Barrow, Washington

Born: 1807-10-05 Davidson County, Tennessee

Died: 1866-10-19 Saint Louis, Missouri

Barrow earned a classical education and studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1827 and began practicing in Nashville, Tennessee. He earned appointment as minister to Portugal in 1841, holding that position until 1844. From 1845 to 1847, Barrow worked as an editor for the Nashville Republican Banner. He won election, as a Whig, to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1847 to 1849, alongside Abraham Lincoln. Not a candidate for reelection in 1848, Barrow returned to Tennessee where he served as president of the Nashville Gas Company. In 1860, he won election to the State Senate, serving until 1861. During the Civil War, Barrow identified with the Confederacy and was arrested by order of Governor Andrew Johnson on March 28, 1862. He was imprisoned in Nashville for a week before President Lincoln ordered his release. Barrow resumed his newspaper interests until his death.

Biographical Directory of the American Congress 1774-1996 (Alexandria, VA: CQ Staff Directories, 1997), 624.