Asa W. Farr

Asa Farr
Asa Farr
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly; from the Walworth 4th district
	In office; January 7, 1856 – January 5, 1857
Preceded by	Levi Lee
Succeeded by	Elihu Enos
District Attorney of Middlesex County, Massachusetts
	In office; 1851–1853
Preceded by	Charles R. Train
Succeeded by	Charles R. Train
Personal details
Born	February 28, 1821; Sharon, Vermont, U.S.
Died	October 6, 1863 (aged 42); Fort Baxter, Cherokee County, Kansas
Cause of death	Murdered
Resting place	Pioneer Cemetery, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Elisabeth Hadley (m. 1845)
Children	Frederick Walton Farr; (b. 1846); Ellen Elisabeth Farr; (b. 1848);
Profession	lawyer
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Volunteers; Union Army
Years of service	1861–1863
Rank	1st Lieutenant, USV
Unit	3rd Reg. Wis. Vol. Cavalry
Battles/wars	American Civil War

Asa Walton Farr (February 28, 1821 – October 6, 1863) was an American lawyer and politician. He was district attorney of Middlesex County, Massachusetts from 1851 to 1853. After leaving office, he moved to Wisconsin, where he represented Walworth County the Wisconsin State Assembly for one term. He served as a Union Army quartermaster officer during the American Civil War and was murdered by Confederate guerillas in the massacre at Baxter Springs.

Biography

New England

Asa Farr was born in Sharon, Vermont, in February 1821. He was raised and educated in New England.^[1] By 1841 he was residing in Lowell, Massachusetts. He worked as a printer was connected with the publication Vox Populi. He became a lawyer in 1845 and two years later formed the firm of Butler and Farr with Benjamin Butler. In 1851, Farr was appointed district attorney of Middlesex County, Massachusetts by Governor George S. Boutwell. He was removed from office for political reasons by Boutwell's successor, John H. Clifford.^[2]

Wisconsin

Disheartened by his firing, Farr moved to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin with his wife and children.^[2] He was admitted to the Wisconsin bar in 1853 and he formed a legal partnership with Charles Minton Baker.^[1]

Farr was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1855 and served in the 9th Wisconsin Legislature.^[3]

Civil War

At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Farr volunteered for service in the Union Army and was enrolled as an assistant quartermaster in the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment.^[4] The 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry was involved in anti-guerilla operations in the Trans-Mississippi theater of the war, especially around the Kansas–Missouri border area.^[5]

In October 1863, Farr was attached to the escort of General James G. Blunt near Fort Baxter, in Cherokee County, Kansas, when they came under attack from several hundred Confederate guerillas, led by William Quantrill. The Union caravan was overrun and many wounded and captured Union soldiers were murdered, including Farr, in what was referred to as the massacre at Baxter Springs.^[5]

Personal life and family

Asa Farr married Elisabeth Hadley on May 13, 1845, in Massachusetts. They had at least two children.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Schmelz, Lisa (August 25, 2013). "A Walk Through Pioneer Cemetery". At the Lake. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
^ ^a ^b Conklin, Edwin P. (1927). Middlesex County and Its People. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p. 198. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
^ Heg, J. E., ed. (1882). "Annals of the Legislature" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 192. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
^ Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861–1865. Office of the Adjutant General of Wisconsin. 1886. p. 91. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
^ ^a ^b Quiner, Edwin B. (1866). "Regimental History–Third Cavalry". The Military History of Wisconsin. Clarke & Co. p. 916. Retrieved December 22, 2021.

External links

Asa Walton Farr at Find a Grave

Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by Levi Lee	Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Walworth 4th district January 7, 1856 – January 5, 1857	Succeeded by Elihu Enos

[cemetery-1] Schmelz, Lisa (August 25, 2013). "A Walk Through Pioneer Cemetery". At the Lake. Retrieved December 22, 2021.

[Conklin-2] Conklin, Edwin P. (1927). Middlesex County and Its People. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p. 198. Retrieved 6 August 2023.

[3] Heg, J. E., ed. (1882). "Annals of the Legislature" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 192. Retrieved December 22, 2021.

[roster-4] Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861–1865. Office of the Adjutant General of Wisconsin. 1886. p. 91. Retrieved December 22, 2021.

[quiner-5] Quiner, Edwin B. (1866). "Regimental History–Third Cavalry". The Military History of Wisconsin. Clarke & Co. p. 916. Retrieved December 22, 2021.

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