William Harrison Gilmore (October 17, 1839 – April 18, 1910) was 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 ...

political and military figure. He served in 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 ...

, 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 ...

and as

Adjutant General An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

of the Vermont Militia.

Biography

William H. Gilmore was born in

Fairlee, Vermont Fairlee is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 988 at the 2020 census. It includes the village of Ely. Fairlee is home to Lake Morey, which claims to have the longest ice skating trail in the United States. Histor ...

, on October 17, 1839. The son of state legislator and

probate judge A probate court (sometimes called a surrogate court) is a court that has competence in a jurisdiction to deal with matters of probate and the administration of estates. In some jurisdictions, such courts may be referred to as Orphans' Courts o ...

Alexander H. Gilmore, he was educated at New London Academy (now Colby-Sawyer College) and began a career as a farmer in Fairlee.

Civil War

In 1861 Gilmore joined Company D, 8th Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Enlisting as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

, he served until being mustered out in 1864, and rose in rank to become the regiment's supply

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

. On several occasions he was commended for sustaining the regiment in battle by arranging for the timely acquisition and distribution of food, ammunition and equipment.

Post-Civil War

After the war Gilmore returned to farming in Fairlee. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, he was Town Treasurer for over 39 years, and served in the Vermont House in 1878 and the Vermont Senate in 1882. Gilmore was a member of the

Reunion Society of Vermont Officers The Reunion Society of Vermont Officers was an organization of American Civil War veterans. Founding The Society was founded in 1864 by Union veterans from Vermont. Its original organizers included Redfield Proctor, George G. Benedict, and Whee ...

and the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

, and served as president of the

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

Agricultural Society. In addition, the Sons of Veterans post in Williamstown was named for him. Gilmore was also active in several businesses, including serving as president of the Bradford National Bank.

Continued military service

In 1882 Gilmore accepted appointment as a

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 ...

on the staff of

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

John L. Barstow John Lester Barstow (February 21, 1832 – June 28, 1913) was an American teacher, farmer, politician, and soldier who served as the 39th governor of Vermont, United States. Early life Barstow was born in Shelburne, Vermont, on February 21, 1832 ...

, a fellow veteran of the 8th Vermont, and he served until 1883. In 1886 Gilmore was elected by the Vermont General Assembly to serve as Quartermaster General of the Vermont Militia, with the rank of

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 ...

. Gilmore was elected Quartermaster, Inspector and Adjutant General of the Vermont Militia with the rank of

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in November 1900 and served until his death.

Death and burial

In later years Gilmore resided in Bradford during the winter and in a cottage on

Lake Morey Fairlee is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 988 at the 2020 census. It includes the village of Ely. Fairlee is home to Lake Morey, which claims to have the longest ice skating trail in the United States. Histo ...

in Fairlee during the summer. Gilmore died in

Bellows Falls, Vermont Bellows Falls is an incorporated village located in the town of Rockingham in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,747 at the 2020 census. Bellows Falls is home to the Green Mountain Railroad, a heritage railroad; the ...

, on April 18, 1910. He had become ill in March while in town to inspect the local National Guard company, and he remained bedridden in a Bellows Fall hotel while being treated for pneumonia and other ailments. He was buried 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 ...

’s Upper Plain Cemetery.

Family

In 1866 Gilmore married Mary T. Haselton (1839–1917). Their children included Alexander H. Gilmore (June 2, 1866 – February 5, 1939), who became a newspaper editor in

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 ...

Macon, Georgia Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia. Situated near the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is located southeast of Atlanta and lies near the geographic center of the state of Geo ...

, and

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, and Kathie Gilmore, the wife of Harry B. Chamberlin, a Vermont businessman who served as an officer in Vermont National Guard, joined the army for the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

and was later assigned to

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

and other posts throughout the country.Carleton, ''Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont'', page 214

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilmore, William Harrison 1839 births 1910 deaths People from Fairlee, Vermont People from Bradford, Vermont People of Vermont in the American Civil War American militia generals Union Army soldiers Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives Republican Party Vermont state senators 19th-century American politicians Deaths from pneumonia in Vermont Burials in Vermont Colby–Sawyer College alumni Vermont National Guard personnel