Theodore H. Barrett

Theodore Harvey Barrett (1834–1900) was an American Brevet Brigadier General who commanded the 1st Missouri Colored Infantry Regiment in the later years of the American Civil War and was known as the commander of the Battle of Palmito Ranch which was the final battle of the war.

Biography Theodore was born on August 27, 1834. Barrett enlisted on September 15, 1862, as a 2nd Lieutenant of the 9th Minnesota Infantry Regiment at Company G but wouldn't see active service as the 9th Minnesota was organized to engage in skirmish with Native American tribes. On December 29, 1863, he was transferred to the 1st Missouri Colored Infantry Regiment where he became a Colonel of the regiment which served in the Department of the Gulf in Louisiana until June 1864. On the next day, John "Rip" Ford engaged in a battle with Barrett at the Battle of Palmito Ranch and despite the Confederate victory at the battle, it was all in vain as Ford's forces would surrender 2 weeks later. Barrett was then discharged on January 19, 1866, and returned to Herman, Minnesota. In 1886, he ran for the Republican nomination for governor of Minnesota. He dropped out after the first informal ballot. Barret died at home on July 20, 1900, and was buried at Riverside Cemetery, Sterling, Illinois.

Family Theodore H. Barrett married Georgia McKee in 1879 and built a home in Stevens County, Minnesota. They had three children: Theodore, Richardson, and Georgiana.