Section 2, P.O. Deep River. He was born in Morgan county, Ohio, December 4, 1842; was raised on a farm, and educated in part in his native county. In 1859 he went to Reading, Michigan, where he learned his trade as a mason, and remained until April 7, 1861, when he enlisted in company E of the Fourth Michigan volunteers. He participated in the battles of Bull Run, Bull Run No.2, Siege of Yorktown, Chickahominy, Mechanicsville, Gaines’ Mill, Fair Oaks, Malvern Hill, Turkey Bend, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, second Fredericksburg, Wilderness, Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, and many others, besides numerous skirmishes. After receiving his honorable discharge January 28, 1864, he re-enlisted, and was again honorably discharged, April 4, 1865. He then lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, until April 8, 1867, when he entered the United States regular army for an enlisting term of five years, and served until he was the third time honorably discharged, June 30, 1871. He then returned home, and has since been chiefly engaged in farming and threshing, and occasionally working at his trade.
He married, March 18, 1874, Sarah J. Black, of Victor, Iowa, who was born in Bureau county, Illinois, February 24, 1848. Mr. Barker owns fifty-four and twenty-six-one-hundredths acres of farming land, in splendid condition, and ten of timber. He has served his township as school director, and is an energetic and successful gentleman.