Barringer, Rufus, 1821-1895

Rufus Barringer (1821-1895). Legislator, member of the first Board of Trustees of North Carolina State University, and confederate army officer. Rufus Barringer graduated from the University of North Carolina (1842) and studied law.

North Carolina lawyer, politician, and Civil War brigadier general Rufus Barringer (1821-1895) was born in Cabarrus County, N.C.; attended the University of North Carolina, from which he was graduated in 1842; represented Cabarrus County in the House of Commons, 1848-1850; was a delegate to the 1875 North Carolina Constitutional Convention; and practiced law in Concord and Charlotte, N.C. He served with the First North Carolina Cavalry and then as commander of North Carolina's cavalry brigade until his capture at Namozine Church, Va., in 1865.

Rufus Barringer was born in Cabarrus County, N.C., on 2 December 1821. He studied ancient languages with Robert J. McDowell at Sugar Creek Church beginning in 1837. He entered the University of North Carolina in 1838 and was graduated in 1842. Barringer then studied law with his brother, Daniel Moreau Barringer, in Concord, N.C. Barringer settled in Concord, representing Cabarrus County in the North Carolina House of Commons, 1848-1850. In 1854, he married Eugenia Morrison, who died in 1858. In 1861, he married Rosalie Chunn of Charlotte; he later married Margaret Long of Orange County.

Although a Union supporter, Barringer was among the first to volunteer when North Carolina seceded. He fought with the First North Carolina Cavalry and rapidly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming brigadier general in charge of North Carolina's cavalry brigade, which included the first, second, third, and fifth regiments. Frequently cited for bravery, he was captured at Namozine Church, Va., in 1865 and confined at Fort Delaware.

After the War, Barringer moved to Charlotte while maintaining his law office in Concord. He returned to politics, urging North Carolina's acceptance of reconstruction measures and serving in the 1875 North Carolina Constitutional Convention. After his bid for election as lieutenant governor failed, he practiced law, worked on the development of North Carolina's rail system, and wrote about his Civil War experiences. Barringer died on 3 February 1895.