Evarts Worcester Farr was born on October 10, 1840, in Littleton, New Hampshire, to John Farr and Tryphena Morse. His father was a lawyer who owned $2,200 of real estate and $4,000 of personal property by 1860. Farr grew up and attended school in Littleton before enrolling at Dartmouth College.

 

In April 1861, he received a commission as a 1^st lieutenant in Company G of the 2^nd New Hampshire Infantry. He was promoted to captain on January 1, 1862. The regiment took part in the First Battle of Bull Run and the Battle of Williamsburg, and he lost his right arm at Williamsburg on May 5, 1862.

 

After he recovered his health, he returned to the Union army as a major in the 11^th New Hampshire Infantry in September 1862. The regiment took part in the Battle of Fredericksburg, the siege of Vicksburg, the Overland Campaign, and the siege of Petersburg. He mustered out on June 4, 1865.

 

On May 19, 1861, Farr married Ellen Frances Burpee, who later became a prominent painter. They had at least three children: Ida, born around 1863; Herbert, born around 1866; and Edith, born around 1873. He returned to Littleton after the war and earned a living as a lawyer. He served as assistant assessor of internal revenue from 1865 until 1869. He was promoted to assessor of internal revenue in 1869, and he held the position for the next four years. By 1870, he owned $2,000 of real estate and $2,000 of personal property, and he employed at least one domestic servant.

 

Farr supported the Republican Party, and he served as solicitor for Grafton County from 1873 until 1879. He served as a Republican congressman from 1879 until 1880, and he died of pneumonia in Littleton on November 30, 1880.

 

Image: Evarts W. Farr (courtesy Wikicommons)

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