Ryland Fletcher (February 18, 1799 – December 19, 1885) was an American farmer, politician, the 20th

lieutenant governor of Vermont The lieutenant governor of Vermont is elected for a two-year term and chosen separately from the governor. The Vermont Lieutenant Governor's main responsibilities include acting as governor when the governor is out of state or incapacitated, presi ...

from 1854 to 1856, and then was the 24th

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 ...

from October 10, 1856, to October 10, 1858.

Early life

Fletcher was born in

Cavendish, Vermont Cavendish is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The town was likely named after William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire. The population was 1,392 at the 2020 census. The town of Cavendish includes the unincorporated villages of ...

, a son of Dr. Asaph Fletcher and Sally (Green) Fletcher. He attended the local schools of Cavendish and worked on his father's farm. He attended Norwich University while teaching school, and graduated in 1824.

Military service

In 1817, Fletcher became a member of the

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 ...

state militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

. He was almost immediately promoted to sergeant, and he continued to advance through the ranks, becoming a first lieutenant in 1818 and a captain in 1820. He was promoted to major in 1826 and lieutenant colonel in 1828. In 1830, Fletcher was promoted to colonel as commander of 3rd Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Division. He was 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 ...

in 1835 as commander of the brigade, and he served until resigning his commission in 1836.

Career

Fletcher was the owner and operator of his family's Cavendish farm, which included horse and cattle breeding. During his career, Fletcher was active in the Windsor County and Vermont Agricultural Societies, and he won prizes for his horses and cows. He was a noted anti-slavery and temperance advocate, and changed his party affiliation as the anti-slavery movement grew and coalesced from the 1830s to the 1850s, moving from the National Republican Party to the Whigs, Liberty Party, Know Nothing Party,

Free Soil Party The Free Soil Party was a short-lived coalition political party in the United States active from 1848 to 1854, when it merged into the Republican Party. The party was largely focused on the single issue of opposing the expansion of slavery int ...

, and Republican Party. Fletcher was a leader of the Vermont State Temperance Society and the Vermont Anti-Slavery Society, and was known to be active with the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...

. As a

Know-Nothing The Know Nothing party was a nativist political party and movement in the United States in the mid-1850s. The party was officially known as the "Native American Party" prior to 1855 and thereafter, it was simply known as the "American Party". ...

, Fletcher opposed mass immigration to the United States, arguing that "immigrants brought with them the 'mortal disease (of) monarchy and despotism, of Romanism and heathenism... which left unchecked would sweep away our most cherished liberties and dearist institutions.'" From the 1830s to the 1850s, Fletcher was frequently chosen as a delegate to the county and state conventions of the parties to which he belonged, and served on his party's county and state committees. In addition, he was an unsuccessful candidate for various offices, including the Vermont Senate and presidential elector. His unsuccessful candidacies served to enhance popular awareness of the movement against slavery and enhanced his own name recognition and reputation. In 1851, Fletcher was the unsuccessful Free Soil nominee for

Lieutenant Governor of Vermont The lieutenant governor of Vermont is elected for a two-year term and chosen separately from the governor. The Vermont Lieutenant Governor's main responsibilities include acting as governor when the governor is out of state or incapacitated, presi ...

. In 1852, he was the unsuccessful Free Soil nominee for Congress in Vermont's 2nd District. In 1854, Fletcher was the successful lieutenant governor nominee of a coalition that included the Whig, Free Soil and Liberty Parties. Nominated by the newly formed Republican Party, he was re-elected in 1855. He was a strong proponent of biennial rather than annual gubernatorial elections and was a tireless worker for the anti-slavery and temperance causes. After the State House burned down in an 1857 fire, he called a special legislative session to plan for rebuilding. In 1858, he called the first muster and training of the

militia since the Mexican War. That training proved useful at the start of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. After leaving the governorship, Fletcher served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 1861 to 1863, and a Presidential Elector for Vermont in 1864. He received the

honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

from Dartmouth in 1869. He was a member of the State Constitutional Convention in 1870.

Death

Fletcher died in

Cavendish Cavendish may refer to: People * The House of Cavendish, a British aristocratic family * Margaret Cavendish (1623–1673), British poet, philosopher, and scientist * Cavendish (author) (1831–1899), pen name of Henry Jones, English au ...

, and is interred at Cavendish Village Cemetery,

Family

He married Mary May on June 11, 1829, and they had three children. He was the brother of

United States Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

Richard Fletcher and Horace Fletcher; and the father of Henry Addison Fletcher, who served 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 of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

during the

, as a state senator, and as

References

External links

Ryland Fletcher
at National Governors Association *
The twentieth century biographical dictionary of notable AmericansTimes Argus
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Ryland 1799 births 1885 deaths People from Cavendish, Vermont Norwich University alumni Members of the Vermont House of Representatives Lieutenant Governors of Vermont Governors of Vermont Vermont Whigs 19th-century American politicians Vermont Know Nothings Vermont Republicans Republican Party governors of Vermont Burials in Vermont