Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-11-23
JOSEPH BARRON, JR.
The "1da," whom He Did Not Marry
and the ida whom He MARRIED.
Information Desired Concerninw
1DarrOn's Family,

tcTS or Joseph fSHTTOn WHICH were pup-
lished In your issue OF october IA. 1905.
For several years have been collecting
material about Joseph Barron In the War
uf 1912. and especially in regard to his
residence ut Basin Harbor In the first
letter which you print written to his
sister from Burlington July %, 1910, he
says II yesterday arrived here from
Fnson Harbour or busirt IS unintcresting
IN you. Should be glad TO Continue my
Ride TO st. Adams, bot business Calls me
at the Harbour. Our father need be I'M
der no apprehension with Respect to my
Marrying the Old Maid. Ida Rogers. She
was married OH Saturday the 14th to
james Winans, one of tho owners Of the
Steamboat. However, you need not be
surprised II you hear that I am Married
to another Ida I have an offer Of going
captain of the Steam Boat Next Season."
We ho not wonder that he says
Steam Boat" since the first Vermont
was TIL, second steamboat in the world
to make successful trips, and had then
been running but two seasons. His per-
sonalities are to me delightful bits of
supplementary history. aside from the
amusement to be obtained from his pecv-
ish fling at the woman who had chosen
the wcll-to-do wdowcr part owner of
the steamboat, in preference TO the boy
ish pilot. Ida Rogers was the youngest
daughter of Platt Rogers, who came from
putchcss county to Basin ilarbor about
1iS9 built there large stonc house.
established a ferry to Rock Harbor and
to Northwest bay, now the village of
Wcstport. n. Y. and spent most Of his
time until his death in 1898 in surveying
lands and laying out roads In the
counties OF Clinton and Essex, In which
he owned large tracts Of land. He had
largo family of sons and daughters. ard
most. IL not all of them lived on ut tho
IIarbor after his death. His daughter.
Ida. lived there all the rest of her life.
after marrying James Winnns, and her
rrandsons now own the place and live
urOn it. Another daughter OF Tlatt
Rogers, Mary. who married jared Pond,
captain of Vermont m litia in the bat
tie of Plattsburgh. was at Basin TIarbor
with her family In the stirring times OF
tho war, as is proved by Il letter written
by her to her husband. which IS printed
in n little book on the gcne;logy Of tho
Pond family, by Byron Pond, which was
discovered for mo by 4 friend III the
state library ri Albany. The better is
long and exceedingly interesting. begun
on Sunday September II, 1914 while the
battle Of Plattsburgh was actually going
~ and finished on Tuesday morning af-
ter tho ncws of tie battle had been re-
ccivcd. She writes: "Our house and
barn have been filed since Monday night
with soldiers from the South. I ycstor-
day experienced an excess Of JOY for Il
fcw moments on account Of the victory.
hut was soon damped ~ 'he news Of
Mr. T.arren's death. which also gave
new cause of anxiety for your fate. Be-
fore night We received rows Of your he-
ing among the slain. tv way of Yer
gcnncs." This proved to be n false alarm
and she says: II can't express my joy
and satisfaction on reflection that you
have been preserved and SO far have
done duty that every true friends to
their country ought to do. Cur poor
friend Ida Parron is with lis. O how
hco,trcnding are such scenes May the
Lord support her and sanctify it to her
| SOUL 1t Seems to me quite plain that
''Oar poor friend Ida Parron' was the
wife OF joseph Barron. alluded to by him
in his letter to his sister two years be
fore as another Ida. whom he vas likely
..
he speaks of his little family then living
in burlington ION acco,nt of being fire.
u,ontly ut home without leaving our
Soors which frequently lie hero several
bays. There is reason TO believe that
Earrors residence in burlington was
only temporary and that he srent most
~ the time which lake pilot spends on
shore ut Basin HIarhor have seen a
|
among the family treasures 1T Basin
Hnrbor. of dates immediately prec eding
this period signed as witness by Barron.
| Jr
Rarron's second letter is especially valu-
| able in giving the early history Of the
| Inflated "Growlor" and Eagle" and
also tina. Of the 'President." craft
which have had some trouble in fol-
lowing She was one of the six sloops
purchased by tho army at the beginning
Of the war. uhe whole fleet for the first
season consisting of these six urarmcd
sloops and two small Cunboats) but was
not armed until she was trans
| ferred to the navy department
in tho winter Of 1928. when she was
given an armament OF u guns. and was
made III" flagship Of Macronough until
tho completion or the Saratoga III 1914
rhat Joseph Barron was the pilot OF
| Mac Tonough both In the President and
the Saratoga Is think. n very interest
! inc fact. and goes far to show Barron S
ability and trnstworthincss. 1t is vol
known that Marlborough showed no great
regard for the lake senmen. seeming
always to prefer the salt water sailors
whom he brought from the scaboard
Whether Joseph Barron was ono Of these
I do not know, as I know nothing of his
birth md early life. When the tombstone
was placed at the head of his grave IL,
1913. Lieutenant Platt Rogers Halstead
said ~ take a melancholy pleasure in
erecting this monument Mt tn" head oi
the grave OF Joseph Barron. Commodore
electromagnetic confidential pilot. I knew
him well-he was about my own nse-we
were schoolboys together. \ warmer
! hearted or n Drawer man never trod the
deck of q ship" | believe that Lieut.
IIastoad was horn ut Basin Harhor, This
mother having been Phebe Rogers. an
other daughter OF Plat Rogers. who
married John HalstCad) hut ] really dc
not know where he went to school, al
though he was my own great-unclc.
IT IL one OF the strange condolences
II history that there was another JOSEPH
Tarron who also fRured IN the war Of
1872. although it is evident that he is en-
tirely distinct from his nnmesake OF
Lake Chnmrlain. In Lossings Pretoria.
Field book of the War Of 1872, page 1al
he tells of one Joseph Barron. French