James Briar , P. O. Box Rossville; farmer, sec. 27; son of James and Margaret Briar; born in Onondaga Co., N. Y., in 1839, where he remained till, in 1855, he came to Iowa, stopping in the northern part of this township. In August 1862, he enlisted in Co. A, 27th Ia. Inf., participating in most of the battles in which the company was engaged, till the close of the war. He then returned home, and was married the same year to Miss Sarah Gates. She was born in Decatur Co., Ind.; they have seven children: Wm. H., Samuel D., Joseph A., Julia A., James E., Charles S. and Delia M., and have lost one daughter, Eliza. Mr. B. moved to his present farm of 160 acres in 1876. It is a good farm, well improved, with good buildings upon it, and worth $40 per acre.