Reunion Society of Vermont Officers
Encyclopedia
The Reunion Society of Vermont Officers was an organization of American Civil War
veterans.
veterans from Vermont
. Its original organizers included Redfield Proctor
, George G. Benedict, and Wheelock G. Veazey
.
and Navy
from Vermont and Union veterans who were natives of Vermont
.
chamber of the Vermont State House
to hear an oration on a historical Civil War-related topic. In addition, the group conducted an annual dinner at which it elected officers for the upcoming year.
On two occasions during its existence the Society published the records of its annual proceedings, which included the text of its annual historical orations.
The Reunion Society also endeavored to collect images of every Vermonter who served as an officer in the Civil War
, ultimately obtaining 859 photos of the 1363 officers, or 63%.
Redfield Proctor
, Interstate Commerce Commission
member Wheelock G. Veazey
, and Governors Peter T. Washburn
, Roswell Farnham
, John L. Barstow
, Samuel E. Pingree
, Ebenezer J. Ormsbee
, Urban A. Woodbury
, Josiah Grout
, and Charles J. Bell
.
to statewide office from the party's founding in the 1850s through the 1960s, a legacy largely possible in the second half of the 19th century because of the party's support among Union veterans.
Among the earliest members who were prominent in government were Redfield Proctor
and Wheelock G. Veazey
, who used loyalty among Civil War veterans as a base of political support to attain prominence in the Republican Party
.
One of the Vermont Republican party's devices for maintaining order and avoiding primary elections was to restrict governors to two one-year terms. When two-year terms were introduced, the party limited governors to a single term. Another party device was the "Mountain Rule".
Under the provisions of the Mountain Rule, one U.S. Senator was a resident of the east side of the Green Mountains
and one resided on the west side, and the governorship and lieutenant governorship alternated between residents of the east and west side. These provisions were made possible in large part because members of the Reunion Society who were likely candidates for office agreed to abide by them in the interests of party unity.
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
veterans.
Founding
The Society was founded in 1864 by UnionUnion (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
veterans from Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. Its original organizers included Redfield Proctor
Redfield Proctor
Redfield Proctor was a U.S. politician of the Republican Party. He served as the 37th Governor of Vermont from 1878 to 1880, as Secretary of War from 1889 to 1891, and as a United States Senator for Vermont from 1891 to 1908....
, George G. Benedict, and Wheelock G. Veazey
Wheelock G. Veazey
Wheelock Graves Veazey was an American attorney, judge, and government official. Veazey served as a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, and as a member of the Interstate Commerce Commission...
.
Membership
Membership was open to Union officer and noncommissioned officer veterans of the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
from Vermont and Union veterans who were natives of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
.
Purpose
According to its constitution, the Reunion Society of Vermont Officers was founded to: create and sustain fraternal ties among Civil War veterans; record recollections of fallen comrades; recall and memorialize the events of the war; and remember and promote to succeeding generations the ideals of liberty and national honor which prompted members to fight in the Civil War.Activities
The Society met annually in the House of RepresentativesVermont House of Representatives
The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members. Vermont legislative districting divides representing districts into 66 single-member districts and 42 two-member...
chamber of the Vermont State House
Vermont State House
The Vermont State House, located in Montpelier, is the state capitol of Vermont and the seat of the Vermont General Assembly. The current Greek Revival structure is the third building on the same site to be used as the State House...
to hear an oration on a historical Civil War-related topic. In addition, the group conducted an annual dinner at which it elected officers for the upcoming year.
On two occasions during its existence the Society published the records of its annual proceedings, which included the text of its annual historical orations.
The Reunion Society also endeavored to collect images of every Vermonter who served as an officer in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, ultimately obtaining 859 photos of the 1363 officers, or 63%.
Prominent members
Almost all prominent Vermonters who had served in the Civil War were members of the Society, including U.S. SenatorUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Redfield Proctor
Redfield Proctor
Redfield Proctor was a U.S. politician of the Republican Party. He served as the 37th Governor of Vermont from 1878 to 1880, as Secretary of War from 1889 to 1891, and as a United States Senator for Vermont from 1891 to 1908....
, Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
member Wheelock G. Veazey
Wheelock G. Veazey
Wheelock Graves Veazey was an American attorney, judge, and government official. Veazey served as a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, and as a member of the Interstate Commerce Commission...
