters, Orel W. Barker, West Sound and J.E. Barker, Retsil; Mrs. Nellie Rasch, West Sound; Mrs. Delia Barker, Retsil, and Mrs. C.W. Van Horn, Bellingham; also by two brothers, J.B. Dexter, Bellingham and Henry Dexter, West Sound. Interment will be made in Bay View cemetery.
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 Note: The preceding courtesy Whatcom Genealogical Society. Please see our Links page for information about obtaining the download of Civil War Veterans in Whatcom County (with June 2014 update) from which the data was adopted.

Posted: 5/23/2024
Updated: 

Buried at Bay View Cemetery in Bellingham