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Hiram Berry, Jr. was a farmer and a lay Methodist minister. I have the bible from which he preached, which also contains records of births, marriages and deaths.

He served in at least one Union army during the American Civil War, as reported in the special census of 1890 of Civil War veterans. Unfortunately, the census taker for the area in which he lived did not record regimental information for any of the men whose names he recorded even though a space for such was designated in the form. Since more than one Hiram Berry served in Union regiments from Missouri during the Civil War, at least three from Southeast Missouri, one of whom was almost exactly the same age as this Hiram, it is difficult to state with certainly which regiment or regiments this Hiram served in. However, I believe he is most likely the Hiram Berry which served in the following two regiments based on the counties from which these regiments were formed and the counties in which the other Hiram Berry of the same age lived::

* 8th Regiment Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia, Co. L

"8th Provisional Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia was enrolled between 1 May 1863 and 19 May 1863. They were ordered into service between 1 May 1863 and 16 May 1863. The Regiment was discharged on 8 November 1863. The Colonel in charge was William H. McLane."

* Cochran's Six Months Militia

In "HEARING BEFORE COMMITTEE ON INVALID PENSIONS OF THE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES MAY, 1908", p. 32, the following is recorded regarding Cochran's Six Months Militia:

"Capt. John R. Cochran's Bollinger County Company, Unattached, and Cochran's Independent Company C, Six Month's Militia, ... were practically the same company, though in service during different periods during the war. This latter company is mentioned prominently in a communication by Col. J.B. Rodgers, of the United States Army, to Brig. Gen. Thomas Ewing, dated January 4, 1865, and which appears on page 997, series 1, volume 41, part 1, serial 83, War Records, and is entitled as follows: "December 20, 1864, to January 4, 1865. Expeditions from Cape Girardeau and Dallas, Mo., to Cherokee Bay, Arkansas, and the St. Francis River, with skirmishes."

According to this report Colonel Rodgers, then stationed at Cape Girardeau, ordered Maj. Josephus Robbins, Second Cavalry, and Lieutenant Rinne, wth a detachment of Battery C, Second Missouri Artillery, on December 20, to march from Cape Girardeau to Bloomfield, to search for the enemy in the vicinity of Cherokee Bay, Arkansas. Colonel Rodgers also ordered Captain Cochran with his Independent Company C, Six Months' Militia, to march from Dallas (now Marble Hill), Mo., to Poplar Bluff, there to report to Major Robbins. Captain Cochran was unable to reach Major Robbins because of high water, and was ordered back to Dallas, having been engaged with the enemy, at several points during the expedition."