Roswell Farnham (July 23, 1827January 5, 1903) was an American politician of 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 ...

, an officer in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during 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 ...

, a lawyer, and the 38th

governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

Biography

Farnham was born in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, son of Roswell and Nancy Bixby Farnham. His father was in business and moved to

Haverhill, Massachusetts Haverhill ( ) is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Haverhill is located 35 miles north of Boston on the New Hampshire border and about 17 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The population was 67,787 at the 2020 United States Cen ...

, where he began manufacturing boots and shoes until 1839. The financial downturn ruined him. In 1840 Roswell moved with his father and family to a farm on the Connecticut River in

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

. Farnham entered the junior class

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is amon ...

, where he was a member of the

Lambda Iota Society Lambda Iota Society () was a local fraternity at the University of Vermont until it merged with Pi Kappa Phi in 2018. History Lambda Iota was founded on at the University of Vermont. The main archive URL iThe Baird's Manual Online Archive homep ...

: graduated in 1849, and earned a degree of A. M. in 1852. On December 25, 1849, he married Mary Elizabeth Johnson of

. The couple had three children, Charles Cyrus, Florence Mary, and William Mills.

Career

Farnham taught school at Dunham,

Lower Canada The Province of Lower Canada (french: province du Bas-Canada) was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (1791–1841). It covered the southern portion of the current Province of Quebec an ...

; was principal of Franklin Academical Institution,

Franklin, Vermont Franklin is a town in Franklin County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,363 at the 2020 census. The original name was "Huntsburgh", but the name was changed to "Franklin" in 1817. Geography Franklin is located along the northern bor ...

; later taught at the Bradford Academy. He studied law during that time and was admitted to the Orange County Bar 1857. He formed partnership with Robert McK. Ormsby until 1859 when he began practicing independently. He was elected states attorney 1859, and twice re-elected. During the early part of the Civil War, Farnham was a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the Bradford Guards, a company in 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 ...

. Later, he was 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 ...

and then the

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 ...

of the

12th Vermont Infantry The 12th Vermont Infantry Regiment was a nine months' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the eastern theater, predominantly in the Defenses of Washington, from October 1862 to July 1863. It was a memb ...

, and for nearly half the term of his nine months of service was in command of the regiment. After the war, Farnham resumed practice of law at Bradford, and was Republican candidate for representative in the Legislature, but was defeated. He was elected to the

Vermont State Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-m ...

from Orange County in 1868 and 1869. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention and presidential elector 1876. Farnham was elected

Governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

1880 Events January–March * January 22 – Toowong State School is founded in Queensland, Australia. * January – The international White slave trade affair scandal in Brussels is exposed and attracts international infamy. * February � ...

by a majority of over 26,000, at that time the third-largest majority ever recorded in the state of Vermont. During his tenure, he focused on school and prison reform. He also sought ways to encourage manufacturing businesses to relocate to Vermont.

Death

He died in Bradford and is interred at Bradford Town Cemetery, Bradford, Vermont.

References

External links

The Political GraveyardRockvillemama.comRoswell Farnham
at National Governors Association * {{DEFAULTSORT:Farnham, Roswell 1827 births 1903 deaths Republican Party governors of Vermont People of Vermont in the American Civil War 2nd Vermont Brigade Union Army officers Republican Party Vermont state senators Vermont lawyers State's attorneys in Vermont Burials in Vermont 19th-century American politicians

Biography

Career

Death

References

Further reading

External links