, and Governors Peter T. Washburn
Peter T. Washburn
Peter Thacher Washburn was a lawyer, politician and Adjutant and Inspector General of the State of Vermont during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, Roswell Farnham
Roswell Farnham
Roswell Farnham was a U.S. politician of the Republican Party and an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War....
, John L. Barstow
John L. Barstow
John Lester Barstow was a teacher, farmer, politician, and soldier.Barstow was born in Shelburne, Vermont, the son of Heman and Lorain Barstow. After teaching in a local school starting at the age of 15, he moved west to Detroit, but returned in 1857 to help his aging parents with the farm...
, Samuel E. Pingree
Samuel E. Pingree
Samuel Everett Pingree was a lawyer, a U.S. politician of the Republican Party, and an American Civil War veteran who received the Medal of Honor.-Early life:...
, Ebenezer J. Ormsbee
Ebenezer J. Ormsbee
Ebenezer Jolls Ormsbee was a teacher, a lawyer, a U.S. politician of the Republican Party, and an American Civil War veteran.-Early life:Ormsbee was born in Shoreham, Vermont, the son of John Mason and Polly Ormsbee...
, Urban A. Woodbury
Urban A. Woodbury
Urban Andrain Woodbury was an American Civil War veteran, an entrepreneur and a U.S. politician of the Republican Party. Served as the 45th governor of Vermont.-Prewar life:...
, Josiah Grout
Josiah Grout
Josiah Grout, Jr. was an American lawyer and politician in the US state of Vermont.Born in Quebec, Canada to Vermonter parents, he served in the American Civil War as a Union Army officer before entering the legal profession after the war...
, and Charles J. Bell
Charles J. Bell
Charles James Bell , a Republican, was the 50th Governor of the U.S. state of Vermont from 1904 to 1906.-Early life and education:...
.
Political influence
Vermont elected only RepublicansVermont Republican Party
The Vermont Republican Party is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Vermont. Patricia McDonald serves as Chairwoman of the Vermont Republican State Committee.-Current elected officials:...
to statewide office from the party's founding in the 1850s through the 1960s, a legacy largely possible in the second half of the 19th century because of the party's support among Union veterans.
Among the earliest members who were prominent in government were Redfield Proctor
Redfield Proctor
Redfield Proctor was a U.S. politician of the Republican Party. He served as the 37th Governor of Vermont from 1878 to 1880, as Secretary of War from 1889 to 1891, and as a United States Senator for Vermont from 1891 to 1908....
and Wheelock G. Veazey
Wheelock G. Veazey
Wheelock Graves Veazey was an American attorney, judge, and government official. Veazey served as a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, and as a member of the Interstate Commerce Commission...
, who used loyalty among Civil War veterans as a base of political support to attain prominence in the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
One of the Vermont Republican party's devices for maintaining order and avoiding primary elections was to restrict governors to two one-year terms. When two-year terms were introduced, the party limited governors to a single term. Another party device was the "Mountain Rule".
Under the provisions of the Mountain Rule, one U.S. Senator was a resident of the east side of the Green Mountains
Green Mountains
The Green Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Vermont. The range extends approximately .-Peaks:The most notable mountains in the range include:*Mount Mansfield, , the highest point in Vermont*Killington Peak, *Mount Ellen,...
and one resided on the west side, and the governorship and lieutenant governorship alternated between residents of the east and west side. These provisions were made possible in large part because members of the Reunion Society who were likely candidates for office agreed to abide by them in the interests of party unity.
Termination of activity
Membership in the society dwindled as Union veterans aged and died, but it remained active at least until 1915.Partial list of presidents and years of election
- George J. StannardGeorge J. StannardGeorge Jerrison Stannard was a Vermont farmer, teacher, and Union general in the American Civil War. After the war, he served as Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives.-Early life:...
, 1865 - William Y. W. Ripley, 1867
- Samuel E. PingreeSamuel E. PingreeSamuel Everett Pingree was a lawyer, a U.S. politician of the Republican Party, and an American Civil War veteran who received the Medal of Honor.-Early life:...
, 1868 - William WellsWilliam Wells (general)-Medal of Honor:Wells commanded the Second Battalion, 1st Vermont Cavalry, in the repulse of Stuart's Cavalry at the Battle of Hanover during the Gettysburg Campaign...
