GENERAL MICAH BARRON AND FAMILY

Micah Barron was born in Tyngsborough, Mass., March 26, 1763. He was a nephew of Colonel John Barron, who was an early and distinguished inhabitant of this town, and was probably induced to come this way on his uncle's account. His wife's maiden name was Elizabeth Pearson, a discreet, good, and very estimable woman. They came here with a view to permanent settlement February 2, 1788. He had, for two years before, been engaged in lumbering on the Connecticut River, a business which he followed for some time after. Pine trees, all along on the banks of this river, in the Coos country and northward, were then large and abundant, and it was with the early settlers a great business to get their trunks into the river, to be floated down and sold for ship timber, or to be converted into boards and shingles for building houses. The business of building flat-bottomed boats for the conveyance of prepared lumber to market, and to bring up salt, rum, molasses, iron, and other heavy articles of merchandise in return, was early undertaken and continued for many years.   To descend the river was comparatively easy, but to return, forcing the boat along against the current with oars and pike-poles, was hard work. To go in this way from Bradford to Hartford, Conn., a distance, by the river, of some two hundred miles, was a labor of some four or five weeks. But " Colonel Mike," as he was afterwards familiarly called, was a man of too much spirit and ambition to wear out his life in such dull and laborious navigation.

Writing the above paragraph vividly recalls to mind an anecdote once related to me by Mr. Moody Clark, which I think deserving of a place in this connection. He said as he and a Mr. Kennedy were once going down the river on a boat or raft, I forget which, they fell into a discussion of the difficult subject of predestination and free agency. The latter maintained that since the Almighty had pre-determined all things, no effort of man to secure any good, either in this life or that to come, can be of any real advantage; that those who are to be saved will be, and those who are to be lost will be lost, let them do what they may. Admitting the fact of predestination, Clark was not willing to allow the necessity or justice of the above conclusion, but insisted that in the divine plan means and ends were as closely united as if all depended on man's free will and efforts. While thus arguing, as thousands have done before and since, they were driven to a very logical and just conclusion, as follows :

K " Well, we are coming near the falls."

Clark pays no attention.

K " I say we are coming "near the falls, and must pull hard to get into the canal."

Clark, still apparently indifferent, replies, " If we are to be saved we shall be, and it is of no use to make any effort."

K "Why do you talk so like a fool? Take up your oars, instantly, and pull hard, or we shall go over the falls as sure as fate!"

They both exerted themselves, brought their craft into the canal, and were let safely through the locks into the smooth water below.

" That," said Clark, " is the way. We were predestinated to be saved, but you see we had to work hard to secure it, after all."

We return from this digression. Micah Barron, leaving the river, entered into mercantile business, and from an humble beginning carried it to a commanding extent.  His first store was in Bradford village, a little North of the corner where you turn to the right to go up " Goshen road " on the eastern border of what is now Mr. Low's garden. The side of the building next to the street was two stories high ; the West side was but one. The basement and room directly above were for the store, and the remainder of the building for the accommodation of the family. He afterwards built the large and commodious house, a little further North, which has long been the residence of Asa Low and family ; and so extended his business that at one time he had not only a store in this village, but one on the line between Bradford and Newbury, near the present site of Goshen meeting house, one in East Topsham, and one in East Corinth. The result seems not to have been very favorable, and in the decline of life his circumstances were rather straitened.  Our friend was of a military turn, and rose from the rank of a subaltern to that of Colonel of a regiment, and then to that of Brigadier General. At general musters he was in his glory. In his rich uniform, mounted on his splendid horse, and full of animation, he presented a truly commanding appearance. He never had occasion, however, to engage in actual warfare.

For twenty-three years Colonel Barron executed the office of a Sheriff in Orange County, the last four years of which he was High Sheriff. At that time, especially in the earlier part of his official career, there was much to be done by that officer, not merely in the collection of debts, but in criminal prosecutions, and the punishment of offenders. Then disturbers of the peace were liable to be set in the stocks, a sort of frame to confine the feet between two pieces of timber; and thieves, counterfeiters, and such like characters, to be tied up to a whipping-post, and receive a certain number of lashes laid on the bare shoulders with a cat-o'-nine tails, " an instrument of punishment," says Webster, " consisting of nine pieces of line or cord, fastened to a piece of thick rope, and having each three knots at intervals: used to flog offenders on board of ships." In some instances criminals were branded with some ignominious mark on the cheek, as with an R for rogue, or L for liar, or had the rim of an ear cut away. Even in this town were a set of stocks and a whipping-post. They stood on the East side of Main Street, near where you turn to go down to the paper mill. These punishments were more generally inflicted at Chelsea, near the jail, but even here Sheriff Barron occasionally exercised his authority by laying the lashes on the back of some luckless culprit tied to the whipping-post. The names of two or three of these transgressors have been given me, but why should they be perpetuated with dishonor? It is a matter of rejoicing that such barbarous corporeal punishments are no longer in use among us.

