Peter Thacher Washburn (September 7, 1814 – February 7, 1870) was a Vermont lawyer, politician and soldier. A veteran of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, he served as the 31st governor of Vermont as a Republican from 1869 to 1870, and was the first Vermont Governor to die in office. Washburn was a native of

Lynn, Massachusetts Lynn is the eighth-largest municipality in Massachusetts and the largest city in Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line at Suffolk Downs, Lynn is part of Greater Boston's urban inner core. Settled by E ...

, and was raised in Ludlow, Vermont. he graduated from

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...

in 1835, and taught school while studying law. He was admitted to the bar in 1838, and practiced law, first in Ludlow and then in

Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...

, while also becoming active in politics as a Whig. In addition to campaigning for Whigs including

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the ninth president of the United States. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration in 1841, and had the shortest pres ...

, Washburn held elected and appointed offices, including

Reporter of Decisions The Reporter of Decisions (sometimes known by other titles, such as Official Reporter or State Reporter) is the official responsible for publishing the decisions of a court. Traditionally, the decisions were published in books known as case repor ...

for the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The Court ...

and member of the

Vermont 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, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...

. In Woodstock Washburn also was active in the

Vermont Militia Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the ...

; he was commander of a regiment with the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

in the late 1830s through the 1850s, and organized a company in anticipation of the

, which he commanded as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. Washburn's company was federalized in 1861 as part of the

1st Vermont Infantry The 1st Vermont Infantry Regiment was a three months' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the eastern theater, in and around Fortress Monroe, Virginia. History Responding to President Abraham Lincoln's ...

; he was commissioned as the regiment's

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

and second-in-command. He became the ''de facto'' commander after

John W. Phelps John Wolcott Phelps (November 13, 1813 – February 2, 1885) was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, an author, an ardent abolitionist and presidential candidate. Soldier and abolitionist Phelps was born in Guilford, Vermon ...

was promoted to command of a brigade, and he led the regiment in the

Battle of Big Bethel The Battle of Big Bethel was one of the earliest land battles of the American Civil War. It took place on the Virginia Peninsula, near Newport News, on June 10, 1861. Virginia's decision to secede from the Union had been ratified by popular vot ...

. In late 1861 Washburn was elected adjutant general of Vermont, and as such organized Vermont's participation in the Civil War until the completion of the war, including the state's response to the

St. Albans Raid The St. Albans Raid was the northernmost land action of the American Civil War. It was a raid from the Province of Canada by 21 Confederate soldiers. They had recently failed in engagements with the Union Army and evaded subsequent capture in th ...

. As Adjutant General Washburn kept track of the over 34,000 Vermont men who enlisted in the Union Army. In 1869, Washburn was the successful Republican nominee for governor. He served from October 15 until his death on February 7, 1870. His death in Woodstock was attributed to exhaustion caused by overwork.

Early life

Washburn was born in

, on September 7, 1814, the son of Judge Reuben and Hannah Blaney (Thacher) Washburn. Judge Washburn's grandfather Seth Washburn was a Colonel in the American Revolution. Seth's son Asa Washburn, the Governor's grandfather, moved from Massachusetts to Putney, Vermont in 1785. Judge Reuben Washburn settled in Ludlow, Vermont in 1825. Washburn attended the public schools of Ludlow and

Black River Academy The Black River Academy is a historic school building on High Street in the village of Ludlow, Vermont. Chartered in 1835, the school served as the town high school until 1938. The present building, a Richardsonian Romanesque structure built in ...

, then attended

. He graduated in 1835, and was a member of

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...

. He was principal of the Haverhill Academy while studying law under his father in Ludlow, and with

William Upham William Upham (August 5, 1792January 14, 1853) was an American attorney and politician from Montpelier, Vermont. He was most notable for his service as a United States senator from Vermont. A native of Leicester, Massachusetts, Upham was rai ...

in Montpelier. After completing his legal education with a year at

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

, in 1838 Washburn was admitted to the bar, and he began practicing law in Ludlow in January 1839. Active in politics as a Whig, Washburn was one of the secretaries of a

Windsor County Windsor County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 57,753. The shire town (county seat) is the town of Woodstock. The county's largest municipality is the town of Hartford. History Wind ...

convention organized to support

in the 1840 presidential election. From 1840 to 1842, Washburn served as Assistant Clerk of the

. In 1844, Washburn moved to

and formed a partnership with Charles P. Marsh, which they maintained until Washburn's death in 1870. Also in 1844, Washburn was elected

reporter of decisions The Reporter of Decisions (sometimes known by other titles, such as Official Reporter or State Reporter) is the official responsible for publishing the decisions of a court. Traditionally, the decisions were published in books known as case repor ...

of the

, a position he held for eight years. He represented Woodstock in the

from 1853 to 1855. Washburn was also involved in civic causes, including becoming active in the

temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders emph ...

. He became active in the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

in 1855; he was a delegate to the

1860 Republican National Convention The 1860 Republican National Convention was a presidential nominating convention that met May 16-18 in Chicago, Illinois. It was held to nominate the Republican Party's candidates for president and vice president in the 1860 election. The conven ...

, and served as chairman of the Vermont delegation.

Civil War

Washburn had served as

of a

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

militia regiment from 1837 until 1841, and in 1857 he organized the Woodstock Light Infantry company, which he commanded as a

. In 1861, Washburn's unit was mustered into federal service for the

as Company B,

. He was commissioned

and second in command of the regiment on May 9, 1861. The commander of the 1st Vermont,

, was soon promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

and command of a brigade, so Washburn was the regiment's ''de facto'' commander during nearly all of its three months of service at

Fortress Monroe Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virgi ...

and

Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...

