Captain E. D. Vosburgh

Captain E.D. Vosburgh, was born in 1859, at Bay City, Mich., and there received his education, graduating from the high school of that city. He commenced his career as a sailor at the age of seventeen, serving one season on the tug McDonald, owned by Blanchard & Vosburgh; the gentleman last named is his brother and is at present sailing master of the Rube Richards. In 1877 the Captain was appointed mate of the Annie Moiles, owned by Boutell & Mitchell, and after leaving her, he shipped as mate on the side-wheel steamer Dove. He then went to Alpena, Mich., and engaged in the fishing business on the tug T. Merrill, the following season returning to the Dove as pilot and mate, and taking her up to Lake Superior. On his return he was appointed master of the E. F. Rose, which he commanded part of the season, finishing that and the next on the steamer Raleigh as mate. Proceeding then to Cleveland, he was appointed master of the tug L. P. Smith, in which he remained three seasons, and he was also on the tug Gregory part of two seasons. During the centennial year he went to Chicago and entered the employ of Dunham & Company, for which firm he sailed tugs for two seasons. Returning to Cleveland, he again entered the employ of L. P. & J. A. Smith, going as master of the tug L. P. Smith, in which he remained two seasons, and from which he was transferred to the tug John Gregory, of which he is master at the present time. Captain Vosburgh is a member of the Tippecanoe Club in Cleveland, and has good opportunity for the enjoyment of much sport.

Some time ago when the schooner Gen. Burnside waterlogged and sunk off the harbor at Cleveland, Captain Vosburgh saved the lives of all aboard, consisting of the owner, Captain Little, and daughter, of Port Huron, the mate and crew of three men, and a woman cook. The crew of the Burnside hung out a signal of distress and Captain Vosburg ran down to her and passed them his tow-line, but it parted and the crew on the Burnside left the wheel. Captain Vosburgh then took a line, swam off to the Burnside and attached it, and after taking off the crew and Captain Little and his daughter, towed the vessel as long as he could; when within about three miles of port, however, the Burnside gave a plunge and went to the bottom. This act would apparently entitle Captain Vosburgh to the United States life-saving medal, but he appears too diffident to apply for one.

Captain Vosburgh was united in marriage, in 1878, to Miss Emma H. Hartwell, of Bay City, whose brother is connected with the public schools of that place. The parents of both Captain Vosburgh and his wife reside in Bay City.

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Volume I

This version of Volume II is based, with permission, on the work of the great volunteers at the Marine Captains Biographies site. To them goes the credit for reorganizing the content into some coherent order. The biographies in the original volume are in essentially random order.

Some of the transcription work was also done by Brendon Baillod, who maintains an excellent guide to Great Lakes Shipwreck Research.