As " Colonel Mike" had become famous for arresting desperate offenders and bringing them to justice, he was, about the year 1800, induced to undertake the hazardous enterprise of going into Canada to arrest the notorious counterfeiter, Stephen Burroughs. This man, a son of Rev. Eden Burroughs, S. T. D., of Hanover, N. H., possessed good talents and education, was kind, courteous and gentlemanly in his appearance and manners, but was destitute of moral principle, and a most shrewd and accomplished villain-not in the way of deeds of violence and blood, but in diverting tricks of deception, in cheating, and especially in the business of manufacturing and issuing counterfeit currency, both in the shape of coin and bank bills. He had established himself at Shipton, in Lower Canada, and was deluging New England with his finely executed bank notes, greatly to the annoyance and damage of the community, and especially of the banks.  In consequence of this, the officers of several of these establishments entered into an agreement to bear the expense of a strenuous effort to have the great counterfeiter arrested, and a stop put to his business. Looking about for a man of the right stamp to accomplish such an undertaking, they could see no one so likely to answer their purpose as Sheriff Barron. They accordingly engaged him to make the attempt. The thing was not to be done in a day. He engaged two shrewd men, in whom he had confidence, to go to Burroughs with pretense of favor towards him and his business, and a desire to purchase and deal in his counterfeit currency. As they proved to be constant and profitable customers, they were gradually admitted into all the secrets of the establishment, knew everybody, how everything was transacted, where Burroughs slept, at what time in the morning his guard of fifteen men were released from their night watching, where they placed their guns, and retired for repose.  In the meantime Barron, furnished with all necessary testimonials, had been holding interviews with the Governor General of the Canadas, and obtained from him a warrant for the arrest of the criminal; a commission extraordinary, commanding His Majesty's subjects, especially all officers of the government, both civil and military, to give him support, protection and assistance to any extent he might require, in order to arrest and bring to trial the said Burroughs. Without having excited any alarm, Barron was one night, with twenty-two armed men, in the town of Shipton.   He had received full in-formation of everything from his spies. They were probably at that time with him. In the darkness of night he drew his company near to the house of Burroughs, and lay concealed till, in the dawn of the morning, his guard of fifteen men went in, set up their guns, as their custom was, in the hall, and retired into the attic for sleep. Then Barron with his company softly entered, and, having se-cured the guns the guard had just before set down, he directly entered the sleeping apartment of Burroughs and seized him in his bed !  Burroughs snatched a pistol from under his pillow to shoot him, and called loudly for his guard, but the pistol was instantly struck from his hand, and the guard, hearing many voices and much confusion below, leaped, terror-stricken, from their attic window and fled away. * Burroughs was overpowered and firmly bound with cords. When, in the clearer light of the morning, he saw in whose hands he was, for he had before known Sheriff Barron, he complimented his courage, and, promising submission, entreated him to unbind his arms, as the cords had become very painful. " Colonel Mike," he says, " you are a gentleman, and so am I; un-bind my arms, and I give you my word of honor that I will be entirely subject to your orders." Barron trusted him, but came near losing his life by so doing, for shortly after, when standing at a little distance from his prisoner, and looking another way, Burroughs was seen stealthily pointing a pistol at him, when a sharp click was heard, but no report followed. It had missed fire! Barron, being told of his attempt, took the pistol from him, demanding what he meant by such conduct. The villain replied, " I meant to shoot you." The sheriff, pointing the same pistol to a green birch tree, fired it, when a bullet was discharged with such force as to sink deeply into the solid wood. The prisoner then being thoroughly searched, was subjected to the closest vigilance, assured that if he made any further attempt of that sort he would be instantly shot down. He remained quiet, was taken to Montreal, and delivered to the authority of the Governor for trial. Barron, both in Montreal and at home, was regarded as a hero, who had accomplished successfully a very hazardous undertaking. Burroughs, however, as is generally the case with accomplished villains, had many friends, and through their management, after a confinement of some duration, escaped through the meshes of the law with impunity, and returned to his old business of counterfeiting.

