Arthur Barnes was born 1837 in Edgecombe County, NC, the 6th of 9 known surviving children (6 boys/3 girls) born to well-to-do farmer Edwin Barnes, Sr. and his wife, Theresa Simms whose farm was located in the part of Edgecombe County that became Wilson County when the county was formed in 1855.

He was the paternal grandson of John Barnes & Mary "Polly" Dew of Edgecombe Co.; and gr-grandson of Dempsey Barnes Sr. & Sarah Dew of Bertie Pct, Edgecombe County. He is a direct descendant of this family's patriarch, Edward Barnes (1691-1762) who came to Bertie Pct, Edgecombe Co, NC from Isle of Wight, VA in the early 1700's. On his mother's side, he was the maternal grandson of Benjamin Simms & Tabitha Thomas of Wayne County, later Edgecombe Co.

On February 23, 1860, the 22 year old married 21-year old Joana Mainor (also found as Maner/Manor) of Edgecombe County, daughter of Thomas L. Mainor and his wife, Catherine Pitt. The couple set up housekeeping in the town of Wilson near other family members, and where Arthur practiced law. They would soon become parents to 3 daughters: Maud (1860-1939), May (1862-1933), and Blanch (1867-1924).

When Civil War broke out in May, 1861, Arthur was serving as County Solicitor for Wilson County. On November 25, 1862, the 24-year old headed up an enlistment campaign in Wilson County recruiting a regiment for the NC 59th. His 3 brothers: John T. Barnes, Dr. Edwin Barnes, and Lafayette Barnes, immediately joined him. The company was originally mustered into service as Company C, 66th Regiment NC State Troops, but the company never completed its organization, and the companies were incorporated into existing regiments. With the Civil War was entering its second year North Carolina was rallying to supply more troops. The Partisan Ranger Act prompted local leaders to recruit companies of irregular soldiers for service in the Confederate Army. Seven such companies were banded together into a regiment to form the 4th North Carolina Cavalry. Capt. Barnes' Co. H was assigned to the 4th NC Calvary in Mar-Apr, 1863.

The 4th NC Infantry Regiment State Troops completed its organization in May, 1862, at Camp Hill, near Garysburg, North Carolina. It recruited its members in Iredell, Rowan, Wayne, Beaufort, Wilson, and Davie counties. Ordered to Virginia, the unit served in General Featherston's, G.B. Anderson's, Ramseur's, and Cox's Brigade. It was active at Williamsburg , Seven Pines , and the Seven Days' Battles, then shared in the campaigns of the army from South Mountain to Cold Harbor . Later the 4th was involved in Early's Shenandoah Valley operations and the Appomattox Campaign. It lost 77 killed, 241 wounded, and 6 missing of the 678 engaged at Seven Pines , sustained 58 casualties during the Maryland Campaign, and had 45 killed and 110 wounded at Chancellorsville . At Gettysburg the unit lost thirty-one percent of the 196 engaged, and 18 were disabled at Bristoe. The records show 8 officers and 101 men present on April 9, 1865.

By May 26, 1864, Capt. Barnes' health had become so impaired that he reluctantly offered his resignation, which was accepted by his superiors. He was discharged from active service as "permanently disabled from service by disease". The 27-year old veteran was released from service on on June 8, 1864, after which he returned home and served again as Wilson County Solicitor. The war would end 10 months later, and 2 of his 3 brothers would also come home to Wilson. Brother, Lafayette Barnes, was reported killed in Virginia in 1861.

By 1870, Arthur had been elected Mayor of Wilson and was serving as Probate Judge in the city. Three years later in 1873, the 36-year old was widowed when his wife of 13 years passed at age 35. Arthur never remarried, and the Barnes family stepped in to help raise his children.

By 1878, his eldest daughter Maud had married Edward Tyner Bynum of Tarboro, and Arthur was still practicing law in Wilson and caring for his two younger daughters, May (then 15) and Maude, aged 11.

In 1880 or early 1881, 43 year old Arthur left Wilson for Washington, DC, at the invitation of his friend, Brig. Gen. Matt W. Ransom (of "Ransom's Brigade" fame), who was then serving as U.S. Senator, and later Ambassador to Mexico. Capt. Barnes spent the next 18 years in Washington serving in the honorable position as doorkeeper of the Senate Marble Room at the Capitol, and doorkeeper for the Democratic National Convention.

Unknown to some, the Senate Doorkeeper is a much respected, and highly prized position established with the first Congress in 1789 and part of the office of the Senate sergeant-at-arms. At the back of the Senate Chamber is the Senators' lobby. Opening from it is the withdrawing-room, or as it is generally called, "the Marble Room," as it is made entirely of marble. Senators use it for consultation. The President's room is on one side of it, and the Vice-President's room on the other. Medallion portraits of Washington and the members of his first Cabinet cover the walls of the President's room, and it is sumptuously decorated. Here the President comes on the last day of the session of Congress, to sign the bills passed by both houses.

Both of Capt. Barnes' younger daughters stayed behind in Wilson. Mary left for college and later became a teacher; while Blanch moved in with Arthur's younger sister, Sarah "Sally" Barnes who had married prominent Wilson businessman, Oswald Lipscomb. Both daughters would later move to Tarboro, Edgecombe County, and reside with their then widowed sister, Maud Barnes Bynum.

Capt. Arthur Barnes died in Washington, D.C. in 1899. He was 65 years old.

This is his obituary from the N.Y. Times
DEATH LIST OF A DAY
December 17, 1899, Wednesday

Captain Arthur Barnes, 65 years of age, a citizen of North Carolina and for 18 years a doorkeeper of the Senate Marble Room at the Capitol, and doorkeeper for many years for the Democratic National Convention, was found dead in his bed yesterday morning in Washington. He is supposed to have died from a disease of the heart, having been for years subject to attacks showing weakness of that organ. Capt, Barnes was a short, ruddy-faced, and silvery bearded man of cheerful disposition. He had served in the Confederate army as calvaryman and was brought to Washington by Senator Ransom. Wherever the National Committee had its campaign headquarters, Capt. Barnes was on duty, and his personal acquaintance was large. He has held his place in the senate under all changes of party control. He was a free mason and his funeral will be in charge of that fraternity. His body will be taken to his former home of Tarboro NC for internment.

Note: Capt. Barnes was buried in Wilson, not Tarboro. His body was most likely sent to Tarboro where his daughters lived. He is buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Wilson.