. Washburn also commanded five companies of the 1st Vermont and five from the 4th Massachusetts infantry at the

on June 10, 1861. He was mustered out with his regiment on August 15, 1861.

Later career

In October 1861, the

Vermont General Assembly The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the state of Vermont, in the United States. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself. The G ...

elected Washburn to succeed

Horace Henry Baxter Horace Henry Baxter (January 8, 1818 – February 17, 1884) was a Vermont businessman who served as Adjutant General of Vermont at the start of the American Civil War. He became President of the New York Central Railroad and was one of the major s ...

as Adjutant General and Inspector General of the state militia with the rank of

. During his tenure, he oversaw the raising, equipping and fielding of seven infantry regiments, one cavalry regiment, three batteries of light artillery, and two companies of sharpshooters for the Union Army. Washburn also took charge of Vermont's response following the October 1864

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...

soldiers based in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. The state responded by organizing the

Frontier Cavalry The 26th New York Cavalry Regiment was a volunteer cavalry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized under special authority of the War Department, to serve on the northern frontier of New England and New York for ...

and deploying it to patrol the Canadian border with Vermont and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, and Vermont's contingent included two companies, one based in

Burlington Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, no ...

, and one in St. Albans. Washburn issued a militia commission to

Ann Eliza Smith Ann Eliza Smith ( pen name, Mrs. J. Gregory Smith; October 7, 1819 – January 6, 1905) was an American author. She was president of the board of managers for the Vermont woman's exhibit at the Centennial Exposition of 1876, at Philadelphia, and w ...

, the wife of Governor

J. Gregory Smith John Gregory Smith (July 22, 1818 – November 6, 1891) was a Vermont businessman and politician. He is most notable for serving as the 28th governor of Vermont from 1863 to 1865, the last of Vermont's American Civil War, Civil War chief execut ...

. The Smiths were residents of St. Albans, and Smith had been in the state capital of Montpelier on the day of the raid. His home was a target, and when Mrs. Smith appeared in the front doorway carrying an unloaded pistol (the only weapon she could find), the raiders decided to bypass the house. Mrs. Smith then worked to organize the people of St. Albans to mount a pursuit of the raiders, which unsuccessfully attempted to prevent them from escaping to Canada. Washburn recognized her heroism by appointing her as a

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

on the adjutant general's military staff. Under Washburn's leadership, the adjutant general's office compiled 300 bound volumes of commander's reports, accounts and other records pertaining to service members from Vermont who took part in the war. Of the more than 34,000 men Vermont provided to the Union, only 75 were unaccounted for after the war. In 1866, Washburn declined reelection as adjutant general. He was succeeded by William Wells. Washburn was one of the organizers of the Reunion Society of Vermont Officers and delivered the keynote address at the society's 1868 annual meeting. In addition to resuming his law practice, Washburn was an organizer of the Woodstock Railroad Company, of which he was elected president. He also served on the board of directors for the Rutland and Woodstock Railroad.

Governor

In 1869, Washburn was a candidate for governor and won the Republican nomination at the party's state convention in June by defeating Dudley Chase Denison and Julius Converse. He defeated

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Homer W. Heaton in the general election, and took office on October 15, 1869. During his term, the state enacted a law changing the term for state offices including governor from one year to two.

Death and burial

Washburn died in Woodstock on February 7, 1870. Doctors could not find a cause, and attributed his death to nervous exhaustion brought on by overwork. He was interred at River Street Cemetery in Woodstock. Peter-T

Family

In 1839, Washburn was married to Almira E. Ferris (1816-1848) of Swanton, Vermont. In 1849, he married Almira P. Hopkins (1816-1910) of

Glens Falls, New York Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States and is the central city of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census. The name was given by Colonel Johannes Glen, the falls refe ...

. With his first wife Washburn was the father of son Ferris (1842-1860), who died at age 18 while a student at Dartmouth College, and daughter Emily May ("Emma"), who died at age 6 (1846-1853). With his second wife, Washburn was the father of four children, including Thacher (1859-1862), who died as an infant. Daughter Elizabeth (1852-1938), the wife of Thomas Wilson Dorr Worthen survived him, as did daughter Mary (1854-1941), the wife of George B. Parkinson, and son Charles (1856-1904). Washburn was a descendant of

James Chilton James Chilton (c. 15561620) was a Leiden Separatist passenger on the historic 1620 voyage of the ship ''Mayflower'' and was the oldest person on board. Upon arrival in the New World, he was a signer of the Mayflower Compact. James Chilton was ...

through Chilton's daughter Mary. As a result of this family connection, Washburn's surviving children became members of the

Society of Mayflower Descendants The General Society of ''Mayflower'' Descendants — commonly called the Mayflower Society — is a hereditary organization of individuals who have documented their descent from at least one of the 102 passengers who arrived on the ''Mayflower'' ...

when it was founded in the late 1800s.

References

Sources

Books

* * * * * *

Internet

* *

Magazines

Newspapers

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

Peter T. Washburn
at Vermont in the Civil War
Peter T. Washburn
at National Governors Association *

at The Political Graveyard {{DEFAULTSORT:Washburn, Peter T. 1814 births 1870 deaths Dartmouth College alumni Vermont lawyers Vermont Whigs Vermont Republicans Governors of Vermont Members of the Vermont House of Representatives People of Vermont in the American Civil War National Guard (United States) officers People from Ludlow (town), Vermont Burials in Vermont Republican Party governors of Vermont 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers