Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-09-25
Mr.. Sherman's Ancestry.
VERGENNEs, VI, Sept, 1870!

Mr.. EDITOR:
Referring to several brief articles ap-
pearing of late in you columns regard
ing the ancestry of our present Republi-
can nominee for e-President-James
s. Sherman-I note that none of the
writers thereof seem to know definitely
which side of the Sherman family is to
be considered as of the Vermont branch
whether the maternal or paternal side.
| beg to say, in this connection, that
was we'll acquainted with the said Sher-
man family, having lived with Walter
w. Sherman-in New Haven, Vt. =,
James Sherman's uncle, that is his
grandfather's brother on his mothers
side, from the time / was ten years old
until became of age; in fact called it
! my home until the death of said Walter
Sherman.
JehaZel Sherman, great-grandfather of
the present nominee for Vice-President,
on his mothers side, was an Albany
N. Y, man and came up to Vergennes to
help build Commodore MacDonough's
fleet for the War of lSl2-14, or that
section of such fleet that was built at
Vergennes, he being a shipbuilder and
had charge, believe. of that portion of
the fleet built at Nergennes. He found
Vergennes a good point to do business in
and never returned to Albany to live, but
bought the dock property in Vergennes,
on the east side, and had many store
houses put up there. He also owned a
packet line of boats called the Vergennes
d Troy Packet Line, consisting of sew
eral boats smaller than the ordinary
canal boat and hence able to reach Troy
more readily. The freight from large
section of the country was shipped from
Vergennes through his line of boats
He built the steamboat "Phnnix," of
which r. w. Sherman, his oldest son,
was captain for a good many years.
Jehazel Sherman had four sons born to
him from his first marriage: r. W.
Sherman, Jehazel A. Sherman, W. W.
Sherman and Charles Sherman. Charles
Sherman was accidentally drowned at
about the age of fourteen AT the death
of his first wife, who was a Miss Wins
low, he married her niece, Harriet
Daggett, and there were born to them
two sons, Charles and Benjamin.
| Captain r. w. Sherman, grandfather
of the present nominee for Vice Presi-
dent, lived in Vergennes and married a
Miss Williams of Utica, and there were
born to them two children, Mary and
Cornelia. r. w. Sherman followed the
lake for good many years. His wife
became insane and was placed in the
State Hospital for the Insane, at Brattle-
boro, where she remained until his
death. At that time his two daughters,
Mary and Cornela, went to live with the
grandfather, Williams, in Utica. Mary
married r. n Sherman, the father of
the present nominee for Vice-President.
They were not related, only namesakes.
Il. w. Sherman was one OF the most
popular captains upon Lake Champlain
during his life time. \ boat called the
"R. w. Sherman was built under his
charge and he was captain on her for
good many years. Al his retirement
from the lake she was re painted and
re named The Burlington" When the
"Saltus" was built and came into COM
petition with that line, he retired and
lived in Vergennes until he died, about
1868. He was very fine business man
and accumulated quite an estate-some-
thing over SECS, 900, ! believe, large
fortune for that day He was very neat
and dignified in every respect, and in
fact was a gentleman OF the old school.
At his death his daughters were at his
bedside, and when they returned to
Utica after his burial they took their
mother with them, where she lived with
them for several years afterwards
Captain Jehazel Sherman, the Mobiles of
Essex, the Saltuses of Cllntonville and
Comstocks of Comstock Landing prac-
tically controlled the boating business on
Lake Cham plain during their life time,