I have been told that Barron was sent a second time to arrest him, when, coming suddenly upon him, Burroughs at once thrust his hand into his bosom to seize a deadly weapon, when Barron cried out, adapting his action to his word, " If you stir you are a dead man!" Burroughs, looking up into his determined countenance, replied, " Colonel Mike, I had as last to see the devil as see you," and without resistance submitted. He was again imprisoned, but contrived to escape. In his old age he became a Roman Catholic, and is said to have been in the habit of giving good advice to young men, telling them not to do as he had done, for he had found the way of the transgressor to be hard.

General Barron was in person rather a large man, erect and strongly built, his countenance open, and expressive at once of boldness and good nature. On one cheek was a singular spot, large as the print of one's finger, and bright as a ripe English cherry. He wore his hair combed directly back from his forehead, and did not need a shaggy beard to give evidence in any company that he was a man. He possessed a good share of general intelligence, and was in conversation social and interesting.  After the close of active business he lived for some time in Boston, but spent his last days in Bradford, where he died November 26, 1839, aged seventy-six years and eight months. Mrs. Barron died at Bradford, March 10, 1832, aged seventy-two years. She was a member of the Congregational church, and universally esteemed as an excellent woman.

General Barron and wife had but two children. Their daughter Elizabeth married David Hartwell, a respectable man, then in business with her father. She died early in life, leaving no child. The son, Colonel William Barron, a gentleman well known in this town and vicinity, was in early manhood occupied in mercantile business with his father, and for some years traded at Corinth, East Village. He first married Miss Bailey, a daughter of Isaac Bailey, Esq., of Newbury, and by her had two daughters. After her decease he returned to Bradford, and was for some years devoted to the business of a sheriff, and gave so good satisfaction that he was promoted to be High Sheriff of Orange County. He had also a liking for military affairs, and was promoted to the rank of a Colonel. He was a wide awake, very affable and polite sort of a man, fond of society, and spent more than the first half of his life in the ways of the world ; to the neglect of one thing needful. After the decease of Captain William Trotter, in 1822, he married his widow, a pious lady, who possessed a considerable estate, which he seems to have managed for her interest as well as his own, judiciously. In the time of a powerful revival of religion, about the beginning of the year 1837, he became hopefully converted, and, with many others, united with the Congregational church here, to which his wife had for years belonged. From that time till the close of his life, some thirty-six years after, he remained a praying man. After the lapse of several years Colonel Barron and wife sold their real estate in Bradford, and purchased a pleasant homestead in Norwich, Vt., where they lived for some time, but finally settled in Hartford, Conn., where, in very agreeable circumstances, they passed their few remaining years, and, sustained by the promises and consolations of the Gospel, died about the same time ; Colonel Barron October 25, 1873, in the eighty-sixth year of his age, and Mrs. Barron on the 28th of the same month, aged eighty-three.  The remains of both were brought for burial to Norwich, Vt., and there laid down together to their final repose, where their daughter Isabelle had been laid before them.  By his first marriage Colonel Barron had two daughters, namely, Elizabeth, who married Joseph M. Bean, then of Lyme, N. H., and Mary, who became the wife of Silas Burbank, a merchant in Montpelier, Vt., both of whom were left in widowhood "before the decease of their parents. By his second marriage he had two sons and two daughters. The eldest son, William Trotter, graduated at Vermont University, studied law, became settled in business at Chicago about the year 1852, rose to distinction, was promoted to be a County Judge, accumulated considerable property, and was esteemed a capable, upright, and honorable man; but by a terrible railroad disaster was, at about the age of thirty-eight years, suddenly killed; his head being actually severed from his body, and his person otherwise shockingly mangled. He had never married, and is understood to have seasonably made his will in regard to the disposition of his property. This sad event occurred near Chicago, in January, 1862.  Everett Barron, brother of the Judge, has for years been a hotel keeper at Fairbault, Minnesota. Remains unmarried. His sister Charlotte married a Mr. Rogers, of Massachusetts, was a talented, pious lady, and died in widowhood at Hartford, Conn., not long after the decease of her parents; leaving an only son, Willie. Isabelle died at Norwich, Vt., years before. Thus families rise, flourish for a little season, and pass away. Biographie Index

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