, 1869 - George P. FosterGeorge P. FosterGeorge Perkins Foster was a school teacher, general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and then a United States Marshal.-Early life and career:...
, 1871 - Stephen ThomasStephen ThomasStephen Thomas , manufacturer, politician, jurist, and Union Army officer. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for gallantry.-Early life:...
, 1872 - William W. HenryWilliam W. HenryWilliam Wirt Henry was a manufacturer and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for gallantry in action.-Early life:...
, 1873 - Wheelock G. VeazeyWheelock G. VeazeyWheelock Graves Veazey was an American attorney, judge, and government official. Veazey served as a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, and as a member of the Interstate Commerce Commission...
, 1874 - Perley P. Pitkin, 1875
- William W. GroutWilliam W. GroutWilliam Wallace Grout was a U.S. Representative from Vermont.-Biography:Born in Compton, Province of Quebec, Grout pursued an academic course and graduated from the Poughkeepsie Law School in 1857....
, 1876 - George W. Hooker, 1877
- Amasa S. Tracy, 1878
- George Nichols, 1880
- John B. Mead, 1880
- John L. BarstowJohn L. BarstowJohn Lester Barstow was a teacher, farmer, politician, and soldier.Barstow was born in Shelburne, Vermont, the son of Heman and Lorain Barstow. After teaching in a local school starting at the age of 15, he moved west to Detroit, but returned in 1857 to help his aging parents with the farm...
, 1882 - James S. Peck, 1882
- Thomas O. SeaverThomas O. SeaverThomas Orville Seaver rose to the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Army during the American Civil War and received the Medal of Honor, America's highest military decoration, for his actions at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House...
, 1883 - William C. Holbrook, 1884
- Aldace F. WalkerAldace F. WalkerAldace Freeman Walker was one of the original members of the Interstate Commerce Commission when the organization was founded in 1887...
, 1885 - Roswell FarnhamRoswell FarnhamRoswell Farnham was a U.S. politician of the Republican Party and an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War....
, 1886 - Edward. H. Ripley, 1887
- Zophar M. MansurZophar M. MansurZophar Mack Mansur was an American Civil War veteran, a banker, and a politician, the 38th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont.-Early life:Mansur was born in Morgan, Vermont, the son of Warren and Jane A. Mansur...
, 1888 - F. Stewart StranahanF. Stewart StranahanFarrand Stewart Stranahan was an American Civil War veteran, a railroad executive, a banker, and a U.S. politician of the Republican Party.-Early life:...
, 1889 - Joel C. Baker, 1890
- Urban A. WoodburyUrban A. WoodburyUrban Andrain Woodbury was an American Civil War veteran, an entrepreneur and a U.S. politician of the Republican Party. Served as the 45th governor of Vermont.-Prewar life:...
, 1891 - Josiah GroutJosiah GroutJosiah Grout, Jr. was an American lawyer and politician in the US state of Vermont.Born in Quebec, Canada to Vermonter parents, he served in the American Civil War as a Union Army officer before entering the legal profession after the war...
, 1892 - Alonzo B. Valentine, 1893
- Edwin M. Haynes, 1894
- Henry A. FletcherHenry A. FletcherHenry Addison Fletcher was an American Civil War veteran, a farmer and a U.S. politician of the Republican Party.-Roots:...
, 1895 - James H. Walbridge, 1896
- Frank G. Butterfield, 1897
- Zophar M. MansurZophar M. MansurZophar Mack Mansur was an American Civil War veteran, a banker, and a politician, the 38th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont.-Early life:Mansur was born in Morgan, Vermont, the son of Warren and Jane A. Mansur...
, 1898 - Frederick E. Smith, 1899
- Ebenezer J. OrmsbeeEbenezer J. OrmsbeeEbenezer Jolls Ormsbee was a teacher, a lawyer, a U.S. politician of the Republican Party, and an American Civil War veteran.-Early life:Ormsbee was born in Shoreham, Vermont, the son of John Mason and Polly Ormsbee...
, 1900 - Stephen F. Brown, 1901
- Kittredge HaskinsKittredge HaskinsKittredge Haskins was a Vermont lawyer and politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives.Born in Dover, Vermont, Haskins attended the public schools and received instruction from a private tutor....
, 1902 - George G. Benedict, 1903
- Edward H. Ripley, 1904
- Albert Clarke, 1905