C. Boyd Barrett Biography This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography, including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 767-768 Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm C. BOYD BARRETT, editor and proprietor of the "Pioneer Sentinel," of Aberdeen, South Dakota, was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, May 23, 1838, and is a son of John F. and Caroline (Wade) Barrett, natives of Maryland and Virginia, respectively. The father, who is now deceased, was a planter, and served as captain in the state militia. The mother was born in the Old Dominion on the same plantation where her death occurred. Of their four children, only two are now living: John W., who lives on the plantation; and C. Boyd, our subject. Mr. Barrett was reared at the old homestead in Loudoun county, Virginia, and received a good academic education. He took part in the John Brown war at Harper's Ferry for six weeks, and at the opening of the Civil war entered the Confederate service, being a member of the Sixth Virginia Cavalry for one year. He then enlisted in the Thirty- fifth Virginia Battalion, Ashby's brigade, and served until the close of the war, taking part in the following engagements: The battle of Ball's Bluff; the first and second battles of Manassas; the battles of the Wilderness, Sharpsburg, Gettysburg, Winchester, Cross Keys, Port Republic, the seven days battle, and the engagements at South Mountain and Brandy Station. He served under Stonewall Jackson until the death of that gallant commander, and was then under General T. L. Rosseau, and was with General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox. He was wounded in the thigh at Point of Rocks, Virginia, received a slight wound at Sharpsburg; and during the battle of the Wilderness a minie ball passed through his right lung. In a fight at Casselman's Ferry he was taken captive and confined in the old capital prison. He had two brothers who were also in the Confederate service, William, now deceased, who was serving as captain of his company at the close of the war, and John W., who was a lieutenant. After the war, Mr. Barrett returned to the home plantation and tried to farm, but failed. He then went to Alexandria, Virginia, where he conducted the old City Hotel, where George Washington had often danced. He was next engaged in the commission business in Washington, D. C., for five years, and at the end of that time became a resident of Aberdeen, South Dakota, where he conducted the artesian Hotel for a year and a half. Since then he has given his attention to newspaper work. The paper which he now publishes was established August 1, 1881, as "The Pioneer," by D. C. Wadsworth. He was followed by William A. Morrill, who changed the name to the "Republican." It was next published by Spence & McChesney, later by H. S. Williams, and purchased by our subject in 1884. In 1892 he sold it to an Alliance company, who conducted it as an Alliance paper under the name of "The Star," with W. E. Kidd as editor, but on the 12th of February, 1898, Mr. Barrett bought it back and again called it "The Pioneer." When he consolidated it with the "Brown County Sentinel," on the 1st of the following December, the name was changed to its present form, that of the "Pioneer-Sentinel." It is a bright, newsy sheet and has been an important factor in advancing the interests of the Democratic party, and has also promoted the welfare of this section of the state. In 1894 our subject was appointed receiver of the United States land office in Aberdeen, and in connection with his newspaper work discharged the duties of that office for four years. In 1876 Mr. Barrett was united in marriage with Miss Mollie D. Fadeley, of Leesburg, Virginia, and to them were born two children: Boyd, who graduated from the commercial department of the Dakota State University, and is now engaged in the grain business in Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Caroline, who is a graduate of the Aberdeen high school. Mr. Barrett is a member of the Presbyterian church, while his wife and daughter are Episcopalians in religious faith. He is a Royal Arch Mason and has always been a stanch supporter of the Democratic party and its principles. He was a congressional committeeman in 1896 and 1897, and published the first Democratic paper printed in this section of the state. Personally and through his editorials, he has done much to advance the interests of his party.